Yesterday, in our service of Peace and Justice Reflections for Advent at St John's Seven Kings which focussed on Christian Aid's Trace the Tax campaign, we listened to 'Book of Christmas', a track from Thea Gilmore's Strange Communion album. Over an instrumental background Thea recites lines taken from Louis MacNeice's poem, Autumn Journal, which include the following:
There was a star in the east.
Magi in their turbans brought their luxury toys
in homage to a child born to capsize their values,
wreck their equipoise.
A smell of hay like peace in the dark stable,
not peace however but a sword
to cut the gordian knot of self-interest,
the fool-proof golden cord,
for Christ walked in where philosophers tread
but armed with more than folly
making the smooth place rough
and knocking the heads of church and state together.
In honour we have taken over the pagan feast of saturnalia
for our annual treat,
letting the belly have its say,
ignoring the spirit whilst we eat.
and conscience still goes crying through the desert
with sackcloth round his loins.
A week to Christmas,
Hark the Herald Angels beg for copper coins
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Thea Gilmore - Listen ... The Snow Is Falling.
Monday, 6 December 2010
Sunday, 5 December 2010
Tamil Carols
Last night St John's Seven Kings hosted the 32nd Tamil Carols celebrating the birth of Jesus by sharing love, peace and joy with family and friends at the start of the Christmas season. As always the service involved contributions from members of the large number of families attending before a meal was enjoyed together, to which each family also contributed.
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Sufjan Stevens - O come, O come Emmanuel.
Friday, 3 December 2010
Lights of Advent
Here are photos from our Lights of Advent event at St John's Seven Kings where we serve mulled wine and mince pies to passers by while giving out information about our Christmas services and activities. Our Christmas leaflet this year has the following meditation and information:
still
be still
be still and know
God
born
still God
still man
still born
still born among us
God
in flesh appearing
defenceless
helpless
needing us
all-knowing
un-knowing
all present
confined in space
a child
God child
incarnate
incarnate still
be still
be still and know
(written by Revd. Alan Stewart)
Saturday 4th, 6.00pm - Tamil Carol Service
Sunday 5th, 10.00am - Peace and Justice Advent Reflections Service
Sunday 12th, 10.00am - Dramatised Nativity Service and 6.30pm Service of Nine Lessons and Carols by Candlelight - traditional carols and readings
Sunday 19th, 10.00am - All-age Christingle Service - a colourful service of music and light (collection for The Children’s Society) and 6.30pm Service of Nine Lessons and Carols at St Peter’s Aldborough Hatch
Monday 20th, 7.00pm - Carol Singing around the Parish - wrap up warm. Collecting for Haven House Hospice.
Tuesday 21st, 2.00pm - Carol Tea – Mothers’ Union (All are welcome)
Christmas Eve
Friday 24th, 5.00pm - All-age Nativity Service - dressing up and tree lighting - fun for all. Bring a present to leave under the tree for children helped by Barnados. Collection to the Haven House Hospice.
11.30pm First Holy Communion of Christmas
Christmas Day
Saturday 25th, 8.00am - Holy Communion - Book of Common Prayer; and 10.00am Christmas All-age Holy Communion - children, bring a gift you have received to show others
New Years Eve
Friday 31st, 11.30pm - Watchnight Service - welcoming the New Year in prayer and reflection
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Robbie Robertson - Shine Your Light.
Thursday, 2 December 2010
Vision of God's reordering of the world
Along with many others in the Diocese of Chelmsford, I've been looking forward to the arrival of the new Bishop of Chelmsford, Stephen Cottrell. His inaugural sermon and other materials introducing him to the Diocese illustrate why we are excited about the possibilities for the Diocese under his leadership:
"God has called us to build the kingdom of his love where a new humanity is revealed and made available. And, if I can borrow for a moment the phrase of the hour, the ‘Big Society’ was always our idea first. It is this vision of God's new community and God’s reordering of the world that brought me into the Church in the first place; and it is this vision that sustains me. And it is this - and this only - that we will joyfully seek and celebrate together while I am your bishop ...
Jesus says that his Church must be ‘salt’ and ‘light’. And let me remind you that here salt does not mean you are supposed to be like the little sprinkling over your chips to make them taste a bit nicer. It is preservative. This is what Jesus means; like a piece of salted cod - you stop it from rotting. This is what Jesus longs his Church to be: a household of peace and joy where true and lasting values are held, taught and celebrated.
And light. We are supposed to be light; light that shines in the darkness. Light that reveals the way. Light that dispels fear. Jesus says that we, his people, are supposed to be ‘a city set on a hill ’ receiving and radiating the light of Christ.
So, brothers and sisters, who are we - gathered in the midst of this Cathedral today; this motley band of muddled and broken humanity? We are the inheritors of a great vocation. We are the ones who are called to share the light of Christ today and shine with that light in our own lives.
This is what Basil Jellicoe did in the slums of London. This is what William Temple taught. This is what countless Christian people are doing every day in the diocese. And it is to this that we recommit ourselves: nothing less than the beauty of the Gospel and the building of God’s kingdom here."
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The Alarm - Presence of Love.
"God has called us to build the kingdom of his love where a new humanity is revealed and made available. And, if I can borrow for a moment the phrase of the hour, the ‘Big Society’ was always our idea first. It is this vision of God's new community and God’s reordering of the world that brought me into the Church in the first place; and it is this vision that sustains me. And it is this - and this only - that we will joyfully seek and celebrate together while I am your bishop ...
Jesus says that his Church must be ‘salt’ and ‘light’. And let me remind you that here salt does not mean you are supposed to be like the little sprinkling over your chips to make them taste a bit nicer. It is preservative. This is what Jesus means; like a piece of salted cod - you stop it from rotting. This is what Jesus longs his Church to be: a household of peace and joy where true and lasting values are held, taught and celebrated.
And light. We are supposed to be light; light that shines in the darkness. Light that reveals the way. Light that dispels fear. Jesus says that we, his people, are supposed to be ‘a city set on a hill ’ receiving and radiating the light of Christ.
So, brothers and sisters, who are we - gathered in the midst of this Cathedral today; this motley band of muddled and broken humanity? We are the inheritors of a great vocation. We are the ones who are called to share the light of Christ today and shine with that light in our own lives.
This is what Basil Jellicoe did in the slums of London. This is what William Temple taught. This is what countless Christian people are doing every day in the diocese. And it is to this that we recommit ourselves: nothing less than the beauty of the Gospel and the building of God’s kingdom here."
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The Alarm - Presence of Love.
Celebrating Christmas confidently
In response to the seasonal flurry of stories about Christmas which attract the familiar words 'political correctness gone mad!', the Christian Muslim Forum have circulated some little-known facts about Christmas, Christians and Muslims:
"Over the past few years there has been concern about the secularisation or de-Christianisation of certain religious festivals.In particular,concerns that local authorities decided to rename Christmas.In fact,this was not the case,although stories persist of Christmas ‘being banned ’.Some have suggested that Christmas, celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ and wishing people ‘Merry Christmas’ offends members of other religious traditions.
As Muslims and Christians together we are wholeheartedly committed to the recognition of Christian festivals. Christmas is a celebration of the birth of Jesus and we wish this significant part of the Christian heritage of this country to remain an acknowledged part of national life. We believe that the only beneficiaries of a declining Christian presence in public life are those committed to a totally non-religious standpoint. We value the presence of clear institutional markers within society of the reality and mystery of God in public life, rather than its absence.
We believe that our open and democratic society should promote freedom and expression of religion in the public space rather than restrict it ... We believe that downplaying the celebration of religious festivals promotes frustration, alienation and even anger within religious communities. Such negative approaches devalue religion and undermine the positive contributions that faith communities bring to society.
We also rejoice in the contribution and value of all religious communities in our country – Jewish, Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist and others. It is important for the integrity of all religious traditions that we recognise the centrality of their major festivals. In our diverse society we need to foster a mature and healthy outlook which recognizes this country’s Christian heritage as well as the important part that other religious traditions play within our culture."
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U2 - Peace On Earth / Walk On.
- 'Winterval' was not intended as a replacement for Christmas.
- Christians celebrating Christmas do not offend people of other faiths.
- Many, many Muslims in this country were educated at Christian (mostly Church of England) schools in this country or elsewhere.
- Muslims are baffled when they read and hear that Christmas is being “banned” and replaced with something else to avoid offending Muslims.
- Both Christians and Muslims in the UK are concerned that a key religious festival is overly commercialised.
"Over the past few years there has been concern about the secularisation or de-Christianisation of certain religious festivals.In particular,concerns that local authorities decided to rename Christmas.In fact,this was not the case,although stories persist of Christmas ‘being banned ’.Some have suggested that Christmas, celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ and wishing people ‘Merry Christmas’ offends members of other religious traditions.
As Muslims and Christians together we are wholeheartedly committed to the recognition of Christian festivals. Christmas is a celebration of the birth of Jesus and we wish this significant part of the Christian heritage of this country to remain an acknowledged part of national life. We believe that the only beneficiaries of a declining Christian presence in public life are those committed to a totally non-religious standpoint. We value the presence of clear institutional markers within society of the reality and mystery of God in public life, rather than its absence.
We believe that our open and democratic society should promote freedom and expression of religion in the public space rather than restrict it ... We believe that downplaying the celebration of religious festivals promotes frustration, alienation and even anger within religious communities. Such negative approaches devalue religion and undermine the positive contributions that faith communities bring to society.
We also rejoice in the contribution and value of all religious communities in our country – Jewish, Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist and others. It is important for the integrity of all religious traditions that we recognise the centrality of their major festivals. In our diverse society we need to foster a mature and healthy outlook which recognizes this country’s Christian heritage as well as the important part that other religious traditions play within our culture."
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U2 - Peace On Earth / Walk On.
Support for artistic flight and future grace
In the absence of an Association of Scholars of Christianity in the History of Art (ASCHA) website that actually works, Stoneworks has helpfully provided more information on this newly formed professional organization that seeks to redress the tendency in much of recent scholarship to ignore or minimize the influence of Christianity on the arts.
A report on ASCHA's inaugural symposium in Paris can be found by clicking here. The art space in which the symposium met is a venue for the arts which seeks to support and encourage the arts and artists regardless of their faith affiliation by providing a space at an enviable address at a reasonable cost to the artists for performance of music and poetry, the mounting of art exhibitions, as well as meetings like the symposium.
Also seeking to support artists in expressing their Christian faith in the face of a lack of understanding of the resulting art is New York based artist Makoto Fujimura, who has recently published a letter to young artists in which he writes of the ability to learn to fly as artists as 'future grace' citing C. S. Lewis to describe an artist's early development - "while the wings are just beginning to grow, when ... the lumps on the shoulders…give ... an awkward appearance”:
"What if Lewis is right, and you are destined to “fly”? What if our awkwardness, and our uniqueness points to the potential of the person we are meant to become? In order to learn to fly, you need to be patient, and ready to experience many failures; we need an environment where we can fail often, but you also need opportunities to peer into the wonders and mysteries of the vista of the world to come. Since many, including those in the institutions of the schools or churches, will not understand, you may have to create “fellowship” yourself. Do not be surprised by their rejections ...
Even if you are not cognizant of a grace reality, you can still create in the possibility of future grace. That takes faith to do, but if you can do that, you will be joining so many artists of the past who wrestled deeply with faith, doubt, poverty, rejection, longing and yet chose to create. Know that the author of creativity longs for you to barge in, break open the gift you have been saving; he will not only receive you, he can bring you purpose behind the battle, and rebuke those who reject you. Mary’s oil was the only thing Jesus wore to the cross. He was stripped of everything else, but art can sometimes endure even torture. A friend of mine said that in the aroma of Christ, Mary’s oil mixed with Christ’s blood and sweat, there are da Vincis and Bachs floating about. He will bring your art, music and dance to the darkness of death, and into the resurrection of the third day ...
Growth comes by understanding how limited you are. Learning to use your wings means learning the discipline as a means to grace. Give yourself boundaries and goals; start with small things, like having a small table dedicated to your poems. Emily Dickinson wrote her poems on a small 18 inch by 18 inch desk in her room in Amherst. Do not put anything other than your poems, though, on that area. Guard against the world invading your boundaries. Learning to paint, play the piano, or dance has much to do with keeping your self-set boundaries, otherwise you will not own your craft. We are each given unique wings with unique particulars of how to use our wings; no one else can fly for you. You have to jump off the edge, and spread your wings."
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Mumford and Sons - Roll Away Your Stone.
A report on ASCHA's inaugural symposium in Paris can be found by clicking here. The art space in which the symposium met is a venue for the arts which seeks to support and encourage the arts and artists regardless of their faith affiliation by providing a space at an enviable address at a reasonable cost to the artists for performance of music and poetry, the mounting of art exhibitions, as well as meetings like the symposium.
Also seeking to support artists in expressing their Christian faith in the face of a lack of understanding of the resulting art is New York based artist Makoto Fujimura, who has recently published a letter to young artists in which he writes of the ability to learn to fly as artists as 'future grace' citing C. S. Lewis to describe an artist's early development - "while the wings are just beginning to grow, when ... the lumps on the shoulders…give ... an awkward appearance”:
"What if Lewis is right, and you are destined to “fly”? What if our awkwardness, and our uniqueness points to the potential of the person we are meant to become? In order to learn to fly, you need to be patient, and ready to experience many failures; we need an environment where we can fail often, but you also need opportunities to peer into the wonders and mysteries of the vista of the world to come. Since many, including those in the institutions of the schools or churches, will not understand, you may have to create “fellowship” yourself. Do not be surprised by their rejections ...
Even if you are not cognizant of a grace reality, you can still create in the possibility of future grace. That takes faith to do, but if you can do that, you will be joining so many artists of the past who wrestled deeply with faith, doubt, poverty, rejection, longing and yet chose to create. Know that the author of creativity longs for you to barge in, break open the gift you have been saving; he will not only receive you, he can bring you purpose behind the battle, and rebuke those who reject you. Mary’s oil was the only thing Jesus wore to the cross. He was stripped of everything else, but art can sometimes endure even torture. A friend of mine said that in the aroma of Christ, Mary’s oil mixed with Christ’s blood and sweat, there are da Vincis and Bachs floating about. He will bring your art, music and dance to the darkness of death, and into the resurrection of the third day ...
Growth comes by understanding how limited you are. Learning to use your wings means learning the discipline as a means to grace. Give yourself boundaries and goals; start with small things, like having a small table dedicated to your poems. Emily Dickinson wrote her poems on a small 18 inch by 18 inch desk in her room in Amherst. Do not put anything other than your poems, though, on that area. Guard against the world invading your boundaries. Learning to paint, play the piano, or dance has much to do with keeping your self-set boundaries, otherwise you will not own your craft. We are each given unique wings with unique particulars of how to use our wings; no one else can fly for you. You have to jump off the edge, and spread your wings."
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mumford and Sons - Roll Away Your Stone.
Not persecuted and not ashamed
Nick Baines, the Bishop of Croydon, has taken some flack in the last day for his 4thought.tv interview on whether Christians are being persecuted in Britain today, prompted by the launch by Christian Concern of their Not Ashamed campaign.
In his post on the topic Nick makes it clear that "being marginalised, misrepresented or misquoted is not the same as being persecuted." This isn’t just a matter of semantics:
"Christians are being persecuted in Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, parts of Africa and the Middle East. Being ridiculed a bit or misrepresented by the religiously illiterate in Britain is a pain and poses challenges – but it is not persecution. My point in the broadcast was to encourage Christians to stop seeing themselves as pathetic victims, recognise the amazing freedom we have in (and massive contribution we make to) British society both locally and nationally… and get out there more confidently with the unique gift of Christian faith, service and apologetics."
Others commenting on the Not Ashamed campaign, rightly in my view, link the issues about which Christian Concern campaign to a refusal to accept the end of Christendom and a hankering after the privileges for Christianity which Christendom provided. The end of Christendom, as these quotes from Symon Hill and Simon Barrow indicate, actually opens up the opportunity for a radical review of the way in which we think and act as the Church, not seeking privilege and instead seeking to serve:
"Anyone wanting a level playing-field should recognise that the UK is a country in which over 99 per cent of faith schools are Christian and in which bishops get to vote on legislation in Parliament (a situation almost unique in the world). These are the vestiges of Christendom, the situation that prevailed for centuries in which Christianity was closely allied to political and cultural power. The gradual passing of Christendom gives us a great opportunity to look again at the real nature of Jesus' message."
"That Christians do not rule others in the way they once did, in the fading Christendom era, does not amount to "persecution". Rather, it is an invitation, in the midst of some pain and adjustment no doubt, to rediscover patterns of church life in a plural society which show the heart of the Christian message to be about embracing others, not isolating ourselves; multiplying hope, not spreading fear; developing peaceableness, not resorting to aggression; and advancing compassion, rather than retreating into defensiveness."
It's also worth noting that the implication of the way the Not Ashamed campaign is set up seems to mean that those who don't support it can be accused of being ashamed of their faith (presumably Nick Baines has endured some of this) while those that do support can be claimed as supporters of Christian Concern's wider agenda.
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Mark Heard - Rise From The Ruins.
In his post on the topic Nick makes it clear that "being marginalised, misrepresented or misquoted is not the same as being persecuted." This isn’t just a matter of semantics:
"Christians are being persecuted in Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, parts of Africa and the Middle East. Being ridiculed a bit or misrepresented by the religiously illiterate in Britain is a pain and poses challenges – but it is not persecution. My point in the broadcast was to encourage Christians to stop seeing themselves as pathetic victims, recognise the amazing freedom we have in (and massive contribution we make to) British society both locally and nationally… and get out there more confidently with the unique gift of Christian faith, service and apologetics."
Others commenting on the Not Ashamed campaign, rightly in my view, link the issues about which Christian Concern campaign to a refusal to accept the end of Christendom and a hankering after the privileges for Christianity which Christendom provided. The end of Christendom, as these quotes from Symon Hill and Simon Barrow indicate, actually opens up the opportunity for a radical review of the way in which we think and act as the Church, not seeking privilege and instead seeking to serve:
"Anyone wanting a level playing-field should recognise that the UK is a country in which over 99 per cent of faith schools are Christian and in which bishops get to vote on legislation in Parliament (a situation almost unique in the world). These are the vestiges of Christendom, the situation that prevailed for centuries in which Christianity was closely allied to political and cultural power. The gradual passing of Christendom gives us a great opportunity to look again at the real nature of Jesus' message."
"That Christians do not rule others in the way they once did, in the fading Christendom era, does not amount to "persecution". Rather, it is an invitation, in the midst of some pain and adjustment no doubt, to rediscover patterns of church life in a plural society which show the heart of the Christian message to be about embracing others, not isolating ourselves; multiplying hope, not spreading fear; developing peaceableness, not resorting to aggression; and advancing compassion, rather than retreating into defensiveness."
It's also worth noting that the implication of the way the Not Ashamed campaign is set up seems to mean that those who don't support it can be accused of being ashamed of their faith (presumably Nick Baines has endured some of this) while those that do support can be claimed as supporters of Christian Concern's wider agenda.
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Mark Heard - Rise From The Ruins.
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