Church Times - Art review: Jean Lamb: An Urban Passion (St Marylebone Parish Church and then St Peter’s, Nottingham)

My latest exhibition review for Church Times is on 'Jean Lamb: An Urban Passion' (St Marylebone Parish Church and then St Peter’s, Nottingham):

'JEAN LAMB has a track record for reimagining the Stations of the Cross in new and challenging forms.

Her carved sculptural Stations of the Holocaust, besides illustrating the Passion narrative, included images from the Holocaust showing the Jewish people as they were forced into ghettos, humiliated, tortured, and executed. This thought-provoking set of Stations was described as being a brave work that offered fraught and disturbing links between Christianity and Judaism.

Her latest set of Stations — An Urban Passion — is essentially an act of protest.'

Other of my pieces for Church Times can be found here. My writing for ArtWay can be found here. My pieces for Artlyst are here, those for Seen & Unseen are here, and those for Art+Christianity are here.

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Josh Caterer - Hallelujah! He Is Risen. 

Art review: Saad Qureshi: Conversations before the End of Time at the Djanogly Gallery, Nottingham

My latest exhibition review for Church Times is on Saad Qureshi: Conversations before the End of Time at the Djanogly Gallery, Nottingham:

'IMAGES and ideas of heaven and hell continue to inspire artists and to engage the wider public. Two examples include the opulent and intricate paradisaical enamel paintings of Raqib Shaw and Pablo Bronstein’s Hell in its Heyday series from 2021. With “Conversations before the End Of Time” at the Djanogly Gallery, Saad Qureshi is exploring both ends of the spectrum.'

Click to read my pieces on Raqib Shaw and Pablo Bronstein. See how looking through a rebel angel’s eyes opens up some surprising new angles on faith with my interview with author Nicholas Papadopulos for Seen and Unseen. An earlier review of an exhibition at the Djanogly Gallery can be read here.

Other of my pieces for Church Times can be found here. My writing for ArtWay can be found here. My pieces for Artlyst are here, those for Seen & Unseen are here, and those for Art+Christianity are here.

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U2 - The Fly.

Church Times - Art review: Michael Forbes, Blk this & Blk that . . . a state of urgency, at the Djanogly Gallery, Nottingham

My latest review for Church Times is Michael Forbes, Blk this & Blk that . . . a state of urgency, at the Djanogly Gallery, Nottingham:

'ON ENTERING Gallery 1A at the Djanogly Gallery, one sees a series of dismembered torsos — the arms of all the figures being absent — of the crucified Christ in cast Jesmonite, primarily white, but with gold and pink also used, and hung upside down from ropes the ends of which trail across the floor. In this, the largest sculptural installation here, some of the torsos wear life jackets, pointing to recent political and humanitarian events.

Untitled I highlights “how the white European male has dominated the image of Christ” and challenges white viewers with the question how they “reconcile exemplifying Christ whilst reaping unjust benefits from being white”. Forbes has, for many years, questioned this aspect of religion, “believing that it is morally and theologically incumbent upon Christians to realise how whiteness confers privileges that have an impact on the lives of black people and people of colour”. The installation (through the inclusion of life jackets) raises these questions in relation to the legacies of the slave trade and also the current refugee crisis.'

Click here for my Artlyst diary for October which also includes this exhibition.

Other of my pieces for Church Times can be found here. My writing for ArtWay can be found here. My pieces for Artlyst are here and those for Art+Christianity are here. See also Modern religious art: airbrushed from art history?

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Ben Harper - With My Own Two Hands.

HeartEdge events & activities 2020

In 2020 HeartEdge will be creating new resources for members based on the 4Cs (compassion, culture, commerce, congregation), introducing HeartEdge hub churches to provide more regionally based support, holding Introductory Days in Norwich, Liverpool, Penzance, Christchurch and other locations, organising consultancy days as requested by members, holding 4Cs events (such as the Deepening Spirituality day in London on 1 February), organising our 3rd national conference (21 and 22 September, London), beginning a new community of practitioners, and further developing our partnerships and networks in Europe and the US.

Some upcoming events include:

Rooted in Jesus workshop - Resourcing Innovative Mission

Rooted in Jesus involves four days together, talking about discipleship, leadership, evangelism, formation, preaching, and much more—so we can go out and be the Body of Christ. HeartEdge will be there together with our partner TryTank Experimental Lab:

Workshop 3: Thursday, January 23, 2020; 2:00PM - 3:20PM, Resourcing Innovative Mission, Rev. Jonathan Evens, Associate Vicar HeartEdge, St.-Martin-in-the-Fields, Trafalgar Square, London. HeartEdge is an international, ecumenical movement for renewal of the Church, initiated by St Martin-in-the-Fields. This workshop will use key HeartEdge concepts to enable reflection on innovative mission and ways in which such mission can be resourced. The workshop will provide opportunities to share ideas, identify key challenges and assets for future initiatives. and assets for future initiatives.

Deepening Spirituality, Saturday 1 February, London Centre for Spiritual Direction, St Edmund's Church, 59 Lombard Street, London EC3V 9EA

Many of us want to go deeper with our Spirituality, but often lack ideas of how to do that. This is a day to explore and experience a number of different approaches to deepening the spirituality of individuals and congregations including accompanied prayer, art, lay communities, spiritual direction and more. There will also be an opportunity for personal refreshment.

Canon Dr Nigel Rooms, Partnership for Missional Church UK, CMS; Richard Carter, Associate Vicar for Mission, St Martin-in-the-Fields; Julie Dunstan, Director for Formation and Professional Development, LCSD; Antonia Lynn, Community Warden and Referrals Coordinator, LCSD.

Register at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/deepening-spirituality-tickets-84159333833. For further information, please contact judith.mensah@lcsd.org.uk.

The day is being run in partnership between members of HeartEdge and the team from the London Centre for Spiritual Direction.

East of England | HeartEdge Day
12 February 2020, 10:00 – 3:30pm, 'At the Heart - on the Edge' at St Peter Mancroft, Norwich.

A mix of theology, ideas and support for re-imagining Church. Developed by the Diocese of Norwich, St Peter Mancroft and St Martin’s the day explores, with input and examples from local churches, the HeartEdge 4Cs. The day includes input from Sam Wells plus local practitioners all experts by experience - sharing their insights about assets and obstacles.

The day is about exploring practice related to the HeartEdge 4C's. About what works - and why, and the learning from when things don't work out.

Details and book in here.

Liverpool | HeartEdge Day
1st April 2020 from 10am - 3.30pm, Liverpool Parish Church (Our Lady and Saint Nicholas), 5 Old Churchyard, Liverpool, L2 8GW

The Liverpool HeartEdge day includes input from Sam Wells plus local practitioners all experts by experience - sharing their insights about assets and obstacles.

The day is about exploring practice related to the HeartEdge 4C's. About what works - and why, and the learning from when things don't work out.

The day is organised and programmed locally, by practitioners who know about issues, challenges and opportunities in Liverpool. All participants focus on learning and sharing ideas and experience that are transferable. It makes the day useful!

To learn more and book your place visit here.

Members of the HeartEdge team will also be out-and-about giving presentations and/or preaching at HeartEdge partners:

• 26 January - Jonathan Evens will be giving a sermon at Watling Valley Ecumenical Partnership’s Covenant Service.
• 10 February - Jonathan Evens will presenting on HeartEdge at Redbridge Deanery Synod.
• 23 February - Jonathan Evens will be preaching at St Peter’s Nottingham.
• 10 May - Catherine Duce will be preaching about HeartEdge at Exeter Cathedral.

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Over The Rhine - May God Love You (Like You've Never Been Loved).