Stations of the Cross

 

This year the Ministry Team in the Wickford and Runwell Team Ministry have once again written our own Lent Course, which looks more deeply into the Stations of the Cross which we use during Holy Week, including images, readings, reflection and prayer.

These sessions will be offered on Tuesday evening and Thursday afternoon and evening, depending on numbers, starting the week of 19th February. We also have the opportunity to share these sessions with Christ Church, giving additional days and times (Tuesday mornings and Wednesday evenings).

Mark of the Cross and The Passion are collections of images, meditations and prayers by Henry Shelton and myself on The Stations of the Cross. They provide helpful reflections and resources for Lent and Holy Week. These collections can both be found as downloads from theworshipcloud.

Mark of the Cross is a book of 20 poetic meditations on Christ’s journey to the cross and reactions to his resurrection and ascension. The meditations are complemented by a set of semi-abstract watercolours of the Stations of the Cross and the Resurrection created by Henry Shelton.

The Passion: Reflections and Prayers features minimal images with haiku-like poems and prayers that enable us to follow Jesus on his journey to the cross reflecting both on the significance and the pain of that journey as we do so. Henry and I have aimed in these reflections to pare down the images and words to their emotional and theological core. The mark making and imagery is minimal but, we hope, in a way that makes maximum impact.

Jesus dies on the cross

The sun is eclipsed, early nightfall,
darkness covers the surface of the deep,
the Spirit grieves over the waters.
On the formless, empty earth, God is dead.

Through the death of all we hold most dear, may we find life. Amen.

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U2 - Windows In The Skies.

Windows on the world (463)

 London 2024

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Bill Fay - Filled With Wonder Once Again.

Wickford and Runwell Team Ministry: Upcoming Events

Messy Lent/Temptation

Saturday 10 February, 2.00 - 4.00 pm, St Andrew's Wickford

Messy Church is a way of being church for families and others. It is Christ-centred, for all ages, based on creativity, hospitality and celebration.

Pancake Party
St Catherine’s Hall, 120 Southend Road, Wickford SS11 8EB
Tuesday 13th February, 2.00 - 4.00 pmDrop in between 2pm and 4pm or stay all afternoon and help raise funds for St Catherine’s tower restoration. £4 to include 2 pancakes and unlimited tea or coffee. Gluten free available on request.

Salvation Army Band & Choir

Wickford Salvation Army Band and Choir will be performing at St Andrew's at 3.30 pm on Sunday 17 March to raise funds for St Andrew's. All are welcome.

Take Note in concert
Saturday 20 April, 3.00 pm
St Andrew’s Church, 11 London Road, Wickford SS12 0AN

Take Note are an all-male a Cappella group of up to 12 singers formed in 2015. They sing many genres of music across many eras in four-part harmony. Their wide-ranging repertoire includes traditional male voice choir numbers, popular songs from the 50s and 60s sung in close harmony doo wop style, comedy items and other a Cappella arrangements that they think will appeal to their audiences.

This concert is a fundraiser for St Andrew’s Church. No tickets required. Donations requested on the day.

Quiet Days in 2024 - St Mary’s Runwell

Reflect in the magnificent mediaeval building that is St Mary’s Runwell, and relax in its beautiful churchyard. St. Mary’s is often described by visitors and by regular worshippers as a powerful sacred space to which they have been drawn. Experience this yourself, while also exploring its art and heritage.

Themes for 2024 include: Psalms, Women in the Bible, Nazareth Community’s Rule of Life, Faith Pictures, and Jesus Music.

All are 10.30 am – 3.30 pm. Runwell Rd SS11 7HS.

• Saturday 27 April – Jesus Music: Reflect on the person of Jesus plus praise and prayer to him, through the Jesus Music of the 1960’s and 70’s. Led by Revd Jonathan Evens.
• Wednesday 22 May – Women in the Bible: Spend time getting to know the women whose lives made a significant contribution to the story of God’s relationship with his people. Led by Revd Sue Wise.
• Saturday 15 June – Faith Pictures: Helps us see where God has been present in our lives, how we can talk about that confidently, and how God is active in the world around us and wants us to join in with Him. The focus will be on Traveller’s Tales and Talking Pictures. Led by Gail and Stephen.
• Wednesday 10 July – Psalms: Time to immerse yourself in the prayerfulness, rich imagery and poetry of the psalms. Led by Revd Sue Wise.
• Saturday 14 September – The 7S’s of the Nazareth Community: Silence, Sacrament, Scriptures, Service, Sharing, Sabbath, Staying as a personal Rule of Life. Led by Revd Jonathan Evens.

Cost: £8.00 per person, including sandwich lunch (pay on the day). To book contact jonathan.evens@btinternet.com / 07803 562329 (27/04, 15/06, 14/09) or sue.wise@sky.com / 07941 506156 (22/05, 10/07). Parking available at the Church Hall – Church End Lane, Runwell SS11 7JQ. Nearest station: Wickford (1.3 miles). Buses: 8, 10, 94, 94A, 94B, X10. http://wickfordandrunwellparish.org.uk/

Being With course

Tuesday evenings from 23 April - 25 June, 7.30 pm

St Andrew's Wickford

Have you ever wondered…

If all the meaning, beauty and goodness you have found in life so far could help you discover something that holds it all together?

If there is a God, wouldn’t God be best discovered with others?

Being With ⁄ A Course Exploring Christian Faith and Life

We believe God's desire is to be with you and that God has been at work in your life from day one. We are looking forward to discovering that with you.

Discovering Christian faith in a positive and inclusive group. No special knowledge or religious language needed. Just what you have learned in life so far.

Kintsugi Hope Wellbeing Group

12 Thursday evenings from 9 May, 7.30 pm

St Andrew's Wickford

Kintsugi Hope is a charity based in the UK striving to make a difference to peoples mental wellbeing. 

"Kintsugi' (⾦継ぎ) is a Japanese technique for repairing pottery with seams of gold. The word means 'golden joinery' in Japanese. This repairs the brokenness in a way that makes the object more beautiful, and even more unique than it was prior to being broken. Instead of hiding the scars it makes a feature of them. “We want to see a world where mental and emotional health is understood and accepted, with safe and supportive communities for everyone to grow and flourish."

Kintsugi Hope Wellbeing Groups

A Kintsugi Hope Group is a safe and supportive space for people who feel or have felt overwhelmed, providing tools for self-management in a facilitated peer mentoring style setting. It consists of a structured yet flexible series of 12 weeks of content, which includes group and individual activities designed to help participants to accept themselves, to understand their value and worth, and grow towards a more resilient and hopeful future. Issues covered include; disappointment, loss, anxiety, anger perfectionism, shame and resilience. Feedback so far has been amazing.

Our new group starts on Thursday May 9th, 7.30pm at St Andrew’s Church, London Road, Wickford For more information and to register for the Group contact Revd Sue Wise on 07941 506156 or sue.wise@sky.com 

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Mumford & Sons x Pharrell Williams - Good People.

Unveiled: Maciej Hoffman

There were fascinating insights into art from Maciej Hoffman at tonight's Unveiled in St Andrew’s Wickford, leading to much engaged discussion after the presentation was over. For a sense of some of the ground covered click here. For my reflections on Maciej's work click here, here, and here.

Maciej Hoffman was born in Wrocław, Poland in 1964, the son of artist parents, growing up under Poland's communist regime; after studying philosophy at the School of Theology in Wrocław, he graduated in Painting and Sculpture from the Academy of Fine Art in 1992. Becoming fascinated with web art and new graphic technologies, he then worked for 15 years in one of Poland's largest advertising agencies until a watershed moment in 2003, when he returned fulltime to the studio and to oil painting. He moved to England in 2012, in search of new artistic and life opportunities, and continues to paint, teach and exhibit in the UK and abroad.

Here he became involved in leading art workshops for school students, encouraging self-expression through art therapy for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds, or coping with mental health issues and trauma. He also contributed artworks to exhibitions dealing with conflict and resolution, including two marking Holocaust Memorial Days in 2012 and 2018 respectively. Maciej Hoffman's work has been exhibited in the UK on numerous occasions, including at Chelmsford Cathedral; Barry Gallery Central; Polish Social and Cultural Association (POSK) Gallery and Willesden Gallery (both London), and at the Warwick Art Centre.

‘Painting begins with a spark, an idea, an impulse. Sometimes it seems as though the painting creates itself, intuition guides me during the process … In trivialities as well as in big events I seek contrasts between imagination and reality. Our expectations and our anticipations are never what we finally meet in real life. This constant collision fascinates me. It’s irrelevant whether it’s beauty and ugliness, order or chaos - the point is, how it’s reflected in the mirror of my interpretation … I am moved by people’s stories with all their misfortunes and moments of happiness. It seems like one is always part of the other.’

https://www.maciej-hoffman.com/ https://www.buru.org.uk/record.php?id=1443

'Who Tells Your Story? Who Tells Your Future? An exhibition of paintings by Maciej Hoffman' is at St Andrew’s Church (11 London Road, Wickford SS12 0AN) until 29 March 2024. 

St Andrew’s is usually open: Sat 9am-12.30pm; Sun 9.30am-12 noon; Mon 2-3.45pm; Tue 1-4.30pm; Wed 10am-12 noon; Fri 10am-1pm. See https://wickfordandrunwellparish.org.uk/whats-on.html for more information.

‘I choose themes that pervade everyday life, our constant battle with problems which we inevitably face. But also issues which haunt us for years, shaping our perspective on the world and building us as humans. I try to capture the moments of tension, the climax, and the spark before ignition.’ Maciej Hoffman

Unveiled – a wide range of artist and performers from Essex and wider, including Open Mic nights (come and have a go!).

Unveiled – view our hidden painting by acclaimed artist David Folley, plus a range of other exhibitions.

Spring Programme 2024

• 23 February – Tryin’ to throw your arms around the world. Jonathan Evens talks about the spirituality of the rock band U2. This talk sets out the main characteristics of U2’s spirituality, examines their roots, makes links between their spirituality and themes in contemporary theology and, considers three reasons why U2’s spirituality has connected with popular culture.
• 8 March – Dave Crawford in concert. Popular local musician, Dave Crawford writes engaging/melodic songs in Americana/Alt-Rock/Indie-Folk. He has performed at the Leigh Folk Festival, Pin Drop Sessions, and Music for Mind together with Kev Butler. He was recently included on The Open Mic Show Album, Vol. 1 from SoSlam. We have enjoyed Dave’s powerful vocals and guitar here when he has performed previously at our Open Mic Nights.
• 22 March – An evening with the Ladygate Scribblers. Hear poetry and prose from a long-established Wickford-based writers group.

These events do not require tickets (just turn up on the night). There will be a retiring collection to cover artist and church costs. See http://wickfordandrunwellparish.org.uk/whats-on.html for fuller information.

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Sinéad O'Connor - Trouble Will Soon Be Over.

Sinéad O'Connor

Seen and Unseen: Infernal rebellion and the questions it asks

My latest article for Seen & Unseen is 'Infernal rebellion and the questions it asks' in which I interview the author Nicholas Papadopulos about his book The Infernal Word: Notes from a Rebel Angel:

'I ended our conversation by asking in what ways the book challenges the accepted narrative of faith by providing a fresh perspective on familiar Biblical stories and why that is needed: “I hope the book is profoundly orthodox, but it poses some of the questions about faith that have fascinated me and that I believe fascinate others. Because it’s narrated by a rebel angel it can dare to be irreverent and occasionally downright rude. Don’t we always need fresh perspectives on the tradition? That’s what keeps it alive. It was the quest for a fresh perspective that first pushed me in the rebel angel’s direction when I was stuck for a sermon.”'

To read my interview for Artlyst with Nicholas Papadopulos about Grayson Perry's The Vanity of Small Differences click here.

My first article for Seen and Unseen was 'Life is more important than art' which reviews the themes of recent art exhibitions that tackle life’s big questions and the roles creators take.

My second article 'Corinne Bailey Rae’s energised and anguished creative journey' explores inspirations in Detroit, Leeds and Ethiopia for Corinne Bailey Rae’s latest album, Black Rainbows, which is an atlas of capacious faith.

My third article was an interview with musician and priest Rev Simpkins in which we discussed how music is an expression of humanity and his faith.

My fourth article was a guide to the Christmas season’s art, past and present. Traditionally at this time of year “great art comes tumbling through your letterbox” so, in this article, I explore the historic and contemporary art of Christmas.

My fifth article was 'Finding the human amid the wreckage of migration'. In this article I interviewed Shezad Dawood about his multimedia Leviathan exhibition at Salisbury Cathedral where personal objects recovered from ocean depths tell a story of modern and ancient migrations.

My sixth article was 'The visionary artists finding heaven down here' in which I explored a tradition of visionary artists whose works shed light on the material and spiritual worlds.

My seventh article was 'How the incomer’s eye sees identity' in which I explain how curating an exhibition for Ben Uri Online gave me the chance to highlight synergies between ancient texts and current issues.

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Black Sabbath - After Forever.

Art review: Everywhere is Heaven: Stanley Spencer and Roger Wagner at the Stanley Spencer Gallery, Cookham

My latest exhibition review for Church Times is on “Everywhere is Heaven: Stanley Spencer and Roger Wagner” is at the Stanley Spencer Gallery:

'Ultimately, in terms of look and feel, I think that Wagner is closer to his peers, such as Mark Cazalet and Thomas Denny, with whom and others he is part of a loose grouping, than to either Spencer or Blake, although being part of a clear lineage that includes both. Transcendent trees are a significant feature of the work of Cazalet, Denny, and Wagner, particularly in church contexts; and Wagner’s The Flowering Tree is a particularly wonderful example. These are Edenic trees of life, which often, as here, include reference to the tree on which Christ was crucified.

Such reference and focus may place this group of artists closer to the visions of artists such as Samuel Palmer and David Jones than to those of Spencer and Blake. The synergies and contrasts generated by this fascinating exhibition point, perhaps, towards a further and broader exhibition to document the legacy and lineage of British visionary art from Blake onwards, and encompass those mentioned in this review, among others, including Spencer and Wagner in particular.'

Click here to read my Seen & Unseen article on this exhibition and the tradition of visionary artists whose works shed light on the material and spiritual worlds. The friendship between Mark Cazalet, Thomas Denny, Richard Kenton Webb, Nicholas Mynheer, and Roger Wagner is explored here. My writings on Richard Kenton Webb can be read here and 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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Roger Wagner - I Saw The Seraphim.

St Mary with St Leonard Broomfield: Rosemary Rutherford

 

Rosemary Rutherford was part of a generation of innovative female artists whose work is increasingly being rediscovered and re-evaluated. These artists include Vanessa Bell, Gwen John, Winifred Knights, Evelyn Dunbar, Betty Swanwick, Hilda Carline, Laura Knight and Dod Procter (click here for more information).

Rosemary Rutherford studied art in Chelmsford and at the Slade in London in 1930s. She also trained in the art of true fresco. She was a VAD (Voluntary Aid Detachment) Red Cross nurse during the second world war and created a large portfolio of sketches and paintings of all she observed in hospitals, both at home and in Sri Lanka.

She learnt stained glass making and created 40 windows, including four in Broomfield church to replace those shattered by bombing. She attended the East Anglian School of Painting and Drawing at Benton End run by Cedric Morris where she painted flowers and landscapes. Her paintings have gained renewed interest, not least because she was one of only a few women war artists.

Project Rutherford at St Mary with St Leonard Broomfield centres on the preservation and conservation of Rosemary Rutherford’s special mural in the Norman round tower, St Mary’s unique 20th century fresco. Its protection within the tower and its promotion has involved replacement of the spire shingles, repair of the spire’s wooden framework, repointing of the round tower, conservation of the fresco itself and outreach to all church users and to the wider community in bringing the fresco, and Rosemary Rutherford, ‘out into the open’.

Rutherford was deeply religious and her spirituality guided her artworks. Her fresco at Broomfield church shows ‘Christ Stilling the Storm’ and was surely intended to give people hope during the frightening turmoil of wartime.

To bring the life and works of this remarkable but largely forgotten artist to the attention of the wider community, a permanent exhibition was opened in 2023. This exhibition summarises Rosemary’s life and extraordinary artistic achievements. Models reveal how fresco and stained glass are made. Some of her remarkable range of drawings and paintings are shown, including wartime artwork and flower paintings. Her spiritual, caring nature and brilliant artistry shine through.

Rutherford is perhaps most widely known for her stained glass windows, mostly in churches, throughout East Anglia and further afield from Yorkshire to Sussex and even in New Zealand. The exhibition features a montage of many of her windows showing her versatility of style and subject. Her love of bright, bold colours is evident both in the east window of Broomfield church, in her earlier figurative designs and in the more abstract compositions at Boxford and in windows made posthumously to her designs at Hinderclay in Suffolk.

This permanent exhibition can be viewed during church opening times, currently Tuesdays and Thursdays 10:30 to 12:30 and after Sunday services.

The full list of Rutherford's windows is as follows:

Essex
Bradfield St Lawrence's 1960 (2 windows)
Broomfield St Mary's 1951-66 (4 windows)
Clacton on Sea St Paul's 1965
Halstead RC church 1955
Nevendon St Peter's 1950
Tendring St Edmund's 1967
Lancashire
Aspull (Wigan) St Elizabeth's 1968
Leicestershire
Grimston St John the Baptist's 1966
Saxelbye St Peter's 1959
London
Moorfields Eye Hospital Chapel 1971 (2 dalle de verre windows)
Norfolk
Gaywood St Faith's 1966
Norwich St Margaret's (made by Michael King, possibly to Rutherford's design?)
Oxfordshire
Berinsfield SS Mary & Berin 1961 (4 dalle de verre windows)
Rutland
Preston SS Peter & Paul 1962
Suffolk
Boxford St Mary's 1972
Hinderclay St Mary's (5 windows made posthumously from Rutherford's designs)
Walsham le Willows St Mary's 1972
Surrey
Godalming Charterhouse School Memorial Chapel 1964 (3 dalle de verre panels)
Guildford Cathedral 1955
Merton Park Methodist Church 1958 (3 windows)
Sussex
Worthing Offington Park Methodist Church 1959 (3 grisaille windows)
West Midlands
Bartley Green St Michael's 1965 (several dalle de verre windows)
Sedgley All Saints 1971-2
Yorkshire
Brompton by Sawdon All Saints 1970
West Heslerton All Saints 1966
New Zealand
Hanmer Church 1966 (apse windows)
Havelock North Woodford House School 1961
Hereworth School Chapel 1964 (dalle de verre round window)

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Tonio K - You Will Go Free.