HeartEdge Mailer | February 2019

HeartEdge Mailer | February 2019

HeartEdge is an international ecumenical movement.

• We are churches and other organisations developing mission.
• We focus on 4 areas - commercial activity, congregations, cultural engagement and compassion.
• Join us! Details here.

Each month we collect and email stories, web links, news related to our focus: commercial activity, congregations, cultural engagement and compassion.

Useful, inspiring, practical - it's a resource.

This month:

• Migrants, asylum seekers and church as hospitality and safe place
• Making good ideas real via CMS and 'Out of the Box' and Birmingham Bike project,
• Churches running cafés and soft play business plus how to curate art in a church building.
• Tips on community storytelling and the conflict in our congregations.
• Laura Everett on pedal power and prayer, biking around Boston.

Read the Mailer here.

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Lizz Wright - I Remember, I Believe.

After the Fire

The fire at Grenfell Tower on 14 June 2017 shocked the nation. A personal tragedy that claimed over 70 lives and affected many more, it exposed inequalities and tensions but also a strong sense of community and resilience and, in particular, a wide range of faith groups that are embedded in the community, and that responded practically, pastorally and professionally in a time of serious need and confusion.

In advance of the one year anniversary of the fire, the parish of St Clement and St James and the religion and society think tank, Theos, will host an evening to reflect on the faith groups’ response.

The evening marks the launch of two publications: After the Fire by Alan Everett, Vicar of St Clement and St James, and After Grenfell: the Faith Groups’ Response by Amy Plender, from Theos. After the Fire is a moving and penetrating account of Alan’s experience at the heart of the mass disaster, while After Grenfell draws on over 30 interviews with faith groups across the community to understand how they were able to respond in the way they did.

In the immediate aftermath of the Grenfell Tower fire, the local parish church became a focal point of the relief effort, and a gathering place for a traumatised community. In the months that followed, it worked closely with other community and faith groups to provide a compassionate network of support.

In this bold and prophetic challenge, Alan Everett shows that the church's response was possible only because it had opened its doors long ago, building relationships with the most marginalised in the community. Its effectiveness was born out of a patient, faithful, unheroic ministry that is all too easily underestimated.

Through gripping reportage and searching theological reflection, After the Fire demonstrates how parish ministry can be a living symbol of God's love, and a vital sign of hope.

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Petris Vasks - Lord Open Our Eyes.

Walbrook Art Group Talks

The Walbrook Art Group spans the e-congregation of the London Internet Church and the St Stephen Walbrook community bringing both together. Twice a year people gather at Walbrook for a presentation on artists and faith and make visits to galleries, artist studios etc to reflect further on the connections between art and faith. Talks this Lent have been given by: Revd Stephen Baxter, Lynda Keen, Sarah White and Dharshan Thenuwara.

Last Wednesday Alan Everett and I both gave talks to the group. Alan spoke about his 'Foundations of the City' exhibition in terms of its origin in his recent sabbatical and inspiration gained from 'The Dream of the Rood'. I gave a brief summary of modern sacred art in order to give a context for the viewing of Alan's exhibition. 

In relation to Alan's work I said the following: In inviting Alan Everett to exhibit here I was engaged by the organic nature of his work as he combines the deliberation of his rhythmic mark marking with the more random effects of drips and splashes; all cohering through his overall perception of the evolving work. Nicholas Cranfield, too, has noted that Alan Everett’s “technique is to bring some definition to a range of splashed and thrown paint that explodes into shapes, some more legible than others, making marks that appear both out of focus and out of time and yet never stray far from the first idea.” This brings the work of the Abstract Expressionists, and Jackson Pollock in particular, to mind. Nicholas Cranfield also sees that "There is something Mark Rothko-like in the way that the artist has explored the contrast between the coloured shape of the cross and the stark background of unrelenting darkness.” As a result, Alan seems to be engaged with that non-representational sense of the divine which has links to the idea of art as a window into the divine.

At 1.00pm on Wednesday 9 March and Saturday 12 March Art Group member Dharshan Thenuwara is offering tours of the outside of William Morris' Red House and garden. The tours will last about an hour and a half and will cost £3.00 a head. This does not include admission to the house.
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M Ward - Confession.

Walbrook Art Group talks

Last week at the Walbrook Art Group we heard excellent presentations from Stephen Baxter on photo collages and Lynda Keen on photographs of wildlife in the city.

This week's meeting will feature two more artist-led presentations. This week's speakers are Sarah White and Dharshan Thenuwara. Both are young artists and will be telling us about their work.

On Wednesday 2nd March, the speakers will be Alan Everett and myself. Alan will give a guided tour of his exhibition 'Foundations of the City', while I will give a brief overview of twentieth century Sacred Art.

All meeting are from 1.00 - 2.00pm at St Stephen Walbrook.

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Enya - Paint The Sky With Stars.

Review of 'Foundations of the City'

Nicholas Cranfield reviews 'Foundations of the City' by Alan Everett, the current exhibition at St Stephen Walbrook, in today's Church Times:

"There is something Mark Rothko-like in the way that the artist has explored the contrast between the coloured shape of the cross and the stark background of unrelenting darkness ...

I particularly enjoyed Cosmic Cross, in which stars and nebula appear inside the shape of the cross, as if we are glimpsing the night sky through an open window. In the cross we see not just salvation, but the whole purpose of God’s creation, albeit darkly."

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Carson Cooman - A Cosmic Prayer.

Discover & explore: Life

In today's Discover & explore service at St Stephen Walbrook we explored the theme of Life using Alan Everett's 'Foundations of the City' exhibition and through choral pieces sung by the Choral Scholars of St Martin-in-the-Fields. These choral pieces included: 'Jubilate Deo' by Orlande de Lassus; 'O Jesu Mea Vita' by Claudio Monteverdi; 'My Spirit Sang All Day' by Gerald Finzi; and 'The Call' by Richard Lloyd. In addition, we reflected on a reading from 'The Dream of the Rood' and the Parable of the Wise and Foolish Builders. Next Monday's Discover & explore service will be on the theme of Love and will be led by Sally Muggeridge.

The reflection I gave today and the intercessions I led were as follows:

I am thrilled to have Alan Everett’s current exhibition here at St Stephen Walbrook for the next few weeks. In inviting Alan to exhibit here I was engaged by the organic nature of his work as he combines the deliberation of his rhythmic mark marking with the more random effects of drips and splashes; all cohering through his overall perception of the evolving work. This way of working is ideally suited to the exploration of construction and destruction, layering and fragmentation, life and death which is to be found in these works and this exhibition. As a result, these paintings are a welcome and contemplative addition to the reflective and prayerful nature of this sacred space and will guide us in our meditation during Lent.

The paintings which use a style of rhythmic mark marking are composed of blocks of colour built up into walls of colour. They take fragments of colour and layer these, thereby building harmonies of difference. In doing so, Alan is demonstrating the way in which fragments of ancient texts or architecture can be brought together to create something greater than the whole. St Stephen Walbrook is itself an example of this occurring, with its modern reordering set within a neo-classical design which is itself built on the ruins of a Roman city.

I want to suggest that something very similar happens in relation to our lives. One of the big debates in child development is about nature versus nurture; whether a person's development is predisposed in his or her DNA, or whether it is primarily influenced by life experiences and environment. The reality is probably that a combination of both occurs in each of us. Our development and maturing is as a result of a mix of factors from genetics, through life experiences to our beliefs. As Christians, it is sometimes easy to think that our development is or should be wholly based on our faith but, again, the beliefs we hold are, in practice, a potpourri or amalgam of our understandings or interpretations of our faith or the Bible held together with all sorts of other influences on us. This is, in part, why we differ in our views as to what the Bible is saying to us or how we ought to act as Christians.

As a result, our lives, like Alan’s paintings, are composed of fragments which we have brought together in unique ways. His exhibition is called ‘Foundations of the City’ and his initial inspiration for the paintings included in it was found in an Anglo-Saxon poem called ‘The Dream of the Rood’. This poem of great imaginative intensity was written when much of England was in deep forest. The Cross appears to the narrator in a dream vision, telling how as a tree it was cut down to share in the Passion of Christ. The cross paintings in this exhibition point us to the foundational event for Christians, which is Christ’s crucifixion. In ‘The Dream of the Rood’ we read “my hope for support / Is turned towards the cross.”

All buildings need a foundation on which to be built, just as most paintings need a canvas on which to be painted. Our lives are no different. Jesus pointed out in the Parable of the Wise and Foolish Builders that all our lives need to be built on a firm foundation. He provides that foundation. St Paul states that, “no one can lay any foundation other than the one that has been laid; that foundation is Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 3. 11).

Why is this so? It is because, in Jesus, God is made known and seen in human form and flesh. Therefore, Jesus provides the perfect pattern for us to follow; the perfect basis on which to build a Godly life. Anything else is fallible and will fail us but if we build our life on the pattern or foundation provided by Jesus we can be absolutely sure that we are building on God’s will and way for human beings.

With that confidence, our lives have the strength to survive the storms of life which affect us all. As the hymn writer, Edward Mote, has us sing: My hope is built on nothing less / than Jesus' blood and righteousness; / I dare not trust the sweetest frame, / but wholly lean on Jesus' name. / On Christ, the solid rock, I stand; / all other ground is sinking sand.”

In the storms of life, keep us founded on you and enable us to stand firm. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.  

In the complexities of life, may we build on the pattern of your life and see the different aspects of our lives come together and cohere. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.  

Take the fragments of our lives and build harmonies of difference creating something greater than the whole. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.  

Enable us to build Godly lives by building on Jesus, so we can be absolutely sure that we are building on your will and way for human beings. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.  

Build our hope on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness, so that we may stand when all around is sinking sand. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer. 

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Richard Lloyd - The Call. 

Menu options for a holy Lent

Here is my sermon from today's Ash Wednesday Eucharist at St Stephen Walbrook:

In the public imagination, Lent is primarily a time for giving up things we otherwise enjoy. A bit like an extended period of New Year's resolutions and, possibly, honoured as much in the breach as with our resolutions at New Year. For example, in today's Guardian Ian Martin writes: "Deny yourself something you like, reflect that you’re lucky to have it, feel grateful to be able to have it again."

There is nothing fundamentally wrong with that, of course, although it doesn't include the idea that we give things up in Lent in order to focus more on God and others. As Jesus spent 40 days in the wilderness wrestling with God and himself in prayer preparing for the period of ministry which would ultimately lead him to the cross, so we can use Lent as a time for personal prayer and private fasting as Jesus' words in today's Gospel reading teach. The artworks that we have in church during Lent are intended to assist us in contemplation and you may wish to spend extra time in this wonderful space in prayer and reflection.

As part of focusing more on God, we may take part in a Lent Course, such as the course being run by the Bank Churches group at 6.00pm on Tuesdays at St Lawrence Jewry. Sally Muggeridge and I are involved with this course which will explore the theme of The Creeds. In addition, the Walbrook Art Group have organised a series of art talks on Wednesday's at 1pm to aid our Lenten reflections. In focusing more on God and others, it is also valid to take things up for Lent. So there are campaigns like Love Life, Live Lent which encourage us to undertake 40 acts of kindness and generosity in Lent.

All of these though miss the sense of Lent as a journey on which, through prayer and reflection, we accompany Jesus as he makes his way towards his death. As we accompany him on this journey we reflect on all that he endured for us and the reasons why he endures such things for us. This sense of Lent as a journey with Jesus is one reason why the Stations of the Cross are often so helpful to us in Lent. They take us on the journey Jesus made to the cross in Holy Week from Pilate's condemnation to the burial in the tomb. On the day he died, Jesus walked the Via Dolorosa through the streets of Jerusalem, a holy city for Jews, which would later become sacred to Christians and Muslims. Across the chasm of two thousand years, this tortured path resonates with current events for people of many faiths and cultures. In particular, it calls to mind the hazardous journeys of refugees from today’s Middle East.

This Lent we are part of Stations of the Cross 2016, an exhibition created as a pilgrimage around the Stations of the Cross each of which are located at 14 different iconic locations in Central London. This unique exhibition uses works of art to tell the story of the Passion in a new way, for people of different faiths. In this pilgrimage for art lovers, viewers will travel across London, mapping the geography of the Holy Land onto the streets of a ‘new Jerusalem.’ I encourage you to go on that pilgrimage this Lent, visiting the 14 Stations and allowing these Stations to provoke artistic, spiritual and political passions while also reflecting on Jesus' journey, suffering and love.

We are the 13th station on the trail for which Michael Takeo Magruder has created the installation Lamentation for the Forsaken. By juxtaposing the sufferings of the Syrian peoples in our own day with the death of Christ, Michael reminds us that Christ's death is symptomatic of all suffering throughout time. When we lament Christ's death, our lament is for all human sinfulness which has caused such devastation and destruction through our world and history. Michael evokes the memory of Syrians who have passed away in the present conflict by weaving their names and images into a contemporary Shroud of Turin. But the real miracle isn’t the Shroud itself, it’s our capacity to look into the eyes of the forsaken — and see our Saviour.

Alan Everett, in his exhibition, draws our attention to the persecution of Christians in our world today. These are people who have made the ultimate identification with Christ in their lives; being faithful to him unto death. Theirs’ is the ultimate Lenten journey as their own lives become the Stations of the Cross. This year the Lent Appeal in the Diocese of London is for persecuted Christians. You have been given a leaflet with information about this campaign and, beginning today, there will be a retiring offering at all of our Lenten services to raise funds for this campaign.

Jesus says that we store up treasures in heaven when our prayer, giving and fasting (or other Lenten disciplines) are done, not so that others see us and think we are particularly pious, but instead are only seen by God, who rewards what we do in secret (Matthew 6). Alas, these days, as Ian Martin notes," there is no self-denial so slight it cannot be chronicled on social media." "It’s becoming odder with every passing year, the old-fashioned idea of giving something up and keeping quiet about it. If you decide to shun alcohol for a month, we’ll be following you every step of the way, won’t we? There’ll be the Facebook page for a start. A chronicle of bravery and self-love, with its rows of daily “feeling proud” badges you’ve awarded yourself like some lunatic despot. And a photo of your dead dad or your dead dog. And an algorithmic quote in a handwriting font about how it’s not selfish to do what’s best for you because in the end it makes you a better person for others, over a photograph of zebras at sunset or Robin Williams." The reverse of Jesus' teaching in today's Gospel reading (Matthew 6).

We have considered some of the menu options before us as we begin this Lent. Which will we choose? They are not, of course, mutually exclusive and some might choose a gourmet Lent by taking up all the available options while others may pick ‘n’ mix by sampling a little of this and some of that. Whatever you decide the challenge is to make active use of the next forty days in order to deepen your relationship with God. I wish you a holy Lent.

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Bill Fay - Bring It On Lord.

Foundations of the City: Exhibition reception

The opening night reception for Alan Everett's exhibition 'Foundations of the City' was held tonight at St Stephen Walbrook.

Sam Wells, Vicar of St Martin-in-the-Fields, was the main speaker at the reception. He spoke about the six pieces in the show which depict the cross referring to The Dream of the Rood, which was the original inspiration for three of these works.

The phrase 'The Dream of the Rood', he said, has "a double meaning: on the one hand it's an account of a person dreaming about the personified cross; on the other, we are all part of the rood's dream - we are all companions of Christ, bearing his scars and sorrows."

He explored Alan's work in terms of:

• the cross, for all its gruesome pain and agony, as depiction of "a realm of existence more textured, more interwoven, than the dullness of a regular life";
• the cross as "a victory won at a terrible price";
• "a cross in the heart of God since the foundation of the world";
• the cross as "the ruin of sin, the ugliness of evil, the destruction of creation";
• the cross as "salvaging true faith from doubt, true identity from obscurity, true Christianity from the accretions of history, tradition or culture"; and
• the cross become "a new creation". 

By way of introducing the evening I said the following:

For over eight hundred years a place of worship has stood on this site witnessing to the power of God in people’s lives. Sir Christopher Wren’s masterpiece, the present church is the fourth to have stood here. Bombed in the Second World War and restored to its present magnificent state in 1981, twentieth century artists and craftsmen have adorned its interior. That is why Henry Moore’s travertine marble altar now stands at the centre under Wren’s dome usually surrounded by dazzling kneelers by Patrick Heron (although those are currently away undergoing repair and restoration).

Henry Moore’s altar design was intended, as you can see, for people to gather as a community around the altar where God could be found at the centre. God at the centre of our lives and communities is what we seek to celebrate through all that we do here at St Stephen Walbrook.

The stunning blend of old and new art and architecture to be found at St Stephen Walbrook draws significant numbers of tourists and other visitors’ year in and year out. William Newman’s dark wood panelling provides a dramatic backdrop to the regular programme of contemporary art exhibitions that the church hosts. The temporary exhibitions that we host add to the experience enjoyed by those who visit and aid the prayer and reflection for those of us who frequent this space regularly.

For these exhibitions, we partner with established art societies (such as the National Society of Painters, Sculptors & Printmakers or the Society of Catholic Artists) or artists with an interest in St Stephen Walbrook and our spirituality. In 2016 our programme begins with this show and will also feature solo shows by the stuckist artist Joe Machine, Brazilian artist Kim Poor, and group shows by the National Society and commission4mission.

In addition, during Lent, we will host the 13th Station in an exhibition of Stations of the Cross at 14 iconic locations in Central London. ‘Lamentation for the Forsaken, 2016’ is a digital art installation by Michael Takeo Magruder which evokes the memory of Syrians who have passed away in the present conflict, by weaving this names and images into a contemporary Shroud of Turin. Stations of the Cross 2016 will be launched tomorrow at Kings College Chapel Strand Campus and begins on Ash Wednesday. As part of Stations of the Cross 2016, we will hold an event discussing the current refugee crisis next Monday at which the artist will speak alongside Dionne Gravesande, Head of Church Advocacy at Christian Aid.

Alan Everett’s work, as you will see, also engages with current events by addressing experiences of persecution and martyrdom in our own time whilst also relating these current experiences to the foundational event for Christians of Christ’s crucifixion. In inviting Alan to exhibit here I was engaged by the organic nature of his work as he combines the deliberation of his rhythmic mark marking with the more random effects of drips and splashes; all cohering through his overall perception of the evolving work. This way of working is ideally suited to the exploration of construction and destruction, layering and fragmentation, life and death which is to be found in these works and this exhibition.

As a result, these paintings are a welcome and contemplative addition to the reflective and prayerful nature of this sacred space and will guide us in our meditation during Lent. Alan will share something of his inspiration and the motivations behind these works when he speaks about them here on Wednesday 4th March at 1.00pm. We will also explore their themes in worship through one of our Discover & explore services next Monday at 1.10pm.

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Alan Everett: Foundations of the City

Alan Everett’s exhibition 'Foundations of the City' at St Stephen Walbrook (8th February - 4th March, weekdays 10.00am - 4.00pm) engages with current events by addressing experiences of persecution and martyrdom in our own time whilst also relating these current experiences to the foundational event for Christians of Christ’s crucifixion.

In inviting Alan to exhibit here I was engaged by the organic nature of his work as he combines the deliberation of his rhythmic mark marking with the more random effects of drips and splashes; all cohering through his overall perception of the evolving work. This way of working is ideally suited to the exploration of construction and destruction, layering and fragmentation, life and death which is to be found in these works and this exhibition.

As a result, these paintings are a welcome contemplative addition to the reflective and prayerful nature of this sacred space and will guide us in our meditation during Lent.

An exhibition reception will be held on Monday 8th February, 6.00pm, at which the speaker will be The Revd Dr Sam Wells, Vicar of St Martin-in-the-Fields. Alan will share some of his inspiration and the motivations behind these works when he speaks about them on Wednesday 4th March at 1.00pm. We will also explore their themes in worship through a 'Discover & explore' service on Monday 15th February at 1.10pm.

The stunning blend of old and new art and architecture to be found at St Stephen Walbrook draws significant numbers of tourists and other visitors year in and year out. William Newman’s dark wood panelling provides a dramatic backdrop to the regular programme of contemporary art exhibitions that the church hosts. The exhibitions that we host add to the experience enjoyed by those who visit and aid the prayer and reflection for those who frequent the space regularly.

For these exhibitions, we partner with established art societies (such as the National Society of Painters, Sculptors & Printmakers or the Society of Catholic Artists) or artists with an interest in St Stephen Walbrook and our spirituality. In 2016 our programme begins with this show and will also feature solo shows by the stuckist artist Joe Machine, Brazilian artist Kim Poor, and group shows by the National Society and commission4mission.

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Enya - The Memory Of Trees.

Alan Everett: Foundations of the City

'Foundations of the City' by Alan Everett will be at St Stephen Walbrook from 8th February - 4th
March, 10.00am - 4.00pm weekdays.

An exhibition reception will be held on Monday 8th February, 6.00pm, at which the speaker will be The Revd Dr Sam Wells, Vicar of St Martin-in-the-Fields.

Alan Everett will speak about his work to the Walbrook Art Group on Wednesday 2nd March at 1.00pm.

Alan Everett says: "Three paintings in this exhibition are entitled Rood, reflecting their genesis in the Anglo-Saxon poem, The Dream of the Rood. This poem of great imaginative intensity was written when much of England was in deep forest. The Cross appears to the narrator in a dream vision, telling how as a tree it was cut down to share in the Passion of Christ. The paintings show successive stages of the Crucifixion, as if the tree itself is being crucified (Rood I, III and IV). Two cross paintings address further aspects of the Crucifixion. Unclean Cross alludes to the pollution of blood; Salvage to the recovery of the Cross from cultural obliteration.



Three paintings elaborate the unpredictable nature of preservation, with reference to the written word: Fragment, Text and Code. Another group of three paintings represent – in style and content – processes of layering, with both architectural and literary associations. Scaffolding, Bricolage and
Palimpsest resonate with a church such as St Stephen Walbrook, constructed as it is to a neoclassical design, above a Roman city.

Finally, two paintings approach the difficult subject of martyrdom – viewed by early Christians as an
offering at the very foundations of the City of God. 10.00 pm 2 December 1980 El Salvador refers to
the rape and murder of a Catholic lay-worker and three nuns on that date; 12-15 February 2015
Libya to the beheading of 21 Coptic Christians."

Alan Everett - http://www.stclementjames.org.uk/who-we-are/.

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The Dream Of The Rood.

Exhibition: Foundations of the City

An exhibition of paintings at St Stephen Walbrook - Foundations of the City (8 February – 4 March 2016) by Alan Everett

Three paintings in this exhibition are entitled Rood, reflecting their genesis in the Anglo-Saxon poem, The Dream of the Rood. This poem of great imaginative intensity was written when much of England was in deep forest. The Cross appears to the narrator in a dream vision, telling how as a tree it was cut down to share in the Passion of Christ. The paintings show successive stages of the Crucifixion, as if the tree itself is being crucified (Rood I, III and IV).

Three cross paintings address further aspects of the Crucifixion. Unclean Cross alludes to the pollution of blood; Salvage to the recovery of the Cross from cultural obliteration. Cosmic Cross embraces the energy of creation, also expressed in In Motion.

Three paintings elaborate the unpredictable nature of preservation, with reference to the written word: Text, Code and Fragment.

Another group of three paintings represent – in style and content – processes of layering, with both architectural and literary associations. Bricolage, Palimpsest and Retro resonate with a church such as St Stephen Walbrook, constructed as it is above a Roman city.

The harmonious neo-classical design of St Stephen is of course a selective reading of antiquity. Alcestis and Bacchae offer an alternative perspective, in response to plays by the ever-subversive Euripides.

Finally, two paintings approach the difficult subject of martyrdom – viewed by early Christians as an offering at the very foundations of the City of God. 10.00pm 2 December 1980 El Salvador refers to the rape and murder of a Catholic lay-worker and three nuns on that date; 12-15 February 2015 Libya to the beheading of 21 Coptic Christians.

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The Dream of the Rood.