Unveiled: Who Do You Say That I Am?

Adam Atkinson is the Bishop of Bradwell. At tonight's Unveiled evening in St Andrew's Wickford, he read a selection of his poems which have been used in public and liturgical settings.

A series of sonnets for Lent and Easter were published in ‘Who Do You Say I Am?’ in 2024.
These sonnets explore discipleship in today’s world, touching on contemporary themes such as identity, truth telling, violence, abuse, racism, and belonging.

+Adam unpacked the structure of sonnets and also the structure of this sequence of poems as they take us through Holy Week to Easter Day. In this book poetry, prayers, art and scripture meditations come together to create a reflective guide for personal and corporate devotion on the events at the heart of the Christian story from a contemporary, urban perspective. Focusing the death and resurrection of Christ, this is suitable for year-round use as an alternative form of the Stations of the Cross, but also with a special significance for Holy Week and Easter.

Arranged in 14 sections, reflections by Joanne Grenfell and sonnets by Adam Atkinson explore discipleship in today’s world, touching on contemporary themes such as identity, truth telling, violence, abuse, racism, and belonging in relation to being a follower of Jesus. Each is powerfully illustrated with original paintings by artist Ali Mulroy. The prayers are written in the first person as a devotional response to all that has gone before and each opens with a line from a fresh rendering of the Lenten Prose.

The book springs from a series of talks given at St Paul’s Cathedral in Holy Week 2023.

In her review of the book, Rachel Mann writes:

'Joanne Woolway Grenfell, Adam Atkinson, and Ali Mulroy’s theological, literary, and artistic gifts make for a highly valuable study guide, which deserves a wide and engaged readership ...

Adam Atkinson, the Bishop of Bradwell, provides poems and prayers for each meditation ... Sonnets are, by tradition, love poems, and I enjoyed how he takes the form and, after Malcolm Guite, finds words to speak into the horror and hope of crucifixion ...

the compassion, wisdom, and insight of the authors, working in concert, is a genuine pleasure.'

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Adam Atkinson - Restore.

Disability and Church: Intersectionality

 

Intersectionality is a way of describing how social categories (e.g. disability, race, gender) combine to create overlapping systems of discrimination or disadvantage. In this webinar, which I moderated, we explored the key issues in the context of faith and the church. 

Panel: 

Lamar Hardwick (he/him) (DMin, Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary), also known as "the autism pastor," is the lead pastor at Tri-Cities Church in East Point, Georgia. He is the author of Epic Church, I Am Strong: The Life and Journey of an Autistic Pastor, and the award-winning book Disability and The Church: A Vision for Diversity and Inclusion (InterVarsity Press 2021). 

Naomi Lawson Jacobs (they/them) is a researcher, disability advocate and trainer, who completed a PhD on the experiences of disabled Christians in 2019. Their book, At the Gates: Disability, Justice and the Churches, is out in June 2022, co-written by Emily Richardson. The book shares disabled people’s stories of marginalisation in churches, their cries for justice from the edge, and their transformative theologies for the whole church. 

Fiona MacMillan (she/her) is a disabled and neuordivergent advocate, practitioner, speaker and writer. She chairs the Disability Advisory Group at St Martin in the Fields, is a trustee of Inclusive Church, leads the planning team for their annual disability conference and convenes the Shut In Shut Out Shut Up series for HeartEdge. Fiona is a member of the Nazareth Community and was recently elected to General Synod. 

Rachel Mann (she/her) is an Anglican priest, writer, scholar and broadcaster. Author of 12 books, she has written theologically about her experience of hidden disability and chronic illness in the critically-acclaimed Dazzling Darkness (Wild Goose, 2012/2020) & Love’s Mysteries (Canterbury Press, 2020). She is a member of the Church of England’s Theological Advisory Board, The Faith & Order Commission.

This webinar was organised by HeartEdge and Church Times.

Explore the topic further with Shut In, Shut Out, Shut Up, a disabled-led space for challenging questions and honest conversations about theology, faith and church. Topics: 10 June - Sexuality; 17 June - Race; and 24 June - Poverty.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Noah And The Whale - Give A Little Love.

Disability and Church: Intersectionality

I'm looking forward to moderating this webinar on a vital topic with a wonderful panel. Do join us.

A Church Times/HeartEdge webinar

Intersectionality is a way of describing how social categories (e.g. disability, race, gender) combine to create overlapping systems of discrimination or disadvantage. In the latest HeartEdge Shut In, Shut Out, Shut Up series we are exploring intersectional experience of disability and neurodiversity, gender, mental health, sexuality, race and poverty.

This additional webinar, organised with the Church Times, asks, what are the key issues in the context of faith and what are our calls to the church?

Register here.

Panel

• Lamar Hardwick (he/him) (DMin, Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary), also known as "the autism pastor," is the lead pastor at Tri-Cities Church in East Point, Georgia. He is the author of Epic Church, I Am Strong: The Life and Journey of an Autistic Pastor, and the award-winning book Disability and The Church: A Vision for Diversity and Inclusion (InterVarsity Press 2021).
• Naomi Lawson Jacobs (they/them) is a researcher, disability advocate and trainer, who completed a PhD on the experiences of disabled Christians in 2019. Their book, At the Gates: Disability, Justice and the Churches, is out in June 2022, co-written by Emily Richardson. The book shares disabled people’s stories of marginalisation in churches, their cries for justice from the edge, and their transformative theologies for the whole church.
• Fiona MacMillan (she/her) is a disabled and neuordivergent advocate, practitioner, speaker and writer. She chairs the Disability Advisory Group at St Martin in the Fields, is a trustee of Inclusive Church, leads the planning team for their annual disability conference and convenes the Shut In Shut Out Shut Up series for HeartEdge. Fiona is a member of the Nazareth Community and was recently elected to General Synod.
• Rachel Mann (she/her) is an Anglican priest, writer, scholar and broadcaster. Author of 12 books, she has written theologically about her experience of hidden disability and chronic illness in the critically-acclaimed Dazzling Darkness (Wild Goose, 2012/2020) & Love’s Mysteries (Canterbury Press, 2020). She is a member of the Church of England’s Theological Advisory Board, The Faith & Order Commission.

Access information

BSL, automatic captions, livestreamed using Streamyard and available to watch live or recorded.

Shut In Shut Out Shut Up is a disabled-led space for challenging questions and honest conversations about theology, faith and church. Hymns A&M and HeartEdge recently announced an agreement to work together on future projects. This is the first in an occasional series of joint webinars.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Martyn Joseph - He Never Said.

HeartEdge Mailer - November

The HeartEdge Mailer for November is out with a focus on compassion. Also included are extracts from books by Sam Wells and Rachel Mann, plus offers, resources, news and events. 

What's not to like? Read it by clicking here.

More information about HeartEdge can be found at www.heartedge.org.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Choral Scholars of St Martin-in-the-Fields - Heaven-Haven.

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

"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

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twelfth Night - Love Song.

Exhibition - 'Gift'

Classical, modern and contemporary art and architecture beautifully combine for commission4mission’s third exhibition in the setting of St Stephen Walbrook.

‘Gift’ anticipates the traditional season of giving associated with the Christian festival of Christmas, but is intended as a broad theme open to wider interpretation. c4m artists taking part will showcase their individual engagements with the theme.

Artists exhibiting include Ally Ashworth, Hayley Bowen, Christopher Clack,Valerie Dean, Jonathan Evens, Rob Floyd, Maurizio Galia, John Gentry, Clorinda Goodman, Tim Harrold, Alan Hitching, Anthony Hodgson, Jean Lamb, Mark Lewis, David Millidge, Janet Roberts, Henry Shelton and Peter Webb.



Anita Collier will be showing work in the ‘Gift’ exhibition as a guest artist. The work she will be showing includes her ‘The Gift’ sculpture as a bronze. We first encountered Anita and her work through the Run with the Fire project, when she used the resources to run a community art exhibition and creative workshops.

Anita says: ‘The inspiration for my paintings range from what catches my attention in the world around me, to what captures my inner world in the form of a picture, idea or emotion. I then try to faithfully create from this connected place… so my work is often narrative and inspired by beauty, offering glimpses of another world that whispers to the heart.

I have also learnt that the process of painting with all its initial excitement, hopes, frustrations and delights, is of equal value as the final outcome. An opportunity to reflect and slow down from life’s other demands – time invested into what’s important, as well as what is urgent. This helps me appreciate and celebrate the preciousness of life. Maybe my paintings will go some way toward doing the same for you. I hope you find them uplifting and thought provoking, encouraging you to stop, look, and listen to your own heart and the world around.’

A gift of 10 per cent of the proceeds from sales will be donated to the charity Oasis. commission4mission has made Oasis our charity of choice meaning that charitable giving will be exclusively to Oasis for the time being.

The exhibition is open from Monday 28th September to Friday 8th October (10.00am – 4.00pm, Monday – Friday).

The launch and evening reception will be held on 28th September (6.30pm), preceded by our AGM (5.30pm). All are welcome.

During the launch and evening reception, Rob Floyd will speak about making the Stations of the Cross cycle for Manchester Cathedral and Stations of the Resurrection cycle for Liverpool Cathedral. Rev. Rachel Mann, Poet in Residence at Manchester Cathedral says, “I heartily recommend that if you want to understand a little more about the applications of the word ‘Art’ in our language, spend time in communion with Rob Floyd’s paintings. You will be rewarded.”

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Leonard Cohen and The Webb Sisters - If it Be Your Will.

'Gift' in the City

Classical, modern and contemporary art and architecture beautifully combine for commission4mission’s third exhibition in the setting of St Stephen Walbrook.

‘Gift’ anticipates the traditional season of giving associated with the Christian festival of Christmas, but is intended as a broad theme open to wider interpretation. c4m artists taking part will showcase their individual engagements with the theme.

Artists exhibiting include Artists exhibiting include Ally Ashworth, Hayley Bowen, Christopher Clack,Valerie Dean, Rob Floyd, Maurizio Galia, John Gentry, Tim Harrold, Alan Hitching, Anthony Hodgson, David Millidge, Janet Roberts,Henry Shelton, Peter Webb, and myself.
A gift of 10 per cent of the proceeds from sales will be donated to the charity Oasis. commission4mission has made Oasis their charity of choice, meaning that charitable giving will be exclusively to Oasis for the time being.

The exhibition is open from Monday 28th September to Friday 8th October (10.00am – 4.00pm, Monday – Friday).

The launch and evening reception will be held on 28th September (6.30pm), preceded by an AGM (5.30pm). All are welcome.

During the launch and evening reception, Rob Floyd will speak about making the Stations of the Cross cycle for Manchester Cathedral and Stations of the Resurrection cycle for Liverpool Cathedral. Rev. Rachel Mann, Poet in Residence at Manchester Cathedral says, “I heartily recommend that if you want to understand a little more about the applications of the word ‘Art’ in our language, spend time in communion with Rob Floyd’s paintings. You will be rewarded.”

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Barratt Band - Never Seen Your Face.

Tattooing God on makeshift lives

'I am tattooing God on their makeshift lives.
My Keystone Cops of disciples, always,
Running absurdly away, or lying ineptly,
Cutting off ears and falling into the water,
These Sancho Panzas must tread my Quixote life,
Dying ridiculous and undignified,
Flayed and stoned and crucified upside down.
They are the dear, the human, the dense, for whom
My message is. That might, had I not touched them,
Have died decent respectable upright deaths in bed.'

I've just come across U. A. Fanthorpe's brilliant poem entitled 'Getting it across'. Rachel Mann makes good use of the poem in discussing the Green Report.

I have a meditation which tiptoes on similar ground to that of Fanthorpe's poem:

unregarded

Birthplace,
least among the clans of Judea.
Home town,
a place from which no good was known to come.
In appearance,
without beauty or majesty, undesired.
In life,
despised and rejected, unrecognised and unesteemed.
In death,
made nothing.
His followers,
not wise, not influential, not noble – fools!

The light of the knowledge of the glory of God
in the bodies and form of human beings.
Light shining
through the gaps and cracks of clay pots.
Light shining
in the unexpected places, despised faces, hidden spaces.
Light shining
in the poor, the mourners, the meek, the hungry.
Light shining
in the merciful, the pure, the peacemakers.
Light shining
in the persecuted, the insulted, the falsely accused.
Light shining
in the lowly, the despised, the nonentities.
Light shining
in weakness and fear and trembling.
Light shining in the foolish followers of the King of Fools.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Delirious? - King Of Fools.