October online launch for 'Thin Places and Sacred Spaces'

The October online launch for Thin Places and Sacred Spaces is this Friday, October 25th, 7-8PM BST. All are welcome to attend. Join editor Sarah Law of Amethyst Press on Friday for an evening hour of poetry readings and discussions on what makes the concept of a thin place so compatible with poetry/

The eventbrite link to register for Friday's event is: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/thin-places-sacred-spaces-october-online-launch-tickets-1026964326947?aff=oddtdtcreator

To see the September Launch, which includes my reading of 'Runwell', click here.

In this important and wide-ranging new anthology from Amethyst Press, with contributions by over 150 contemporary poets, readers are invited to reflect on and experience the poetry of ‘thin places’. The ‘thin place’ is a Celtic term, originally indicating a specific geographical location where the veil between heaven and earth seems exceptionally thin or lifted altogether. The anthology embraces and expands the concept of thin places and sacred spaces, including:

• Sacred Locations
• Sacred Nature
• Sacred Architecture
• Sacred Times & Holy Hours
• The Thin Veil Between Life & Death
• The Holy Unexpected
• Thin Places in Art, Poetry & Language

If you have ever felt the touch of eternity in nature or sacred architecture; at specific times of the day or year; in stillness, movement, art, silence or surprise – this collection is for you.

'Runwell' is part of a series of poems on thin places and sacred spaces in Essex called 'Four Essex Trios' and was the first poem in the sequence to be written and published. The poem takes the reader on a visit to St Mary's Runwell, while also reflecting on the spirituality of the space plus its history and legends.

The second poem in the sequence to be published is at International Times and is entitled 'Broomfield' 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. My poem reviews their stories, work, legacy and motivations. For more on the artists of Broomfield, all of whom are commemorated there with blue plaques, see here, here, here, here and here. I will be giving a talk on 'Rosemary Rutherford's Religious Art' at St Mary with St Leonard Broomfield in November, together with Kathy Rouse (see below).

The latest poem in the series to be published is entitled 'Pleshey' and celebrates the Diocesan Retreat House at Pleshey in Essex and the legacy of Evelyn Underhill as a retreat director. The final poem in this sequence - 'Bradwell' - will be published shortly.

I also had a poem included in All Shall Be Well: Poems for Julian of Norwich, the first Amethyst Press anthology of new poems. 'All Shall Be Well' is an anthology of new poems for Mother Julian, medieval mystic, anchoress, and the first woman to write a book in English. Lyrical, prayerful, vivid and insightful, these poems offer a poetic testament to Julian's enduring legacy of prayer and confidence in a merciful God who assured her that 'All Shall Be Well, and All Shall Be Well, and All Manner of Thing Shall Be Well.' The anthology has been edited by and comes with an introduction by Sarah Law, editor of Amethyst Review.

My poem for that anthology is based on a large painting 'The Revelations of Julian of Norwich' by Australian artist Alan Oldfield which is to be found at the Belsey Bridge Conference Centre in Ditchingham, Norfolk.

Amethyst Review is a publication for readers and writers who are interested in creative exploration of spirituality and the sacred. Readers and writers of all religions and none are most welcome. All work published engages in some way with spirituality or the sacred in a spirit of thoughtful and respectful inquiry, rather than proselytizing.

The Editor-in-chief is Sarah Law – poet (mainly), tutor, occasional critic, sometime fiction writer. She has published five poetry collections, the latest of which is 'Thérèse: Poems'. Her novel, Sketches from a Sunlit Heaven is a 2023 Illumination Book Award silver medal winner. She set up Amethyst Review feeling the lack of a UK-based platform for the sharing and readership of new literary writing that engages in some way with spirituality and the sacred.

Five of my poems have appeared in Amethyst Review. They are:'Pleshey', 'Runwell', 'Are/Are Not', 'Attend, attend' and 'Maritain, Green, Beckett and Anderson in conversation down through the ages'. To read my poems published by Stride, click here, here, here, here, and here. My poems published by International Times are 'Broomfield' and 'The ABC of creativity'. The latter covers attention, beginning and creation and can be read here.

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Launch of Thin Places & Sacred Spaces: an anthology of new poetry

Launch of 'All Shall Be Well: Poems for Julian of Norwich'

 

The online launch for the anthology of poems for Julian of Norwich took place last Wednesday and can be viewed via the link above. The launch featured new poems read by contributors, my recorded contribution can also be viewed via the link above. 

All Shall Be Well: Poems for Julian of Norwich, the Amethyst Press anthology of new poems for Julian of Norwich is now available in print and as an e-book!

To celebrate the 650th anniversary of Julian of Norwich's visionary 'Shewings', here is 'All Shall Be Well', an anthology of new poems for Mother Julian, medieval mystic, anchoress, and the first woman to write a book in English. Lyrical, prayerful, vivid and insightful, these poems offer a poetic testament to Julian's enduring legacy of prayer and confidence in a merciful God who assured her that 'All Shall Be Well, and All Shall Be Well, and All Manner of Thing Shall Be Well.' The anthology has been edited by and comes with an introduction by Sarah Law, editor of Amethyst Review.

With contributions from: Susan Brice, Mark S. Burrows, Lance Carden, Carol Casey, Johanna Caton, O.S.B.. Sarah Cave, Ann Cefola, Jennifer Clark, Linda Collins, Jonathan Cooper, Scott Dalgarno, Keren Dibbens-Wyatt, Diana Durham, Jeffrey Essmann, Jonathan Evens, Ruth Gilchrist, Maryanne Hannan, James Harpur, Maura H. Harrison, Kale Hensley, Terry E. Hill, Angela Hoffman, Laura Reece Hogan, Erich von Hungen, Rosie Jackson, Elisabeth Engell Jessen, Sylvia Karman, Jane Keenan, Adrienne Keller, Desmond Kon, Irina Kuzminsky, Sarah Law, Tim Lenton, Shannon Lippert, Viv Longley, Rupert M. Loydell, Hannah Lucas, Tony Lucas, Marjorie Maddox, Marda Messick, Jennifer Davis Michael, Nessa O’Mahony, Tory V. Pearman, Ann Power, Frances Presley, Patrick T. Reardon, Merryn Rutledge, Deborah W. Sage, Maha Salih, Steven Searcy, Kathryn Simmonds, Susan Delaney Spear, Mark Tulin, Laura Varnam, Gail White, Martin Willitts Jr and Mike Wilson.

My poem for the anthology is based on a large painting 'The Revelations of Julian of Norwich' by Australian artist Alan Oldfield which is to be found at the Belsey Bridge Conference Centre in Ditchingham, Norfolk.

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To learn more about Julian of Norwich, please visit the Friends of Julian and consider supporting their work.

Amethyst Review is a publication for readers and writers who are interested in creative exploration of spirituality and the sacred. Readers and writers of all religions and none are most welcome. All work published engages in some way with spirituality or the sacred in a spirit of thoughtful and respectful inquiry, rather than proselytizing.

The Editor-in-chief is Sarah Law – poet (mainly), tutor, occasional critic, sometime fiction writer. She has published five poetry collections, the latest of which is 'Ink’s Wish'. She set up Amethyst Review feeling the lack of a UK-based platform for the sharing and readership of new literary writing that engages in some way with spirituality and the sacred.

Foue of my poems have appeared in Amethyst Review. They are: 'Runwell', 'Are/Are Not', 'Attend, attend' and 'Maritain, Green, Beckett and Anderson in conversation down through the ages'. I have also had several poems in Stride magazine, including several reflecting on other poets, beginning with the artist-poet David Jones, continuing with Dylan Thomas and ending with Jack Clemo. To read my poems published by Stride, click here, here, here, here, and here.

Additionally, several of my short stories have been published by International Times, the Magazine of Resistance, including three about Nicola Ravenscroft's mudcub sculptures (now known as Earth Angels), which we exhibited at St Andrew's Wickford last Autumn. 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.

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Elizabeth Jessen - From The Sidelines.

Living God's Future Now w/c 26 July 2020

HeartEdge Living God's Future Now events this week - Church Leaders, Laypeople & Enquirers Welcome

'Living God’s Future Now’ is our mini 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.

Sunday 26 July

• ‘Inspired to Follow: Art and the Bible Story’: Sunday 26 July, 2.00 pm (BST), Zoom meeting - Topic: Matthew 26:57-68 / ‘Christ before the High Priest’, Gerrit van Honthorst, about.1617, NG3679. Email Jonathan for an invitation.

Monday 27 July

• PassionArt: The Art of Belonging: Monday, 27 July, 14:00 – 15:30 BST. Register for a zoom invite here. PassionArt aims to recover beauty at the heart of our communities through collective acts of creativity. In this workshop artists, curators and hosts from PassionArt projects will be in conversation with Azariah France-Williams.
• Biblical Studies class: Monday 27 July, 7.30-9.00 pm (BST), Zoom meeting. Register in advance here. 

Tuesday 28 July

• Sermon Preparation Workshop: Tuesday 28 July, 4.30pm (BST), livestreamed on the HeartEdge Facebook page.

Wednesday 29 July

• Community of Practitioners workshop: Wednesday 29 July, 4.30pm (BST), Zoom meeting. Email Jonathan for a zoom invitation.

Friday 31 July

• In the shadow of your wings: Friday 31 July, 4.30 pm (BST), Zoom meeting. An Interactive Online Event Presented by Deus Ex Musica which is a musical bible study on the Psalms. A unique ecumenical event that combines new musical interpretations of psalms with small-group discussion. Register for a zoom invitation here.

Special Mentions 

• Book Launch – Ghost Ship by Azariah France-William: Sat 01 August, 4pm (BST), on Zoom. Join Azariah and guests for readings, music, discussion and debate - and the launch of 'Ghost Ship - Institutional Racism and the Church of England'. Guests include Guli Francis-Dehquani, Samantha Lindo, Randolph Matthews, David Neita, Sharon & Calvert Prentis & Winnie Varghese. Register here.
• Living God’s Future Now Conversation: Thursday August 13, 6pm (BST), Zoom – Bishop Rachel Treweek and Sam Wells explore what it means to improvise on God’s Kingdom. Register here.

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 and 10 mins before an event, mostly to minimise the chance of misuse. Thank you.

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Bob Dylan and the Band - I Shall Be Released.

The City is my Monastery: A contemporary rule of life

My colleague at St Martin-in-the-Fields, Richard Carter has written a book called
The City is My Monastery: A Contemporary Rule of Life. It’s being published by Canterbury Press with Forward by Sam Wells and Afterword by Rowan Williams. The book is illustrated by Andrew Carter, Helen Ireland, and Vicky Howard.

On Wednesday 20 November 6.30pm in our service of Bread for the World at St Martin-in-the-Fields Richard will speak about the book.

Richard Carter swapped a life of simplicity with an Anglican religious order in the Solomon Islands for parish ministry in one of London’s busiest churches, St Martin-in-the-Fields.

Seeing a need for monastic values in the centre of the city, he founded the Nazareth Community. Its members gather from everyday life to seek God in contemplation, to acknowledge their dependence on God’s grace and to learn to live openly and generously with all.

Part story, part spiritual meditation, The City is My Monastery offers spiritual wisdom for daily life rooted in the Nazareth Community’s seven guiding principles: Silence, Service, Scripture, Sacrament, Sharing, Sabbath Time and Staying.

‘This wonderful book is both recognizable and startlingly new. What we are given here is not simply another book on ‘spirituality’ but a workbook for living in and with meaning, Christian meaning, Jesus-shaped meaning.’ Rowan Williams

‘This book is a generous gift. The City is My Monastery is rich and moving reading which warmed my spirit and encouraged me to stay.’ The Rt Revd Sarah Mullally, Bishop of London

‘This is a book that moved me deeply and will surely strengthen and give heart to many. It is an autobiography of poetry and prayer. Above all, a powerful poetic meditation on meeting God every day on the streets and in the people of London.’ Neil MacGregor, founding director of the Humboldt Forum in Berlin, director of the British Museum 2002-2015

‘Precious few are the books that accomplish what this masterfully practical and inspiring book accomplishes. Nor do they do so with such grace, depth and unflinching insight. Those who tread the pathless path of contemplation will be grateful to be in Richard Carter’s debt for the gift of this remarkable book.’ Martin Laird OSA, author of An Ocean of Light

‘The City is my Monastery is beautiful, inspiring, humble and attractive. It is so deeply soaked in loving attention and that is what makes it so infectious.’ The Revd Sam Wells, Vicar of St Martin-in-the-Fields

‘This is a life-changing book, and needs to be read as it is written - as a prayer.’ Sarah Coakley, Norris-Hulse Professor Emerita, University of Cambridge

‘There are treasures on every page: wisdom gathered, practised and shared. This book is so readable it could be a quick read, but linger and use it slowly over the months and years. This is a guide to life.’ The Rt Revd Nicholas Holtam, Bishop of Salisbury

‘This is one of those books that can be a lifetime’s companion, holding before us what we are here for: Life.’ Father George Guiver, Community of the Resurrection.

‘Richard Carter has written a book not of abstract theory but of lived experience and practice. It will inspire urban and rural dwellers alike.’ Revd Lucy Winkett Rector St James's Church, Piccadilly

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Taize - Veni Sancte Spiritus.

No Neutral Ground

Last night I was at the launch of No Neutral Ground by Pete Portal, whose drug rehabilitation home in the slums of Cape Town has received prayer and financial support from St Martin-in-the-Fields.

'Cape Town is one of the most beautiful cities in the world – often described as a kind of heaven on earth. But for the majority of its inhabitants it is hell. Ghettoes are everywhere, and for those living in Manenberg – a coloured township on the Cape Flats, purpose-built by the apartheid government as part of its forced removal plan – life is just as marginal today as it was during apartheid. The main differences now are the rampant drug use and widespread gang presence.

No Neutral Ground is the gripping account of Pete Portal’s move from London to Manenberg, of addicts and gangsters meeting Jesus and being transformed, and how he went from living with a heroin addict to helping establish a church community – and all the heartbreak and failure along the way. This is a story of mighty works of God, as well as relapse, hopelessness and despair; the miraculous and the mundane, heaven and hell, all balanced on a knife edge.

Offering searing insight and an inspiring vision of faith, Pete asks why anyone would choose this way of life, if giving up our lives for others is worth it – and what the church could become if we were willing to risk it all to reach the forgotten and the lost.'

‘Honest, inspiring, heartbreakingly convicting, spirit-infused, humble and holy. This book reeks of Jesus and the invitation he still gives to lose our lives for something so much better.’ – Danielle Strickland

‘inspiring stories, wild faith and insightful challenge’ – Pete Greig

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Martin Smith - You Have Shown Us.

Lifelines: Notes on Life & Love, Faith & Doubt

Great to have the launch of Lifelines: Notes on Life & Love, Faith & Doubt by Martin Wroe and Malcolm Doney at St Martin-in-the-Fields this afternoon.

'Life is beautiful . . . and baffling. Any new day may be lit up with beauty and wonder but the next overcast with pain and sadness.

Our time on earth is shot through with questions so vast that we can’t get our minds around them. Humans have always tried to find ways to respond to those questions. It’s usually called ‘wisdom’, and before writing was thought up, it was handed down in stories.

Some of this was bottled in religion and became congealed into creeds and regulations. That’s all right for some, but many of us don’t want to be told what to believe, we’re shy of certainty, suspicious of authority.

We still live with the questions though. Like how the big moments – the birth of a child or the death of a friend – can leave us wondering about how to live in the small moments.

That’s what this book is about. A collection of fieldnotes on how we can live this life, and live it well.

From poets and songwriters, activists and artists, from people with faith, and people without. We’ve nicked their best ideas and added some of our own. Clues and pointers, rather than terms and conditions.'

Martin Wroe studied theology before becoming a staff writer on The Independent and the Observer. He won a Sony Gold Radio Award for the Radio 1 series The Big Holy One, and co-authored, with Malcolm Doney, The Rough Guide to a Better World. The author of several poetry books that no-one has noticed, he also produces collections of stories about people in the north London community where he lives. He is a volunteer vicar in his local parish and a contributor to Thought for the Day on Radio 4. He keeps chickens.

Malcolm Doney trained as a fine artist at what Jarvis Cocker called St Martin’s College - now Central Saint Martin’s UAL - before pursuing a writing career in journalism, advertising and broadcasting. He has written ten books, including, with his wife Meryl, Who Made Me? , a sex guide for seven-year-olds. He is a regular contributor to BBC Radio 2’s Pause for Thought, and Radio 4’s Something Understood. He lives in the village of Blythburgh, Suffolk, where he is a volunteer priest in the parish church, sometimes joined by his horse, Neville.

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Harry Baker - Paper People.

Post-pop exploration into philosophical and spiritual questions

Unicorn Publishing Group have recently published a monograph on the work of Alexander De Cadenet written by the renowned art historian Edward Lucie-Smith and looking at the evolution of De Cadenet’s work in painting, sculpture and photography over the past 20 years. 

De Cadenet's works are both profound and humorous, as if directed by a mischievous jester spirit. In the book, we see how his art combines exploration into philosophical and spiritual questions, such as the meaning of life & death and the nature of human consciousness, with an idiosyncratic, 'post-pop' aesthetic.

The book was launched last night at the Andipa Gallery where, as part of an exhibition of his works, de Cadenet unveiled the first in a new series of skull portraits featuring King Richard III of England based on the x-rays made of the late monarch following his discovery beneath a car park in Leicester in 2012.

De Cadenet says, "The portraits challenge the traditional facility of art to keep the life/identity of a subject alive in the minds of future generations - as they present a forensic X-ray record of the subject's remains as opposed to a recognisable likeness of their face.

For me, Richard III is one of the ultimate skull portraits and I feel honoured to be able to present him using this concept as he is a part of our country's history."

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King's X - Over My Head.

Praise Songs - Jane Ulysses Grell

Jane Ulysses Grell is a storyteller, teacher, writer, and poet from Delices, Dominica, who is based in London. She holds a B.A. in French from Fordham University and a postgraduate diploma in French from Poitiers University. In the mid-eighties, she began working with oral storytelling to help boost children’s literacy, especially that of bilingual children, and since 1999, she has dedicated herself full-time to storytelling.

Jane is shortly to published her collected poems entitled Praise Songs. Her work represents "The music of words in the African-Caribbean oral tradition at its best."

Copies of Praise Songs can be ordered from janeugrell@hotmail.co.uk or from Central Books (centralbooks.co.uk) or from other good bookshops or Amazon. Papillote People’s Press £6.99 (ISBN 9780957118744).

The book will be launched at the Dominica High Commission (1 Collingham Gardens, London SW5 OHW - nearest tube, Earls Court, Earls Court Rd exit) from 6.30 - 8.00 pm on Friday 14th June. RSVP to janeugrell@hotmail.co.uk.

Jane can be heard reading poems from this collection prior to the launch at an evening of music and poetry to be held at Holy Trinity Hatfield Heath on Monday 27th May from 7.30pm. Jane will be joined for the evening by Mal Grosch (click here for details of his new collection of poems entitled Blackfriars), Jenny Houghton and myself (click here, here and here for book and meditation information) plus music from Colin Burns and the six churches.

This performance evening is part of the Arts Festival for the Barking Episcopal Area, an initiative which began in 2011 and involves quality events from a variety of Arts genre as a way of embracing and celebrating performing and visual arts and engaging with local communities, their people and arts culture. 

 

This year's Festival is being held in Harlow Deanery from 23rd - 27th May in parallel to the Heart 4 Harlow Festival. As in previous years, we have a very exciting programme including the premiere of Korban – a new play on the life of Christ; Art Talks (including Bishop Stephen on Stanley Spencer); art and photographic exhibitions, includingcommission4mission; Flower Festival (Hatfield Broad Oak); music and poetry evening (Holy Trinity Hatfield Heath); and Big Lunch and Community Praise, among other events. Click here to see more information and publicity. Click here for the Festival's Event page on facebook. Download the full programme for the Barking Episcopal Area Arts Festival by clicking here.

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Colin Burns - Linger Here.

Sounding the Seasons: Malcolm Guite

With its new battery under the bonnet my little red Nissan sped up the M11 this evening before beginning an increasingly frantic search for parking in a city built for cyclists. Too late, as a result, for the opening reception I arrived at St Edward King & Martyr Cambridge as Malcolm Guite completed his introduction to Sounding the Seasons: Seventy Sonnets for the Christian Year and began his reading, also utilising the voices of friends and family, of the "profound and beautiful utterance ... patterned but also refreshingly spontaneous" found in the dozen or so sonnets selected from the series that, interspersed with music inspired by the verse, formed the substance of this launch event for the book.

In posts here and here Malcolm has told the story of two musical collaborations inspired by this sonnet sequence. He retold parts of those tales tonight before reading the sonnets which inspired compositions  by Steve Bell and J.A.C. Redford to which we then listened. It is surely somewhat unusual for poems to have such an impact prior to their publication. It was his initial posting of the poems on his blog which helped to build a sufficiently responsive audience to convince Canterbury Press that publication was viable, as well as enabling them to be found by Steve Bell.

Cold ketchup smeared fingers held greasy kebab and chips to my lips as I hurried to retrieve my little red Nissan and return home at a reasonable hour. All well worth it, however, for the experience of allowing Malcolm's images, words, rhythms and rhymes to "fall fresh on the ears, enrich and deepen understanding and open up new resonances":

Concentrated meaning, condensed
and tightly held in phrase and image;
depth charges, coiled springs,
exploding at the sound of speech.
Sprung rhythms sounding
the seasons, scattering ideas,
inspiring musicians and opening up
the lives of emotive readers.
Stories intersperse music and verse.
An object lesson - a parable -
in the bringing to birth
of yearning for learning,
keening for the dawn
of unfound wisdom finding me.

As I flagged up for those at the Seven Kings Fellowship of Churches Advent Service, Advent begins the journey that we undertake each year through the Christian calendar. This is why Sounding the Seasons has been launched and begins in Advent. Why not make it the companion you take on your journey through the Christian Year this year? 

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Malcolm Guite - The Role of Poetry in Christian Life.

Sounding the Seasons and Keening for the Dawn

Malcolm Guite will be launching his book of sonnets Sounding the Seasons in St. Edward King and Martyr Cambridge at 7:30pm on the 5th December.

"Poetry has always been a central element of Christian spirituality and is increasingly used in worship, in pastoral services and guided meditation. In Sounding the Seasons, Cambridge poet, priest and singer-songwriter Malcolm Guite transforms seventy lectionary readings into lucid, inspiring poems, for use in regular worship, seasonal services, meditative reading or on retreat. Already widely recognised, Malcolm's writing has been acclaimed by Rowan Williams and Luci Shaw, two leading contemporary religious poets. Seven Advent poems from this collection will appear in the next edition of Penguin's (US) Best Spiritual Writing edited by Philip Zaleski, alongside the work of writers such as Seamus Heaney and Annie Dillard. A section of practical help and advice for using poetry creatively and effectively in worship is also included."

During the launch Malcolm will also be playing some tracks from his collaboration with Steve Bell which has resulted in the album Keening for the Dawn. Steve writes:

"Until a few years ago, I didn’t know what the “Great O Antiphons” were – although I was well acquainted with the song that preserves the tradition and the seven ancient, prophetic names for the Christ ... The church has traditionally meditated on these antiphons during the last seven days of Advent from December 17 – 23. Last fall when I began to discover the breadth of Malcolm Guite’s poetry, I found he had written seven sonnets corresponding to each of the O Antiphons, and in reflecting on them, the tradition came alive for me in a way I wasn’t expecting. What had been (for me) a beautiful but often dirgy Advent hymn, suddenly became ablaze with revelation."

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Steve Bell - Shepherd of Life.

The faith of Generation Y

On Wednesday evening I was at the book launch for The Faith of Generation Y which draws on the views of over 300 young people who have participated in Christian youth and community outreach projects around England over the last five years and which presents some fascinating and surprising findings for the wider Church to consider. A friend of mine, Sally Nash (Director of the Midlands Centre for Youth Ministry), is one of the authors, along with Sylvia Collins-Mayo (sociologist of religion), Bob Mayo (parish priest in West London) with the Bishop of Coventry, Rt Revd Christopher Cocksworth.

The Faith of Generation Y (those born from around 1982 onwards) provides an empirically grounded account of the nature of young people’s faith – looking into where they put their hope and trust in order to make life meaningful. The book goes on to consider whether Christianity has any relevance to young people, and asks whether the youth and community projects in which they participate foster an interest in the Christian faith.

The findings from the study suggest that for most young people faith is located primarily in family, friends and their selves as individuals – defined as ‘immanent faith’. ‘For the majority, religion and spirituality was irrelevant for day-to-day living; our young people were not looking for answers to ultimate questions and showed little sign of “pick and mix” spirituality,’ says Sylvia Collins-Mayo. ‘On the rare occasions when a religious perspective was required (for example, coping with family illnesses or bereavements) they often ‘made do’ with a very faded, inherited cultural memory of Christianity in the absence of anything else. In this respect they would sometimes pray in their bedrooms. What is salutary for the Church is that generally young people seemed quite content with this situation, happy to get by with what little they knew about the Christian faith.’

Sylvia adds: ‘The Christian youth and community projects were an important source of Christian faith support for the minority of young people who were already actively involved in Church. For the majority, however, the Christian dimension of the projects had little impact on them beyond keeping the plausibility of Christian belief and practices alive.’

Although often unfamiliar with formal religion, Generation Y are keenly aware of ethical issues, as Sylvia comments: ‘Young people today have to grow up quickly and the study showed that they often face a wide range of difficult choices. Consequently they were interested in ethics. The young people drew moral guidance from family as friends, but they also recognised the potential of religion, including Christianity, to provide them with guidelines for living.’

The assumption that teenagers are alienated from their parents and hostile toward religion – a hangover from the 1960s and 70s – is a deep-rooted but flawed stereotype according to the study’s findings. ‘Generation Y have less cultural hang ups about the Church than did their predecessors… The challenge to the Church is to provide them with the opportunities to explore and to learn about a narrative of belief of which they know little.’

What I found most interesting about the research as presented at the launch was that many traditional aspects of Church such as ritual and sacrament connect with Generation Y; something which incidentally also seems apparent from aspects of the alternative worship movement. The argument emerging from the research finding was that the Church needed to be its authentic self in connecting with Generation Y as this generation, through their interest in ethics, are asking 'does it work?' as opposed to 'how does it make me feel?'

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Stacie Orrico - (there's gotta be) More To Life.