Today's Ilford Recorder reports that Redbridge Council has delayed its report into the possibility of a static library for Seven Kings. This comes as a result of renewed lobbying by TASK members highlighting the limited range of options the report appeared to be considering.
At the beginning of the week I sent the following letter to the editor of the Ilford Recorder:
"As part of discussions with Council officials over the possibility of a static library for Seven Kings, I have suggested that there are several community buildings in the area that could be considered for the siting of a library. These include schools and faith buildings including St John’s Seven Kings.
To date, the Council has not shown any interest in this suggestion and I am not, therefore, in discussions with them about it. I would be very happy to begin discussions however.
The Council’s unwillingness to explore the possibility of working with community organisations to identify both possible locations and possible sources of funds for a library seem symptomatic of the Council’s refusal to engage in a meaningful partnership with the community that it seeks to serve.
The Redbridge Conversation is a prime example. Hyped as the way forward for community consultation by Councils, the Redbridge Conversation was actually primarily concerned with the Council’s own agenda and the Council’s options for funding that agenda. As a result, the priorities of the local community, like a static library for Seven Kings for example, didn’t feature and neither did the option of working with community organisations to draw new funding into the borough.
This is because the Council is, at present, not appearing to seek genuine consultation and partnership from and with the local community. If it were, it would be open to changing its agenda and exploring alternative and more creative ways of funding initiatives. Instead it is seeking endorsement of its fixed agenda which, as we know from the protests over the possibility of allotment sales and other local issues, does not have the support of the local community.
As a result, I appeal to the Cabinet, in considering the issue of a static library for Seven Kings and other issues within the borough, to begin engaging in genuine consultation and partnership with the local community and community organisations."
This letter has been used to create a second article about the Library on the 'Faiths Page' of this weeks edition.
For me, this report and the Council's response to TASK's request seem to be a test case of the Council's willingness or otherwise to genuinely engage in consultation and partnership with the local community and its community organisations and to do so not solely on its own terms but by actively responding to the concerns and issues of the community it seeks to serve.
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Lou Reed & John Cale - Open House.
Thursday, 14 August 2008
Wednesday, 13 August 2008
Praying through the everyday
Praying through the Everyday is a Quiet Day to be held at St John's Seven Kings (St John's Road, Ilford IG2 7BB) on Saturday 13th September from 10.00am to 3.00pm.
I will be leading this day of reflection and prayer using everyday objects, tasks and emotions. All are welcome to attend.
Please either bring a packed lunch or come prepared to buy lunch from the local shops. Morning Prayer is at 9.00am for those able come early.
For more information contact the St John's Parish Office on 020 8598 1536 or email to info@stjohns7kings.org.uk.
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Paul Weller - Stanley Road.
I will be leading this day of reflection and prayer using everyday objects, tasks and emotions. All are welcome to attend.
Please either bring a packed lunch or come prepared to buy lunch from the local shops. Morning Prayer is at 9.00am for those able come early.
For more information contact the St John's Parish Office on 020 8598 1536 or email to info@stjohns7kings.org.uk.
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Paul Weller - Stanley Road.
Monday, 11 August 2008
Windows on the world (12)
The Vendee, 2006---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Shawn McDonald - Beautiful.
Saturday, 9 August 2008
From the papers
Angus Ritchie, Director of the Contextual Theology Centre, has an interesting comment column in this week's Church Times. Titled 'Social capital can be built by the people,' Angus describes the cross-party support secured by London CITIZENS for a striking array of policies.
Also in the Church Times, Margaret Sentamu describes the input to the spouses conference at Lambeth from Mugisa Isingoma, who visited St John's shortly before the conference and who shared her story with our Mothers' Union.
The Times published a letter today from 19 bishops supporting Rowan Williams following the publication just after the Lambeth Conference of correspondence from eight years ago by Williams on the issue of homosexuality. Their letter states that one can only wonder at the motives of those behind the releasing, and highlighting, of these letters at this precise moment – and at the way in which some churchmen are seeking to make capital of them as though they were ‘news’. One example of attempts to make capital of them can be viewed here while for a much more balanced view click here.
Finally, in responding to the comment by Libby Purves, which I highlighted in Thursday's post, Richard Dawkins, in his letter to the Times, once again reveals his complete inability to recognise the extent to which many Christians are able to engage creatively and constructively with both science and belief.
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Woody Guthrie - Jesus Christ.
Also in the Church Times, Margaret Sentamu describes the input to the spouses conference at Lambeth from Mugisa Isingoma, who visited St John's shortly before the conference and who shared her story with our Mothers' Union.
The Times published a letter today from 19 bishops supporting Rowan Williams following the publication just after the Lambeth Conference of correspondence from eight years ago by Williams on the issue of homosexuality. Their letter states that one can only wonder at the motives of those behind the releasing, and highlighting, of these letters at this precise moment – and at the way in which some churchmen are seeking to make capital of them as though they were ‘news’. One example of attempts to make capital of them can be viewed here while for a much more balanced view click here.
Finally, in responding to the comment by Libby Purves, which I highlighted in Thursday's post, Richard Dawkins, in his letter to the Times, once again reveals his complete inability to recognise the extent to which many Christians are able to engage creatively and constructively with both science and belief.
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Woody Guthrie - Jesus Christ.
Friday, 8 August 2008
Visual Dialogue 2
Visual Dialogue 2 is a group art exhibition at St John’s Seven Kings arranged for the church's Patronal Festival from Friday 3rd to Sunday 5th October 2008. The exhibition includes established and local artists including Henry Shelton, Alan Stewart, Rodney Bailey, Bob, Dennis & Liz Keenan, Jonathan Evens, Doreen Gullett, Peggy Hull and others.
Henry Shelton has had a successful career as a designer and fine artist. He has received commissions to design for clients such as the Science Museum, Borough Councils, private and corporate bodies. In more recent years Henry has worked designing in studios across the world, including Hong Kong and the USA. His commissions include a large oil painting of the Ascension installed as an Altar piece in the Church of the Saviour, Chell Heath; the Millennium Christian clock tower in Goodmayes and, most recently, the memorial etched glass windows in All Saints Goodmayes, depicting events in the life of Jesus. In Visual Dialogue 2 Henry will exhibit several of his most recent works and a Stations of the Cross that was exhibited in 2007 at York Minster.
Alan Stewart is a Church of England minister and a fine artist. Following his BA (Hons) in Fashion Design & Textiles at the Central St Martins School of Art, Alan has produced work in a variety of media (including charcoal, collage, pastel and emulsion) and exhibited at London Bible College, London Institute of Contemporary Christianity, and Intermission. In 2005 his painting Early one morning was dedicated by the Bishop of Barking in the Youth Chapel of St Margaret's Barking. His most recent project was Hertford stns: A stations of the cross for Hertford which was the subject of a feature article in the Church Times.
Rodney Bailey studied Design and Public Art at Chelsea College. His work is concerned with identity, communication, and having a visual dialogue with nature. He responds to the difficulties that we may face as people in communicating our identity and nature to each other in a respectful and sincere way. He uses a variety of styles to execute his work and draws on his family background and childhood memories for ideas as well as his Buddhist practice for inspiration and guidance. Last year Rodney exhibited in Eye Play at the Bankside Gallery and the inaugural Visual Dialogue exhibition at St John's Seven Kings. He currently has an exhibition at the Orsini Restaurant.
Visual Dialogue 2 begins with an opening night reception from 7.30pm on Friday 3rd October to which all are welcome. In addition to viewing the exhibition and refreshments, the evening with feature a public conversation between myself and several of the exhibiting artists. The exhibition will continue on Saturday 4th and Sunday 5th October from 10.00am to 4.00pm. An art workshop will be held on Saturday 4th October from 11.00am to 3.00pm. Details can be found by clicking here.
As part of Visual Dialogue 2 we also hope to be able to exhibit for the first time the art installation that will tour Redbridge churches during Advent 2008.
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Paul Weller - Broken Stones.
The Barking Art Project
The Barking Art Project is an art workshop providing a great opportunity to spend some time thinking about abstract art and developing your creative side as much of the day will be spent in creating your own piece of art on a religious theme. We will provide artistic materials for you to come and explore this God given side to humanity. There will also be the opportunity to see an art exhibition and an Advent art installation. All are welcome.
The art workshop will be held on Saturday 4th October from 11.00 am – 3.00 pm at St John’s Church, St John’s Road/Aldborough Road South Seven Kings. Full costs for the day are £10.00. Booking can be made through Revd John Brown, The Barking Programme, St. Luke’s Vicarage,
1A Baxter Road, Ilford, Essex IG1 2HN. Tel: 0208 553-7606. Email: livingfaith@stluke-ilford.org.uk.
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Zbigniew Preisner - Les Marionettes.
The art workshop will be held on Saturday 4th October from 11.00 am – 3.00 pm at St John’s Church, St John’s Road/Aldborough Road South Seven Kings. Full costs for the day are £10.00. Booking can be made through Revd John Brown, The Barking Programme, St. Luke’s Vicarage,
1A Baxter Road, Ilford, Essex IG1 2HN. Tel: 0208 553-7606. Email: livingfaith@stluke-ilford.org.uk.
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Zbigniew Preisner - Les Marionettes.
Former atheist takes Dawkins to task
Following on from yesterday's post about Richard Dawkins comes this from the Bible Society's Newswatch emailing:
"A renowned atheistic philosopher, who stunned his peers four years ago by abandoning atheism, has accused the atheist scientist Richard Dawkins of becoming ‘a secularist bigot’. Prof Anthony Flew, emeritus professor at Reading University, chides Dawkins in a review of The God Delusion. Dawkins’ omission of Albert Einstein’s belief that a divine intelligence must lie behind the complexity of physics leads Flew to accuse Prof Dawkins of ‘insincerity of purpose’. He says Dawkins’ examination of Albert Einstein’s views on religion is selective and designed to support his own position."
Flew's review can be found be clicking here.
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Martyn Joseph - Just Like The Man Said.
"A renowned atheistic philosopher, who stunned his peers four years ago by abandoning atheism, has accused the atheist scientist Richard Dawkins of becoming ‘a secularist bigot’. Prof Anthony Flew, emeritus professor at Reading University, chides Dawkins in a review of The God Delusion. Dawkins’ omission of Albert Einstein’s belief that a divine intelligence must lie behind the complexity of physics leads Flew to accuse Prof Dawkins of ‘insincerity of purpose’. He says Dawkins’ examination of Albert Einstein’s views on religion is selective and designed to support his own position."
Flew's review can be found be clicking here.
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Martyn Joseph - Just Like The Man Said.
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