benbell

Let there be light

I had to chuckle when I saw the YouTube clip of Graham Kings setting fire to his sermon notes. I've chuckled again now it's made national news! It's in the Sun
I guess he can tick 'appearing in the Sun' off his to do list now.

uncomfortable situation

Our Christmas morning liturgy, projected on a huge screen declared

Now the word is made flesh
and laid in a narrow manager

now that's gonna be uncomfortable! and even if animals ate out of mangers rather than managers, who decided it was narrow? wasn't the situation bad enough - a cow shed, a feeding trough?
'Hey I’ve got an idea, why don't we make the manger narrow'

interesting ...

URBLOG - Comment and resources on urban theology, life, faith, and action

reflections from Opawa on my advent image

A NEW JERUSALEM – Christianity is collapsing everywhere except London (cheers JB)

 

Advent

This year we are sending Advent cards.
I could wax lyrical but what's the point - there are enough pretentious ......
anyway, I'm still interested in using everyday experience to help us remember and reflect.

The image is below so please feel free to use it if you want (i've posted this early so you've got a couple of weeks before advent)
Just let me know, eh?
click on the image for other sizes

BRING BACK GOD

I'm lovin this new t-shirt from Katherine Hamnet -

'Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence'
 

ht Matt Rees

Ashburnham

I had a great time on St S tephen’s weekend away at Ashburnham. I was leading the youth programme which had an ever expanding number of people as each session seemed to gather more adults!

Rather than go for the usual programme of high energy games, sketches, discussion etc we organised a series of meditations using Osmosis by Suzi Stock. I found the book helpful to get me going and a good basis on which I could build so I would recommend it. I find that all resources of this nature that have the whole session planned out often need adapting for the crowd your working with and nearly always the music suggestions need rebuking! 

It was a great success with only a few falling asleep during the times of quiet reflection!

The balloon game as ever was a highlight.

Frieze Art Fair

I had a great time at the opening night of the Frieze Art Fair last night. there was loads of good pieces to look at and the usual load of unappealing 'out to shock' 'trying too hard' 'boring' art too.

the highlight of the evening for me was meeting Dennis Morris, famous for his photographs of Bob Marley and the Sex Pistols. He told me that he learn't to take photo's at a photography club at St Marks Dalston where my great uncle, Donald Pateman was vicar for 40 years! He fondly remembers being a choir boy at St Marks and says he owes everything to Uncle Don and Mr Paterson who ran the photography club at the church. 

you are beautiful

When I was 19 i wrote to a guy called Pip Wilson to ask if he had any opportunities for me to train as a youth worker at Romford YMCA. Pip sent me a letter back saying that unfortunatley he hadn't got anything appropriate at the time and wished me well as I explored other opportunities. He enclosed a pink card with a finger print on it entitled 'Unique' it had some words on it that had a massive impact on me. before you go any further, i would recommend that you stop and read it for yourself .... Unique   .

About a year ago I discovered Pips blog and have become a regular visitor. He writes many variations on this theme and all are tremendously powerful. A year ago he wrote a poem which I read to some young people I know, many of whom exist on the edges of mainstream society, I will never forget what happened next, SILENCE, some wiped their eyes, covering up their tears others looked shocked - all were affected. I send this poem to young people when I think they need to hear it - i do this over and over again, I read it in church to adults and the same thing happens. I read it to the same young people last week, a year on and they are still struggling with it - I asked what would it take for you to believe it? some replied - "If someone we trusted told us" the problem is that they don't trust many people.

I have now concluded that these words (and words like it) are one of the most effective youth work tools I have. Thanks Pip - you are an inspiration.

harvest in the city

Many new approaches have been developed to celebrate 'Harvest' in the church over recent years. Some organisations like Tearfund and Christian aid put together some great resources to help us engage with the Harvest theme beyond our own geographies - I like this stuff. However this year, probably for the first time ever I feel that I have been able to engage with some of the gratitude that has traditionally been associated with Harvest Festivals. This is primarily due to my weekly visits to the Islington Farmers Market where I can meet the people who grow the crops, talk to them on related issues and buy great seasonal produce in abundance with no plastic packaging in sight. Farmers markets such as these enable those of us who are wedded to the city connect with the organic nature of food production.

HOPE

When you share your life with inner city young people, they often share theirs with you and there is often a healthy amount of turmoil and anguish involved. It’s raw and often soul bruising, but from time to time HOPE arises out of pain and today I have held hope in my arms – his name is Pierre and he is the son of one of the young women I have spent a great deal of time with over the past nine months. We have shared a great deal and both learned a tremendous amount – shared experience with young people is what I celebrate as I reflect on youth work. Today I have found new meaning to my responses to crises at all hours of the day and night that have tested me to my limits. We will journey forward in this new chapter of LIFE with HOPE and JOY. God is revealed once again in the creation of new life.