benbell

What would you think if you got this Christmas card?

I Got an email today from Elaine Olsen AKA  Cassies Grandma

I was searching for Christmas clip art and found your site with the pregnant Mary.  I thought you might be interested in some of the response I got when I posted it on a message board.  I really like it by
the way.  But I am afraid there is no church I know brave enough to use
it.

She asked the question ‘What would you think if you got this Christmas card?’ and got an amazing number of responses. I have had quite a bit of feedback from all over the world in response to the card which I first posted in 2004 but I haven’t received such full on criticism before which is quite a laugh I think! words like blasphemy and disgusting haven't been used before in response to the image and apparently, according to Dana

A real Christian would be offended to receive such a card. A lot of people claim to be Christians who are not. No true Christian would approve of this.

It's amazing how much interest this image has attracted over the past couple of years. I get over 50 hits a day looking at it throughout the year. The card is beginning to rise in the Google image search for christmas card which is great. avert your eyes from the first one in the search though!!!

Spirituality of generation Y

It was good to take some time out and get some input for the brain. for a good summary check out Youthblog. I have posted the following as a comment on youthblog by way of my own contribution.

I thought much of the day was good (although I confess to leaving early after dropping off a number of times during the panel discussion). I have been reflecting on the 'Happy Midi-narrative' findings and the suggestions that young people may find it hard / unacceptable / confusing to explore unhappy feelings. I wonder whether a role for youth work could be to facilitate a safe space in which young people feel able and supported to explore these issues. If people deny the struggles then the ‘Good News’ is less obvious (maybe).

Annual Report

I have uploaded a copy of our annual report for last year. It was a great year for St Stephen's Youth Work Project. If you want a look click the link in the sidebar. If you are really keen and fancy a hard copy then let me know and i'll put on in the post.

 

decorating

in an attempt to put off decorating the spare room, I have spent some time decorating the blog. new banner, updated typelists etc. hope you like!
now i have to think of another little project to put of the whole spare room ordeal.

Looking forward to the Spirituality of Generation Y at LICC bash tomorrow.

Traditionalism & Tradition

Thanks Margaret for sending me this…

This comes from a sermon by Bishop Richard about being a bishop which was given at the consecration of John Sentamu and others 10 years ago.

Bishop Andrewes found inspiration in the tradition of the undivided church.
There is an important distinction to be made between “traditionalism” which
can easily become the obstinate defence of the customs of the church of the
day before yesterday and “tradition” which is the lifeblood of the Church,
the stream of spirit-filled living faith which we share with those who have
gone before us and those who will succeed us. Metropolitan Anthony Bloom has
emphasised this distinction between “traditionalism” as the dead faith of
living people and “tradition” which is the living faith of dead people.

food glorious food

Now and then I have a meal which renews me. I have an ongoing passion for food which is manifest in much of my life and from time to time I have a meal which blows me away, last night I had one. Gemma took me out for my birthday to L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon a new restaurant from the man voted chef of the century in the 1990.

The restaurant was compulsively calming, the décor and ambience massaged our senses as we sat at the dining bar. Our seats overlooked the open kitchen so we could watch the chefs prepare our food: A lemon jelly with cauliflower puree, a jellied gazpacho with avocado cream, a scallop with seaweed oil, pan fried foie gras with grapefruit, eggs en cocotte with chanterelle and parsley puree, sea bass, veal sweetbreads, chocolate mouse, coconut soufflé with vanilla ice cream.

This was a truly memorable and inspiring meal.

‘Food’ is the food of love, so let’s eat!

it was good!

It was narrow and on a boat! it was intense .... living with nine others in such a small space literally stinks.
these weekends are a great way of sharing lives - there is no other option. They break down the barriers, the 'us and them' situations that are sometime present in youth work. To summarise – a great time was had by all

a shared weekend

This weekend we are taking six young men (16 & 17year olds) away on a narrow boat. We've done it before and it was fantastic. It is an opportunity to follow some of my instincts about youth work and BE with young people. Our hectic schedules often prevent us just simply being with young people and a narrow boat offers this opportunity, living on the boat, operating the locks etc is the programme, there doesn't need to be any other 'programme' other than a few games of cards. A team will be created over the weekend, we will work together, play together and hopefully laugh a lot together. we will BE-come BE-long. We will affect each other (and probably not get much sleep).

Ok so i'm putting a very positive spin on a youth work residential which can often be compared to a brief encounter with hell, but i'm going to start positive!

Remember boys NO WEAPONS NO DRUGS NO ALCOHOL !

Escalator socket

 

 

i clocked this sticker on an escalator at Angel tube (camera phone)
there seems to be loads of good stickers around at the moment

Collective Responsibility

The departure of our assistant youth worker and failure (as yet) to recruit a new one means that there are a few significant gaps which need to be filled in order for the youth work project to run.

One of these Gaps is the running of a weekly girls club on a local estate. Last night I met with four girls club volunteer youth workers to have a think about where we go from here. The outcome of the meeting is the decision to experiment with collective responsibility.

Taking some ideas from various emerging church theorists it was suggested that the club was run collectively. This presents a number of challenges particularly as no one person will do every week (until we have another paid worker, and even then I am keen for this model to continue if it works).

A Google group has been set up for co-ordinating the work which will hopefully keep the need for meetings to a minimum and no one person will be in charge.

My role will be to resource and advise the group but not to lead, run, or direct it.

Could this be a glimmer of hope for the age old youth work fantasy of the youth worker not ‘doing it all’ but facilitating others?