Just back from a conference at the St Gabriel's Conference Centre in Suffolk where the chapel contains a marvellous painting by the Australian artist, Alan Oldfield.
A reproduction of the painting The Revelations of Divine Love can be seen by clicking here. The painting is the largest of a series of paintings which are meditations on Julian of Norwich's Revelations of Divine Love and was purchased by the Friends of Julian following a exhibition of the series in Norwich Cathedral in 1988.
Oldfield, who was twice winner of Australia's Blake Prize for Religious Art, said that this painting was his way of paying back what he had learnt from Julian of Norwich. The painting can best be summarised as follows: "Through his Passion, Julian sees Christ's glory. It is his love for Creation which brings about the resurrection of a perfected mankind."
Friday, 7 September 2007
Friends and Heroes
Over the past few years Alison and David Dorricott have been working hard on a Children's TV Series called "Friends and Heroes". It is an animated action-adventure story which introduces stories from the Old and New Testaments to ages 6-10. You can discover more about Friends and Heroes on their web site and on their Children’s website.
They are delighted that the first Series of 13 episodes is to be broadcast on the BBC2 on Tuesday mornings from September to December. The output is largely targeted at schools and The Stapleford Centre have worked with them to provide free lesson plans and pupil worksheets so that teachers will be able to use these programmes as part of the National Curriculum for all the countries in the British Isles.
They have worked hard to ensure that our programmes are not branded as "religious", so that they are accessible to the widest possible audience - whatever their faith. That said, they are sure that many folk in churches will be eager to make the most of this unique opportunity to see a positive representation of Bible Stories on National Television.
They are delighted that the first Series of 13 episodes is to be broadcast on the BBC2 on Tuesday mornings from September to December. The output is largely targeted at schools and The Stapleford Centre have worked with them to provide free lesson plans and pupil worksheets so that teachers will be able to use these programmes as part of the National Curriculum for all the countries in the British Isles.
They have worked hard to ensure that our programmes are not branded as "religious", so that they are accessible to the widest possible audience - whatever their faith. That said, they are sure that many folk in churches will be eager to make the most of this unique opportunity to see a positive representation of Bible Stories on National Television.
Save Community Champions
The Community Champions Fund has supported literally thousands of individuals across the country to get exciting and creative new projects off the ground in their communities. The fund will end in March 2008, and there are no plans to replace it. The Scarman Trust is campaigning to save this unique programme.
All the Community Champions have done extraordinary things, building positive community activities from the grass-roots and reaching literally thousands of people. My friend Mandy Fenn became a national Community Champion because of the funding that she received through the scheme which enabled her to begin self-help groups for people who were self harming. Mandy's work was featured as a Case Study in the Scarman Trust report Learning Power:
"Mandy Fenn started harming herself from the age of eight until 29. With support from the Scarman Trust, she set up three Cutting out the Pain groups in Barking & Dagenham to help other selfharmers. She produced leaflets, materials and ran groups to raise awareness. She didn’t realise how big the issue was until people started contacting her from across the borough and the UK. “Getting support from health services was difficult at first, because people didn’t want to know. Self-harm is a scary and confusing. But now they understand and are helping.” Mandy is doing a survey of self-harm with the hospital and setting up an anonymous help-line. She has shown a great deal of courage by speaking up and show people her badly scarred arms to raise awareness. By taking a stand Mandy is giving hope and help to many others, reaching through the hurt to start the healing."
Please sign the petition to Save Community Champions (on the Number 10 website) - and encourage as many others as possible to do so. Click here to sign the petition which reads: 'We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to ensure Community Champions awards continue to give active individuals the opportunity to do extraordinary things and make a real difference in their communities.' Support the campaign further by writing to your MP.
All the Community Champions have done extraordinary things, building positive community activities from the grass-roots and reaching literally thousands of people. My friend Mandy Fenn became a national Community Champion because of the funding that she received through the scheme which enabled her to begin self-help groups for people who were self harming. Mandy's work was featured as a Case Study in the Scarman Trust report Learning Power:
"Mandy Fenn started harming herself from the age of eight until 29. With support from the Scarman Trust, she set up three Cutting out the Pain groups in Barking & Dagenham to help other selfharmers. She produced leaflets, materials and ran groups to raise awareness. She didn’t realise how big the issue was until people started contacting her from across the borough and the UK. “Getting support from health services was difficult at first, because people didn’t want to know. Self-harm is a scary and confusing. But now they understand and are helping.” Mandy is doing a survey of self-harm with the hospital and setting up an anonymous help-line. She has shown a great deal of courage by speaking up and show people her badly scarred arms to raise awareness. By taking a stand Mandy is giving hope and help to many others, reaching through the hurt to start the healing."
Please sign the petition to Save Community Champions (on the Number 10 website) - and encourage as many others as possible to do so. Click here to sign the petition which reads: 'We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to ensure Community Champions awards continue to give active individuals the opportunity to do extraordinary things and make a real difference in their communities.' Support the campaign further by writing to your MP.
Rugs not drugs!
Afghanistan comes to Wanstead on Tuesday evening 11 September for a display and sale of beautiful, traditional and modern hand-made carpets - proceeds of which go towards running Afghan Action, a unique social enterprise training and employing young carpet weavers, including some disabled people, in war-torn Kabul. Anyone who lives, works or shops in Wanstead will be welcome at Wanstead Church School, Church Path, Wanstead E11 2SS on Tuesday 11 September from 7 - 9pm.
“You can buy a carpet or support a trainee” says Chris Beales, Afghan Action’s Chief Executive. “We have 120 young men and women training and working in Kabul. Each carpet takes a weaver about a month to make – and will last for 100 years!”
Commenting on the problem of opium production, Chris adds: “Over 90% of heroin coming into Britain originates in Afghanistan – so it’s in our interests to support real alternatives. Proper, sustainable jobs and businesses are the best way to eradicate the growth of poppies”.
Carpet prices start at £200 and a range of traditional and modern designs will be on display and for sale on Tuesday evening. For more information on Afghan Action, visit www.afghanaction.com or call Chris Beales on 07957 135593.
“You can buy a carpet or support a trainee” says Chris Beales, Afghan Action’s Chief Executive. “We have 120 young men and women training and working in Kabul. Each carpet takes a weaver about a month to make – and will last for 100 years!”
Commenting on the problem of opium production, Chris adds: “Over 90% of heroin coming into Britain originates in Afghanistan – so it’s in our interests to support real alternatives. Proper, sustainable jobs and businesses are the best way to eradicate the growth of poppies”.
Carpet prices start at £200 and a range of traditional and modern designs will be on display and for sale on Tuesday evening. For more information on Afghan Action, visit www.afghanaction.com or call Chris Beales on 07957 135593.
Peace and reconciliation seminar
Latest news and prayer requests from Agape Christian Youth in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
"Last week we had a nice seminar on Peace and Reconciliation only for the ladies. We went with all those ladies from three Archdeaconries so far in the forest where there is silence. We were more than 100 people. We invited the ladies from Hema tribe, Gity tribe, Lese tribe, and Bira tribe from Bunia. Really all those tribes had a conflict here in Ituri District.
For the first day in that place called Mafifi, every lady had fear. After praying together with them, really God did the great things to them. Also after the teaching on conflict resolution, each lady started coping with other. Really, that seminar helped many ladies to give testimony about their previous life, and now they asked God to forgive them because of having fear of staying together with those who were fighting them. 70% asked for forgiveness. Praise the Lord.
Now they would like us to organise such kind of seminar again, please pray for us. Also we need to do the same seminar in Boga."
"Last week we had a nice seminar on Peace and Reconciliation only for the ladies. We went with all those ladies from three Archdeaconries so far in the forest where there is silence. We were more than 100 people. We invited the ladies from Hema tribe, Gity tribe, Lese tribe, and Bira tribe from Bunia. Really all those tribes had a conflict here in Ituri District.
For the first day in that place called Mafifi, every lady had fear. After praying together with them, really God did the great things to them. Also after the teaching on conflict resolution, each lady started coping with other. Really, that seminar helped many ladies to give testimony about their previous life, and now they asked God to forgive them because of having fear of staying together with those who were fighting them. 70% asked for forgiveness. Praise the Lord.
Now they would like us to organise such kind of seminar again, please pray for us. Also we need to do the same seminar in Boga."
Monday, 3 September 2007
Map Man at Eye Play
I checked out Rodney Bailey's work in the Eye Play exhibition at the Bankside Gallery today. There are two pieces in the exhibition - Map Man and Self Portrait 1992 - both screenprints.
Both utilise map references to suggest the way in which the outline of our identity is partially formed by the locations where we are born and choose to live. The sketchy nature and minimalist colouring of these works suggests that our personal map references, while affecting our make-up, still do not define us.
Eye Play, as a whole, is an eclectic showcase for printmakers. A playground for the latest prints in town in which practitioners who are chalk and cheese in style and normal practice but who use printmaking in their work rub shoulders with one another.
Both utilise map references to suggest the way in which the outline of our identity is partially formed by the locations where we are born and choose to live. The sketchy nature and minimalist colouring of these works suggests that our personal map references, while affecting our make-up, still do not define us.
Eye Play, as a whole, is an eclectic showcase for printmakers. A playground for the latest prints in town in which practitioners who are chalk and cheese in style and normal practice but who use printmaking in their work rub shoulders with one another.
Saturday, 1 September 2007
The Clean-Up King - Part 4
The city people, though, were just too busy to pay any attention to two small children and their fanciful ideas. Theirs was a city full of enterprise, endeavour, efficiency and urgency. A city where targets were met and commitments honooured. Trains ran to time, buses traveled at twelve minute intervals precisely three miles apart, repairers and deliverers told you when they would arrive and then did so.
The city people were so sure of themselves and their effective, economic, enterprising city that they decided to become completely self sufficient. They decided to build a wall around their city. Not an ordinary wall with gates, windows and doors. No, there were to be no comings or goings through this wall. It was designed to keep the outside, outside.
Outside was what the city people feared. Outside was wildness - exuberant, lavish growth – where life went on with no apparent purpose and to no apparent order. Birds flew where they wished, wild flowers and grasses seeded and grew in every nook and cranny, and the weather – well, there was no controlling the weather!
So the city people built their wall. They built it thick and they built it high. They built it so that it cast the whole city into shadow, so that they could not feel the breath of the breeze on their faces, so that birds, animals, insects and plants were excluded. What they planned for was complete control. So they walked on concrete, worked in artificial light and mass produced their food.
The two children were saddened by the building of the wall. They asked the Clean-Up King about it but he just talked about the storm before the calm. It didn’t seem quite right and wasn’t very encouraging. They had been used to making the long journey to the edge of the great city. They had loved to lie in the long grass feeling the heat of the sun and the vibration of the crickets around them. They had climbed gnarled, knobbled trees bent with age and swum in the sparkling, bubbling, racing waters. It had helped them think about the other beautiful country.
Now all of these pleasures were denied them. All they could see were the grey tones of prefabrication and concrete. The city people, however, were proud of the independence they had created. Their pleasure came from meeting all their own needs by the creation of their own hands and they could see no drawbacks to the isolation in which they were living.
The city people were so sure of themselves and their effective, economic, enterprising city that they decided to become completely self sufficient. They decided to build a wall around their city. Not an ordinary wall with gates, windows and doors. No, there were to be no comings or goings through this wall. It was designed to keep the outside, outside.
Outside was what the city people feared. Outside was wildness - exuberant, lavish growth – where life went on with no apparent purpose and to no apparent order. Birds flew where they wished, wild flowers and grasses seeded and grew in every nook and cranny, and the weather – well, there was no controlling the weather!
So the city people built their wall. They built it thick and they built it high. They built it so that it cast the whole city into shadow, so that they could not feel the breath of the breeze on their faces, so that birds, animals, insects and plants were excluded. What they planned for was complete control. So they walked on concrete, worked in artificial light and mass produced their food.
The two children were saddened by the building of the wall. They asked the Clean-Up King about it but he just talked about the storm before the calm. It didn’t seem quite right and wasn’t very encouraging. They had been used to making the long journey to the edge of the great city. They had loved to lie in the long grass feeling the heat of the sun and the vibration of the crickets around them. They had climbed gnarled, knobbled trees bent with age and swum in the sparkling, bubbling, racing waters. It had helped them think about the other beautiful country.
Now all of these pleasures were denied them. All they could see were the grey tones of prefabrication and concrete. The city people, however, were proud of the independence they had created. Their pleasure came from meeting all their own needs by the creation of their own hands and they could see no drawbacks to the isolation in which they were living.
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