Guest Post: 'A.I. A Challenge for Illustrators'

'A.I. A Challenge for Illustrators' is a guest post by Maurizio Galia.

Maurizio Galia, born in 1963 in Moncalieri (Turin, Italy), is a highly versatile art professional who has traversed various creative realms throughout his career. In 1986, he earned a master's degree from the Albertina Academy of Turin and established himself as a fine art professional. His artistic journey began as an illustrator for advertising, a role that laid the foundation for his future endeavours.

During the mid-'80s, Maurizio seamlessly transitioned into the realm of graphic design, contributing his skills to publishing, school books, and music labels. This diversification showcased his adaptability and willingness to explore different facets of the artistic landscape. Beyond graphic design, he expanded his repertoire to include paintings, books, album covers (for both LPs and CDs), and graphic novels, showcasing a multifaceted approach to his craft.

Since 1990, Maurizio has shared his extensive knowledge and passion for the fine arts as a dedicated teacher. His teaching experience extends beyond Italy, including a collaboration with a British institute in London in 2019. His commitment to education aligns with his desire to nurture the artistic talents of others.

Maurizio's connection with music runs deep, dating back to 1979, when he became a musician. His band, "Aquael," has produced noteworthy albums, further establishing him as an accomplished artist in the music industry. His expertise in music is evident not only in his creations but also in his role as a music connoisseur. You can find his book “Prog 50” distributed worldwide by Gazelle Book Services.

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Aquael - Apollo, Minerva e l'etrusco.

An imaginary poetry anthology

Here's an imagined poetry anthology for which I would pay good money:

• A, a, a, Domine Deus – David Jones
• A Glass Full – Sarah Law
• A Prayer in Spring - Robert Frost
• A Song of Derivations – Alice Meynell
• A Spell For Creation – Kathleen Raine
• A Theological Treatise - Czeslaw Milosz
• Advent – Brian Coffey
• Advent - Patrick Kavanagh
• Advent Calendar – Rowan Williams
• Advice to a Young Prophet - Thomas Merton
• The Altar at Isenheim - Steve Scott
• An Absolutely Ordinary Rainbow - Les Murray
• And death shall have no dominion – Dylan Thomas
• The Annunciation – Elizabeth Jennings
• At St Helen's, Ranworth - Chris Emery
• Baptism – Franz Wright
• Believe Me - Irina Ratushinskaya
• The bright field – RS Thomas
• Cain Reverses Time - Luke Kennard
• Christ in the Clay-pit – Jack Clemo
• Christmas and the Common Birth - Anne Ridler
• The City of Man – Charles Williams
• Conversations - Tasos Leivaditis
• Creed – Gabriela Mistral
• Creed – Steve Turner
• Crón Tráth na nDéithe - Thomas MacGreevy
• The Dark Path – David Miller
• The Duino Elegies – Rainer Maria Rilke
• Easter Monday - Eleanor Farjeon
• Eleven Addresses to the Lord – John Berryman
• Epiphany – Martin Wroe
• For One Who Is Exhausted, a Blessing - John O’Donohue
• Gloria in Profundis – GK Chesterton
• The Hastily Assembled Angel Considers What It Means to Be Made in the Image Of - Shane McCrae
• The Heart’s Desire is Full of Sleep - Ruth Pitter
• Holy the Firm – Annie Dillard
• Horae Canonicae – WH Auden
• Idiot Psalms – Scott Cairns
• In a Corner of Eden – Peter Levi
• Indifference - Geoffrey Studdert Kennedy
• Instructions for Angels – Rupert Loydell
• Jairus – Michael Symmons Roberts
• Journey – Kathleen Norris
• Kalymnos: November 29, 1968 - Robert Lax
• Kenosis – Luci Shaw
• Lachrimae Amantis – Geoffrey Hill
• Little Gidding – TS Eliot
• Look at the Revival – Theresa Lola
• Lough Derg – Denis Devlin
• The Maori Jesus – James K Baxter
• Miserere – David Gascoyne
• The Monk and Her Seaside Dreams - Fanny Howe
• Morning Worship – Mark Van Doren
• Not the Millennium – UA Fanthorpe
• On hold – Tim Cunningham
• On Religion – Khalil Gibran
• O Sapientia – Malcolm Guite
• Out Of The Blue - Michael O'Siadhail
• Peace in the Welsh Hills – Vernon Watkins
• The Peace of Wild Things – Wendell Berry
• Poem 133: The Summer Day – Mary Oliver
• The Portal of the Mystery of Hope - Charles Péguy
• Praying Drunk – Andrew Hudgins
• Prophecy – Dana Gioia
• The Quaker Graveyard in Nantucket – Robert Lowell
• The Redeemer - Siegfried Sassoon
• Resurrection – Noel Rowe
• The Road to Emmaus – Spencer Reece
• Sacramental - Kevin Crossley Holland
• The Sacraments - Louise Erdrich
• Shepherds' Carol - Norman Nicholson
• Still Falls the Rain – Edith Sitwell
• This Living Earth – Ernesto Cardenal
• To Live in the Mercy of God - Denise Levertov
• The Transfiguration – Edwin Muir
• Vanished Fire – James Matthew Wilson
• The Virgin at Noon - Paul Claudel
• Words of the Unknown Soldier - John F Deane
• Zen Poem – Daniel Berrigan

My first review of poetry for Tears in the Fence was of 'Modern Fog' by Chris Emery. My second review was of 'The Salvation Engine' by Rupert Loydell and my third was of 'For All That’s Lost' by David Miller. My poetry reviews for Stride include a review of two poetry collections, one by Mario Petrucci and the other by David Miller, a review of Temporary Archive: Poems by Women of Latin America, a review of Fukushima Dreams by Andrea Moorhead, a review of Endangered Sky by Kelly Grovier and Sean Scully, a review of John F. Deane's Selected & New Poems, a review of God's Little Angel by Sue Hubbard and a review of Spencer Reece's 'Acts'.

My other poetry pieces for IT are: an interview with artist, poet, priest Spencer Reece; an interview with the poet Chris Emery; plus reviews of': Collected Poems' by Kevin Crossley-Holland; 'Breaking Lines' at the Estorick Collection of Modern Italian Art and 'What Is and Might Be and then Otherwise' by David Miller. I have also published pieces on poetry at Seen and Unseen - a profile of the poet Theresa Lola - and the Journal of Theological Studies - a review of Faith, Hope and Poetry: Theology and the Poetic Imagination by Malcolm Guite. For more on poetry, read my ArtWay interview with David Miller here and my interview with Rupert Loydell here. See also Rupert Loydell's interview with poet and musician Steve Scott. My own dialogues with Steve can be read here, here, here, here, and here. For thoughts on the links between poetry and prayer see here and here.

IT have also published several of my poems, including 'The ABC of creativity', which covers attention, beginning and creation, and 'The Edge of Chaos', a state of current existence poem. Also published have been three poems from my 'Five Trios' series. 'Barking' is about St Margaret’s Barking and Barking Abbey and draws on my time as a curate at St Margaret's. 'Bradwell' is a celebration of the history of the Chapel of St Peter-on-the-Wall, the Othona Community, and of pilgrimage to those places. Broomfield in Essex became a village of artists following the arrival of Revd John Rutherford in 1930. His daughter, the artist Rosemary Rutherford, also moved with them and made the vicarage a base for her artwork including paintings and stained glass. Then, Gwynneth Holt and Thomas Bayliss Huxley-Jones moved to Broomfield in 1949 where they shared a large studio in their garden and both achieved high personal success. 'Broomfield' reviews their stories, work, legacy and motivations. 'Deflated Ego 18: Jonathan Evens on Jonathan Evens' is an article I wrote for Stride Magazine about the 'Five Trios' series of poems.

'Five Trios' is a series of poems on thin places and sacred spaces in the Diocese of Chelmsford. The five poems in the series are:

• 'Barking';
• 'Bradwell';
• 'Broomfield';
• 'Pleshey'; and
• 'Runwell'.

These poems have been published by Amethyst Review and International Times.

To read my poems published by Stride, click here, here, here, here, here, and here. My poems published in Amethyst Review are: 'Runwell', 'Are/Are Not', 'Attend, attend' and 'Maritain, Green, Beckett and Anderson in conversation down through the ages'.

I am among those whose poetry has been included in Thin Places & Sacred Spaces, a recent anthology from Amethyst Press. I also had a poem included in All Shall Be Well: Poems for Julian of Norwich, the first Amethyst Press anthology of new poems.

Several of my short stories have been published by IT including three about Nicola Ravenscroft's EarthAngel sculptures (then called mudcubs), which we exhibited at St Andrew's Wickford in 2022. The first story in the series is 'The Mudcubs and the O Zone holes'. The second is 'The Mudcubs and the Clean-Up King', and the third is 'The mudcubs and the Wall'. My other short stories to have been published by International Times are 'The Black Rain', a story about the impact of violence in our media, 'The New Dark Ages', a story about principles and understandings that are gradually fading away from our modern societies, and 'The curious glasses', a story based on the butterfly effect.

For more of my poems, see here, and for my poetic meditations, see here.

My key literature posts (including poetry) are:

• There were giants in those days (1)
• There were giants in those days (2)
• There were Giants in those days (3)
• There were giants in those days (4)
• The Modern & Contemporary Catholic Novel (1)
• The Modern & Contemporary Catholic Novel (2)
• The Modern & Contemporary Catholic Novel (3)
• The Modern & Contemporary Catholic Novel (4)
• The Modern & Contemporary Catholic Novel (5)
• The poetry of connection
• Debate: Has Fiction Lost It's Faith?
• Jesus is having a moment in literary fiction
• Endo & Scorsese: Approaching Silence
• Contemporary Fiction and Christianity
• Debate: Has Fiction Lost It's Faith? (2)
• Jack Clemo: The Invading Gospel
• Dealing with faith and with secularism is difficult but necessary now
• The poet’s eloquently passionate struggle at the junction of doubt and devotion
• Christian Arts renaissance: Major or minor?
• T.S. Eliot: Christianity, fragmentation and reconciliation
• Jesus Novels & Films: The Greatest Story Ever Told
• Acts of the Assassins and Jesus Novels
• Czeslaw Milosz, Oscar Milosz and Simone Weil
• Blogs: cryingforavision & Stride magazine
• Tasos Leviaditis: The Blind Man with the Lamp
• Religious concerns in Greek poetry
• Thomas Merton and Latin American poets
• American Catholic poets & writers
• Connections of Sister Corita Kent and Norman Nicholson
• Ernesto Cardenal RIP
• Czeslaw Milosz, Jerzy Andrzejewski, Oskar Milosz, and Aleksander Wat
• Faith, Mystery & Poetry
• Elizabeth Jennings & David Gascoyne: Mystical Experience and the Making of Poems
• Roots of the Catholic Literary Revival

See also 'Art and Faith: Decades of Engagement: Introduction, 1880s, 1890s, 1900s, 1910s, 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s.

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Elizabeth Jennings - Answers. 

Windows on the world (570)

London, 2026

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Joanne Hogg - I Was Not There.

 

To the ends of the earth

Here's the reflection I shared during Reflective Evening Prayer at St Mary's Runwell this evening:

In Jesus, God became a human being. That is what we celebrate at Christmas and it is also what is emphasised by Jesus in his post-resurrection appearances (Luke 24. 36 - 53). God becomes Emmanuel, one with us, one of us.

As we read in Colossians 1.19, Jesus had in himself, as a human being, the full nature of God. In other words, he showed God to us as fully as God can be seen in human form. This is because the creator must limit himself when he becomes part of his creation and so in Philippians 2. 7 we also read that Jesus gave up all he had when he took the nature of a servant by becoming a human being and appearing in human likeness.

For God to become a human being involved limitation. A helpful analogy is that of an artist and his/her self-portrait. The self-portrait is the artist (in that it looks just like the artist, being an accurate representation of him or her) but it is much more limited than the artist (being paint on canvas rather than living flesh and bones). For the eternal, creator God to become a mortal part of his creation involved a similar level of limitation. Among the limitations as a human being that Jesus willingly accepted was being born in a particular time and place (1st century Palestine) and living, ministering and dying only in that same time and place.

Jesus’ Ascension was necessary then in order to overcome those limitations. Not so much by regaining his full divinity as by giving each of his followers his Spirit so that we can then be his hands and feet, his eyes, ears and mouth, his body in the world and throughout history. It is not possible for one person by himself to go to all peoples everywhere but it is possible for Christ’s disciples, his followers, to take his message and his Spirit from Jerusalem to all of Judea and Samaria and then to the ends of the earth.

The Gospel of Christ is able to go out into the whole world because we, the followers of Christ, are scattered throughout the world and can be his hands and feet, his eyes, ears and mouth, his body wherever we are. Suddenly, there are no limits on where the Body of Christ – his followers – can be. This is why, at his Ascension, he says to his disciples, “you will be witnesses for me in Jerusalem, in all of Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth “(Acts 1. 8).

But this can only happen as we all play our own part in the Body of Christ. It can only happen as we act as the hands and feet, his eyes, ears and mouth, his body wherever we are. This is the challenge of the Ascension for us, but this challenge is combined with the promise that he will send his Spirit to us to empower and equip us to be his people, his Body, by doing what he would have done wherever we are. This is why he also says to his disciples, “when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, you will be filled with power, and you will be witnesses for me in Jerusalem, in all of Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1.8).

For this reason, the Ascension and Pentecost are intimately linked. The Ascension provides the challenge – “Go, then, to all peoples everywhere and make them my disciples” (Matthew 28.19) – and Pentecost provides the means - “when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, you will be filled with power, and you will be witnesses for me in Jerusalem, in all of Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

One day we are ordinary people, the next, through the Spirit, we are Christ’s evangelists, and pastors, and healers, and mercy-bringers, and the Body of Christ, redeemed by his blood, one in ministry to the entire world. Through our lives God brings living water to a thirsty world in the offerings of service and mercy that we share with others on a daily basis. This is the extraordinary way that God builds his Kingdom throughout the world - through ordinary people like you and me.

Let us pray for the coming of God’s kingdom on earth, as in heaven, throughout the world from Jerusalem through Judea and Samaria to the ends of the earth. Amen.

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Mavis Staples - In Christ There Is No East Or West.

Peace be with you, receive the Holy Spirit

Here's the sermon that I shared at St Mary’s Runwell and St John’s Langdon Hills this morning:

There are two occasions on which we are told Jesus’ disciples received the Holy Spirit. The second was at Pentecost but the first was one of the Resurrection appearances, in which Jesus appeared to his disciples and said, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit (John 20. 21 & 22). On this occasion the Holy Spirit came as the breath of God and as words of peace.

The Spirit’s coming in this way was promised by Jesus who, as we heard in today’s Gospel Reading (John 14. 15 - 31), said, “I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever. This is the Spirit of truth … he abides with you, and he will be in you” (John 14. 15 – 17). “The Holy Spirit … will remind you of all that I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid” (John 14. 26 & 27).

By giving them the Spirit he was giving them his peace and doing so in a similar way to that in which he had received it; as, when he was baptised, the Spirit descended upon him in the bodily form of a dove. The dove being a Biblical symbol of peace; a symbol that derived from the dove which brought news to Noah of the flood having receded, enabling life to begin again on earth.

When I was at St Martin-in-the-Fields we had an art installation which saw two thousand white paper doves hanging in the nave of the church forming a 15-metre-long paper sculpture called Les Colombes – The White Doves. Following successful installations with over 300,000 visitors in Jerusalem and Munich, these origami doves bore hopes and greetings from people who came into the church, from passers-by, from night revellers in the bar around the corner, from locals and strangers, people from all over the world. Catholic and Protestant, Muslim, Jewish, Buddhist, poor and rich, anyone could fold them and should fold them. In the flock each individual, separately folded dove became one of many.

The German artist, Michael Pendry, said: “Folded by different people, the doves in their unity stand for such a fundamental human right. The time has come to admonish and to stand up for this – for the right to peace and freedom! So that that the flock of doves might grow, from place to place, from country to country, across all borders.”

In this way, the flock was a symbol of a collective spirit of peace; one which is particularly needed at this time when terror has revisited our streets and leisure activities. The flock of doves headed from the entrance of the church towards the sanctuary, where lies the answer to all the questions of our spiritual potential – who am I, where do I come from, where am I going? In answer to these questions, the descent of the Spirit in the bodily form of a dove told us that we are the beloved sons and daughters of our Father God and that we are here to use our God-given abilities to do work for him that only we can do.

The Vicar of St Martin-in-the-Fields, Sam Wells, said that: “When at his baptism the Holy Spirit descended on Jesus like a dove Jesus wasn’t blown away – he was touched more deeply that words can say or eyes can perceive. That’s what this exhibition is about – and what’s more, it affirms that the Holy Spirit works through the humble hands of you and me.” Jesus gives us his peace, in the form of the Holy Spirit, so that we can then be peacemakers ourselves.

Sam has explained that “The Holy Spirit is the part of God that gives us here and now and forever and always those things that Jesus brought us once and for all. Jesus has shown us and brought us peace, but we need the Spirit to continue to make peace in and among us. The one Spirit proclaims “peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near” (2:17). One of the most difficult things in life is to balance your care for those who are near – your regular circle of friends, family, neighbours, and colleagues – with your responsibility for those who are far off – distant friends, family, fellow citizens, and people of other nations and faiths … how easy it is to become so wrapped up with a small circle of intimates that we can’t register the need of those outside our own tiny world … It’s hard to be at peace with those who are far and at peace with those who are near … Jesus is our peace because he gives us the Holy Spirit to reconcile those from whom we are far off and those to whom we are near. Jesus is our peace because he gives us the Holy Spirit to reconcile the parts of ourselves that are far from God with the parts of ourselves that are near.”

Sharing the Peace is the climax to which the first half of our service moves. We are used to it and probably imagine that it has always been part of Anglican worship. However, it was the liturgical reform of the later 20th Century that rediscovered the Kiss of Peace of the early church, and it was introduced in the Church of England’s experimental Series 3 liturgy in about 1971. Holy Communion is celebrated by the whole people of God gathered for worship and at the sharing of the Peace we are reminded that we are together unified as the body of Christ.

This is the moment when we are reminded that Jesus said Blessed are the peacemakers: they shall be called children of God. We are to let the peace of Christ rule in our hearts, since as members of one body we are called to peace, and we are reminded that the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace. If we live in the Spirit of peace, we are to walk in the Spirit of peace.

This is the moment in our service when Christ breathes on us so that we receive his Spirit and live in his peace. His promise was, Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. The Peace is the moment in our Service when we are reminded of that promise and encouraged to receive it.

Many of us shake hands or hug on Sunday mornings without thinking about what the symbol means. Sometimes, we “cross our fingers” as we say “peace!” with people we don’t like, and keep bland, expressionless faces as we shake hands with someone we haven’t yet forgiven. The Peace calls us to go deeper than that.

“Before you offer your gift at the altar,” Jesus says, “be reconciled.” In our Service, the Peace always comes after the Prayers of the People and the Confession and Absolution. We are called to prepare ourselves to go to the altar: to pray for those we’ve hurt, and those who have hurt us; to confess the sins we need to confess, and to receive God’s forgiveness; and then to be reconciled, one with another, as a symbol of our new life in Christ.

Then, we can truly go to the Altar with clean hands and a ready heart, and receive truly the gift Christ makes available to us all: his body and blood given in love for us.

When others spread war, anxiety, division and strife, those led by the Spirit make peace. Sharing the Peace is the time in our service when we can make peace amongst ourselves. Then, at the end of our Service we are told to go in peace to love and serve the Lord in the rest of the week because those who are led into peace by the Holy Spirit become peacemakers in the world and in their local communities. May it be so for each one of us. Amen.

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Adrian Snell - Peace Be With You.

Deanery Prayer Walk

Deanery Prayer Walk
with Bishop Adam Atkinson, Bishop of Bradwell
from St Mary’s Runwell to Our Lady’s Well

Saturday 23 May, 9.00 am (beginning in St Mary’s Runwell)
A contemplative walk from the Prioress’s tomb in St Mary’s Runwell to the Running Well.

Walk in the footsteps of those who have prayerfully visited the well previously to collect water for use in baptisms at St Mary’s.

Recall the stories of the nunnery based at the Running Well and the last Prioress who was buried in St Mary’s.

All are welcome.

Parking available in the Church car park beside the Church Hall

St Mary’s Church, Runwell Road, Wickford SS11 7HS

+Adam will visit Basildon Deanery to visit and pray at and for every church in the Deanery. He will also leave a pack of prayer resources for each church. This is part of the 100 days of prayer initiative in the Diocese (https://www.chelmsford.anglican.org/about-us/travelling-well-together/travelling-well-together-sustaining-ministry/#Prayer). The day begins with a Deanery Prayer Walk to which there is an open invitation.

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Contemplative Prayer Saturday 27 September

HeartEdge conference - Christ in the Stranger

Wednesday June 3rd 9.30am for 10am to 4pm
St Martins in The Bullring Birmingham

The foundational conviction of HeartEdge is that God gives us everything we need but we need to be willing to receive it in the form in which God sends it. Matthew 25 and Luke 10 show us some of the forms in which God sends it – and both refer explicitly to the stranger. The conference will focus on how congregations can most appropriately receive the gifts of God in the stranger and how in particular they may respond to the Christian-influenced voices in this country expressing hostility to migrants today.

Key Note Speakers 

Rt Revd. Guli Francis-Dehqani, Bishop of Chelmsford and
Revd Dr Sam Wells, Vicar of St Martin-in-the-Fields

Plus Inter-active workshops on the HeartEdge 4 Cs

The Fee for the day is £40 to include refreshments. You can bring a friend or colleague for just an additional £10 Subsidised places available on request from heartedge@smitf.org

More information at this booking link

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/christ-in-the-stranger-a-heartedge-conference-for-churches-tickets-1984042421291?utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=listing&utm-source=cp&aff=ebdsshcopyurl

Or contact heartedge@smitf.org

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Manchester Choral Scholars - In Remembrance.