'That's the way it is' Asia CMS

Aamir from Pakistan has put together a little video about Asia CMS

If you are interested in becoming part of this great little team, then look us up on Facebook

and participate in a little of what God is getting up to in Asia ......

Morning Calm in Westminster Abbey, London

I attended Westminster Abbey sung Eucharist commemorating the 120th anniversary of the consecration of Charles John Corfe First Bishop of Korea.

The current Bishop of Seoul, Paul Kim, was the preacher - He spoke of Corfe a naval chaplain leaving a peaceful life in England to go to the wilderness of Korea in 1889. and the huge responsibility of creating something out of nothing. He was impressed by his 'faith, passion for mission and commitment' and this has in turn inspired the Korean Anglican church to 'listen to the cries for help of others' and to 'join hands with brothers and sisters in Asia'. The church has taken 'small steps to walk in Bishop Corfe's shoes'.

I was in Korea last month hearing about those small steps as the Korean International Mission (KIM) is forging relationships with Myanmar, Vietnam, Philippines as well as China. This is in addition to Korean priests serving in Japan, USA, Canada, UK, Zimbabwe N Cyprus and Mongolia. These are bold steps in the same pioneering spirit as Corfe.

The service had its moments of inspiration - as the choir sung the Gloria and later Agnes Dei - and my eyes were lifted to the huge stained glass rose window, a moment of 'morning calm' in the midst of a general busyness

I discovered that our very own Bishop of Guildford, Christopher Hill is the Vice-President of the Korean Mission Partnership which was formed to support this historic initiative of the founding and nurture of the Korean Anglican Church. Their magazine newsletter is called 'Morning Calm' - their August edition is downloadable as a pdf. You can also read about the history of Anglican in Corea (not a spelling mistake)

Afterwards we had wine and nibbles in the Abbey Museum courtesy of the Dean and Chapter of Westminster Abbey surrounded by Kings and Queens of England. An opportunity to mingle and meet the many Korean guests, for whom this was a very special occasion.

Korea is also known as the 'Land of Morning Calm'

ee it were grand

We went 'Up North' to visit my sister in Richmond and had a great break. On the drive up we kept seeing signs saying 'The North' never quite sure when we had crossed over from 'the South'. But we had a great time.

A day trip to York, walking along the Gates. window shopping and book-buying; a 2 hour guided walk lead by a voluntary guide around the medieval walls, and finishing off the day by attending Said Evening Prayer (BCP) at the Minster.

We also visited Easby Abbey a lovely walk from the restored Richmond Station, which is now cinema, art gallery, shops and Restaurant. we even bumped into people there we'd known from Karachi days - amazing.

But it is the simplicity of the countryside that was so evocative. Even in the cold and damp. The mist and biting winds. Autumnal colours and pristine beauty of the moors and cottages. Sheep and dogs. Maybe on this trip it was summed up best by Peter Boook's art which I 'discovered' for the first time even though I've seen the prints in my sister's house before.

It is well worth visiting his online gallery

Peter Brook, the Pennine landscape painter, was born in the winter of 1927. He taught art at Sowerby Grammar school before becoming a full time artist in his 40's. Peter has painted many areas of the British Isles including Scotland, Cornwall and the Potteries but his first love is the Yorkshire Pennines; often in winter. His paintings depict a vanishing world; a world of farmhouses on the moors, of mills, of people who inhabit the area etc and include an element of humour, which is so much part of Peter's character. Peter Brook married Molly in 1950 and they have two children. They live in West Yorkshire near his beloved Pennines and favourite woods. The Smithy Gallery

ee it were grand.

Playing for change : One Love

I have been totally inspired by a You Tube video 'Playing for Change'

Do check it out. Promoting 'peace through music'

For me it expresses something of a vision I have had for a long time from a summer school back in 2000, a dream or vision of CMS as:

‘A feast, a celebration, a multi-cultural event of ‘world music’, a rich variety, kaleidoscope, mosaic, tapestry, with colour and variety, great diversity and various harmonies. Cultural differences being apparent and exaggerated eg African drums, Irish Bodhran, Indian Tabla and Pakistani Nal/Dolak . But still a Unity : One world - a praise song expressing the ‘Love of God’ and celebrating a common humanity. An increasingly energetic drum beat (like the Millenium Song: ‘A Perfect Day’.) One song with many manifestations: With people from the margins at the centre of the song’ (‘addicts’, ‘criminals’ ‘prostitutes’,’ unemployed’, ‘disadvantaged’ as part of this great recovery movement)

That was written abck in 2000 and as you can see, 'Playing for change' really connects with that vision:

Playing for change have a new film out and suggest that people host a 'peace through music' party. Go for it !

Holy Ground

a space to encounter God Self and others in silance, reflective activity, creativity, community

'Holy ground is work in progress and will be shaped by those who come .... hosted by Trinity Methodist Church .... open to spiritual travellers from any church or none'

I went to the first evening (11th Oct) entiled 'In the Presence of the creator: reflecting on the wonder and worry of creation'. The next evening is Waiting for the Light: how do we wait in hope when darkness is all around. reflections for Advent in music, images and words (29 Nov)

for more details see their website

The centre piece was a creation table and the reading of the Genesis creation narrative.

Very simple and very moving.

then 4 activity stations

Chaos - newspaper clips and cuttings pinned onto a board

Order - laminated images cut up and as puzzles to be put back together

Creativity - clay modelling tro draw out individual creativity

Blessings - a 'mind map' of words of blessing around community, family, friends

Ambient music and reflective space

The evening was finished off with poem and (Cain) blessing

deep peace, pure white of the moon to you

deep peace, pure green of the grass to you

deep peace, pure brown of the earth to you

deep peace, pure grey of the dew to you

deep peace, pure blue of the sky to you

deep peace of the running wave to you

deep peace of the flowing air to you

deep peace of the quiet earth to you

deep peace of the shining stars to you

deep peace of the Son of Peace to you

Crossing the bridge between St Paul's & Tate Modern

Jonny Baker shared an image at our sacred:space on Saturday that connected with me very much. He spoke of the millenium bridge in London which crosses between St Pauls at one end and the Tate Modern at the other. He suggested that alt. worship is such a bridge, an attempt to cross between the institutional historic church and modern contemporary art and culture.

I seem to remember when the Millenium bridge was first opened it vibrated and swayed when people walked on it, and felt very unstable, and had to be closed and strengthened. Let (s)he who has ears to hear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches !

The challenge in worship is encountering Christ, the 'enfleshing of God', through our cultural lens 'on the inside of our culture'. Alt worship, like good mission, is both incarnational and contextual.

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Grace is a community that has been running for over 15 years, experimenting with various forms of worship, visual, liturgical, creative, social, communal, experimental. All they do is framed by 4 key words which represent their values as a community

• create
• participate
• engage
• risk

They see liturgy rather than a consumer activity run by professionals, as 'the work of the people', 'something we make together' It is an adventure of the imagination.

We finished the evening by participating in an act of worship - led by Jonny and Jenny - a communion service around the theme of 'wounded in all the right places' based on the song by 'One Giant Leap' Flikkr has an album of pics from a Grace service on the theme

Penang 2 - USM in search of Minden Barracks

We hired a bike and went to USM - Universiti Sains Malaysia – what used to be Minden Barracks. The Gatehouse looked familair - a Football pitch on left and athletics field on right Swimming pool New international/ competition standard But the old pool still there Now used for scuba diving where I learned to swim backstroke. A 61 year old, very fit looking swimming instructor NAME swimming instructor remembered playing football with the Greenjackets when he was about 14.

A good view of the Colonels house. We went behind pool to Sergeants mess beside Water Tower Plus a residential block past where NAAFI used to be and Health centre (Doctors) near a roundabout Didn’t recognise much of the bottom end of camp I couldn’t find Cinema or old school or parade ground . I imagine that end had been developed but the front end of camp was still familiar

I found our road near the roundabout (the next road after the officers quarters road and then our old house WONo3 above the door. The courtyard between the house and the utility block had been covered over and extended but the layout was recognisable Next door, on the left, lived Staff Sergeant Hornblower. His son Stephen was my age with water on the brain and a real nuisance. His daughter used to play with Liz

Below and round the bend was the road with the sergeant married quarters (Sergeant Morgan who appeared on Pegasus Bridge in the film the Longest Day). I remembered the tree where we played marbles and the small hill where I learned to ride a bike. The tree which I climbed at the front of our house and got stung twice in the head by Hornets. Dad killing a cobra in our back garden with a walking stick. Also a huge snake – a python - that a corporal had killed with a machete hanging over a tree like a trophy playing with plastic soldiers behind the servants quarters and napalming them with lighter fuel; making rice paper in the utility room on Mary’s (our Amah) ironing board

Her daughters Alexandra and Francis looking after us – I remember one time riding on Mary’s son Joseph’s motorbike and going to their Kampong and eating a cake she had made specially

I remember Setting fire to the field between our row of houses and the officers quarters circle a line of adults with buckets putting the fire out. Being stung twice in the back whilst Bob played his game of dare with hornets. Falling off my bike and my knee going septic and having to go to Taping hospital. Playing monkeys on top of the wardrobes in the bedroom, Cockroaches on the floor in the kitchen. Filling condoms from the bathroom cabinet up with water and having a water balloon fights. Onetime bubbles everywhere in the bathroom after a bubble fight and it being cleanest ever afterwards

The Officers houses were in more pristine condition, better preserved, with more original looking shutters and immaculately kept gardens. Military order had been maintained, with the officers mess now functioning as a museum .

I couldn’t remember where the ammo caves were nor the huge black water pipe we used to walk along. Saw where I learned archery, when the regiment was in Borneo the band stayed behind and organised activities for the families. Games galore and parties Jungle juice on sports days.

to be continued........