Advent 3 Keep Herod in Chirstmas

Week 3 Keep Herod in Christmas ....

We do not live in an ideal world. To be alive in the adventure of Jesus is to face at every turn the destructive reality of violence. To be alive in the adventure of Jesus is to side with vulnerable children in defiance of the adults who see them as expendable. To walk the road with Jesus is to withhold consent & cooperation from the powerful and to invest it instead with the vulnerable. It is to refuse to bow to all the Herods and all their ruthless regimes - and to reserve our loyalty for a better King and a better Kingdom Brian McLaren p90

I found this detail from a Giovanni Painting of the slighter of the innocents on a blog 'Why Red is the Christmas colour' http://spleen-me.com/blog/?p=2892

 

Another picture was posted on another group I am part of .... It seemed relevant to our retreat, The picture is by Daniel Bonnel ... 

Mary answered the angel, 

"Behold, I am the maidservant of the Lord. 

Let it happen to me according to your word." 

And the angel departed from her. Luke 1:38

"Thank you for the faith of a maiden, 

in whose obedience your plan 

for the reconciliation of the whole world was begun.
I beg you, too, that you might empower me in pure simplicity. 

Teach my mouth and all my parts 

to make this simple response 

to whatever task you set before me

- this:
Let it be to me according to your word.
"Yes!"
Amen" 

Walter Wangerin in Preparing for Jesus  

 

I was inspired by Daniel Bonnel's painting and had a go at doing one at our holy::ground meeting - 'falling into Christmas'. (without any visual clue - no wifi!) And if you remember the angel I drew became unintentionally ominous ! More of a fallen angel .... I called the picture 'Whatever!' (thinking whatever anything, something that big and frightening says, will have to be obeyed) So I reworked the one I had originally started on, in a slightly more abstract style.... I still find those words ringing in my ears 'be it unto me according to your word' I find Mary's act of submission totally insprirational .... and so now maybe I'll face the other ' dark angel' and think about evil and keeping Herod in Christmas .... after all RED is a Christmas colour .....

Prayer of Bredan the Navigator

 I came across this prayer of St Brenden the Navigator  I've used his story before to frame my own journeying.  and on this occasion used the images and prayer on my twitter feed. I got lots of nice comments on FB about the 2 pastel pictures I did a while back. So decided to do the blog as well. The first picture is inspired by an image of the entrance to Clonfert   The second based on an image of a celtic saint praying by the sea

Help me to journey beyond the familiar

and into the unknown.

Give me the faith to leave old ways

and break fresh ground with You.

Christ of the mysteries, 
I trust You to be stronger 
than each storm within me. 
I will trust in the darkness 
and know that my times, 
even now, are in Your hand.
Tune my spirit to the music of heaven, 
ans somehow, make my obedience count for You.

ENTRY

During a clergy quiet day at St Columba's in Woking, the chaplain  Rev Gillain Holland invited us to meditate on among other things, two of her fathers paintings.  Paul Robertson is a  Surrey born artist who has produced a series of religious festival themed paintings.  we were left simply with space to mediate with the painting and some accompanying notes. I found them stunning..

this is the description of ENTRY from his website 

 A series of paintings in which the use of colour, symbolism and evocative shapes and feelings express my thoughts about the Easter story. 'Entry' is a portrayal of the possible feelings of Jesus as He moved purposefully from the open countryside (e.g. Luke 7 v. 16-17), with its known areas of support (e.g. Luke 5 v. 11, 15), to set His face towards Jerusalem (Luke 9 v. 51). Hosannas echo in the air, 'white harvest' lines converge on the path descending into the confines of oppressive religion. The coruscating sun-shapes repeat downwards representing the Son who, willingly, went down for us. The branches and leaves spelling out 'Hosanna' (Mark 11 v. 9) change to 'Crucify' (Mark 15 v. 13) as they fall into the pit. The dark night of the soul approaches. The crown of glory is exchanged for the crown of thorns. The paths, rocky ground and brambles are reminders of the dangers in the parable of the sower (Mark 4 v. 3 ff).

Gillain informs me that more of her father, Paul Robertson's paintings will be available at St Columba's House during Lent and Easter.  I found the geometrical shapes, colours and images gripping and layered with meaning.

Holy Ground (and sacred:space) are running a multi-sensory, participatory vigil on Easter Saturday from 8pm to midnight. I'll be there and look forward to seeing the paintings among many other things.  Why not come along..... 

Leaving Lindisfarne: St Aidan as guide

At the end of our retreat we were invited to 'throw an image out into the future to guide us' (Carl Jung) 

I had been working on a pastel sketch, so this became my image -  St Aidan to guide me (based on the Statue in the grounds of St. Mary the Virgin, next to the Priory)  
I've taken the 4 headings from Ray Simpson's booklet: Give yourself a (Re)treat on Lindisfarne   St Aidan Press 1998) section 2 'figure out St Aidan'

 

1 the face - gentle, humble, winsome, of stature and vision

his personality and character - described by Bede as a man of 'peace and love, purity and humility'
He was called by Bishop Lightfoot of Durham ' The Apostle of England' 

2 the torch - a passion to pass on faith to everyone one meets

He set up schools for court members and freed slaves, trtaininig indigenous priests; mission stations which were local focused and led, scriptorium producing books and churches ....... 

3 the staff - a shepherd's faithfulness
  
he preferred to walk so he was at the same level as ordinary folk and could easily talk to them.  He also used his priestly authority (symbolised by the staff) to check the proud and powerful, he tenderly comforted the sick, he relieved and protected the poor....  
 
4  the cross - a protecting and encircling shield at one's back

The Celtic Cross 'The circle is the world made one in the cross of Christ. The cross is not just for the church but for the whole world'
  
Aidan left behind churches in Essex (St Peters Beadwell-on-sea); Lashingham in N Yorks  and his disciples traveled far and wide : Wilfred to the South Saxons of Sussex, Holland and Belgium; Hilda of Whitby; Chad - bishop of Mercia, Lindsay of Litchfield, Wilfred & the Abbey of Hexham and Rippon 

Leaving Lindisfarne: 
  

'God of our Pilgrimage you have fed us with the bread of heaven. 
Refresh and sustain us as we go forth on our journey'

Leave me alone with God 

as much as may be. 

As the tide draws the waters

 close in upon the shore 

make me an island, set apart, 

alone with you, God , holy to you.

Then with the turning of the tide

prepare me to carry our presence

to the busy world beyond, 

the world that rushes in on me

til the waters come again

and fold me back to you

Prayer of St Aidan of Lindisfarne

Simeon: Learning to wait well

During a Candlemas Retreat at St Columbas Woking we had space and opportunity  to do our own thing.  So I tried my hand at an 'icon', using oil pastels on an A4 art sheet (larger than my normal A6 pad).  More a impressionist painting than a proper, spiritual 'writing' of an icon. It was based on, or rather 'inspired' by an actual orthodox icon:   

  Holy Righteous Simeon the Receiver of God

I loved the cheek-to-cheek intimacy in the picture. As always the Christ-figure looks more a small adult than a child. And Simeon does not look that old... 

Simeon, if you remember, is the old man, who is on the scene when Jesus is presented in the Jerusalem temple (Luke 2:22-40).   He is described as 'righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel and the Holy Spirit was upon him'.  

  

When he sees the Christ-child he proclaims what is now called the nunc dimittus or 'Canticle of Simeon'. He declares, among other things, Jesus to be 'a light to lighten the nations and the glory of your people Israel'.    

I played a version Harry Christophers Ikon album 'The Sixteen'  during the 8 o'clock communion service on Sunday  You can listen to a sample here 

Here is another YouTube version sung by Aled Jones with Ben Crawley - Nunc Dimittis

Learning to wait well 

Watching and waiting

for Salvation to appear,

for the Promise to be fulfilled,  

for an Infant to be born. 

Recognising the small and insignificant One 

for what He is in all His potential.

And being content....

It is enough.  

Help me to be content,

with small beginnings

even when time seems to be running out.  

Haiku Prayers

I like the simplicity of Japanese haiku poems (17 syllables in 3 phases -  5,7,5)... 

Lord let your servant

depart in peace, for my eyes

have seen Salvation

Simeon watching
for salvation to appear,
Learning to wait well

The Bright Field......

Another reflection as a result of my bricoge picture At the Crossroads , this time a poem about a field.  I had added a picture of a field in the bricolage from a calendar of Van Gogh images, without really considering its significance.

The field represents hidden treasure, like in the gospel parable (Matt 13:44) and the wonderful story of 'the Alchemist: a fable about following your dream' by Paulo Coelho.  With Eternal significance...

And a VanGogh(ish) pastel drawing to go with the poem: 'A Bright field'.  One I did earlier and which seems to fit .....     

The Bright Field

I have seen the sun break through
to illuminate a small field
for a while, and gone my way
and forgotten it. But that was the pearl
of great price, the one field that had
treasure in it. I realize now
that I must give all that I have
to possess it. Life is not hurrying

on to a receding future, nor hankering after
an imagined past. It is the turning
aside like Moses to the miracle
of the lit bush, to a brightness
that seemed as transitory as your youth
once, but is the eternity that awaits you.

~ R. S. Thomas ~

(Another from the wonderful anthology,
Soul Food: Nourishing Poems for Starved Minds,
ed. by Neil Astley and Pamela Robertson-Pearce)

There is a lovely reading of the poem by Nichola Davies (set to Tallis's music Spem in alium)
 

  

Wild Geese

I was introduced to a poem called Wild Geese by Mary Oliver (from Dream Works). It was in response to my bricolage picture:  Crossroads and some of the images. As a poem, it spoke to me..... As the poem says, it caught my imagination.... 
So I have done a pastel crayon drawing of a wild goose, a snow goose to accompany the poem

Wild Geese

You do not have to be good.
You do not have to walk on your knees
for a hundred miles through the desert, repenting.
You only have to let the soft animal of your body
love what it loves.
Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine.
Meanwhile the world goes on.
Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain
are moving across the landscapes,
over the prairies and the deep trees,
the mountains and the rivers.
Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air,
are heading home again.
Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,
the world offers itself to your imagination,
calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting–
over and over announcing your place
in the family of things.
© Mary Oliver

The Celts used the Wild Goose as a symbol of the Holy Spirit -   You can read more reflections in a  blog about symbols of the holy Spirit (by Blue Eyed Ennis)

And whilst youare at it why not relax to some music and wild goose footage from Youtube: 'winged flight of geese'  (Music by Bruno Coulais)

And a bit more fun:  Geese sing 'Just a perfect day' in another YouTube clip

Pentecost

Two things for Pentecost. First of all a Painting by He Qi the Chinese artist, which evokes the spirit and fire and hints of Pentecostal wind.  He was the CMS Artist in residence a few years back and painted a wonderful image for the CMS office in Oxford. You can see it here: The Art of Mission 

And then a prayer by Walter Brueggemann from his excellent book: Prayers for a Privileged People

“The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” John 3:8

We hear the story of the wind at Pentecost,
Holy wind that dismantles what was,
Holy wind that evokes what is to be,
Holy wind that overrides barriers and causes communication,
Holy wind that signals your rule even among us. 

We are dazzled, but then – reverting to type -
We wonder how to harness the wind,
how to manage the wind by our technology,
how to turn the wind to our usefulness,
how to make ourselves managers of the wind 

Partly we do not believe such as odd tale
because we are not religious freaks;
Partly we resist such a story,
because it surges beyond our categories;
Partly we had imagined you to be more ordered
and reliable than that. 

So we listen, depart, and return to our ordered existence:
we depart with only a little curiosity
But not yielding;
we return to how it was before,
unconvinced but wistful, slightly praying for wind,
craving for newness,
wishing to have it all available to us.
We pray toward the wind and wait, unconvinced but wistful.

Walter Brueggemann Prayers for a Privileged People

Candidates for Newness

Van Gogh seemed obsessed with the Cypress tree.  They appear in many pictures, almost church steeple like, pointing to the sky, encouraging us to look upwards. Where the heavens are a never ending movie of shifting shapes, full of Kaleidescopic possibilities.


My paintings  are both Oil Pastel drawings in my small A6, postcard size, stetch book. Copied from Van Gogh's images. They seemed appropriate images at this time of Ascension, when we seem to look intently into the skies (Acts 1:10-11).   

I  have also been reading a poem in Walter Brueggemann's excellent little book:   Prayer for Privileged People


'Candidates for Newness'   is a poem about Ascension, the space between Eater and Pentecost   anbout looking up to new possibilities but also staying close to the ground, and what we think of as reality. It  advocates a hesistant expectancy  
I found it very encouraging, when facing change and newness.....

 Candidates for Newness 

We live the long stretch between

Easter and Pentecost, scarcely noticing.

We hear mention of the odd claim of ascension.

We easily recite the creed,

"He ascended into heaven."

We bow before such quaint language and move on,

immune to ascent,

indifferent to enthronement

unresponsive to new governance.

It is reported that behind the ascending son was

the majestic Father riding the clouds

But we do not look up much;

we stay close to the ground to business and

to busyness

to management and control.

Our world of well-being has a very low

ceiling, but we do not mind the closeness

or notice the restrictiveness.

It will take at least a Pentecost wind to

break open our vision enough to imagine new governance.

We will regularly say the creed

and from time to time-

-in crises that

drive us to hope and to wish—

wait for a new descent of the spirit among us.

Until then, we stay jaded,

but for all that,

no less candidates for newness.

Walter Brueggemann Prayers for Privileged People

Prague Reflections

Prague is a great place for a City Break. Except that it was far too cold and we didn't bring enough warm clothing. That was back in February for half term (last year, 2011!). My first time in what I have always known as Czechoslovakia,  now the Czech Republic. 

Reflections - Charles Bridge, Prague 

Prague is a great city, built along the River  with lots to do - good food, plenty to see, especially the austere Prague Castle complex - including St Vitrus Cathedral with its wonderful gargoyles and Lobkowicz the Old Royal Palace. A great place to wander and watch over the city.  I particularly enjoyed the art galleries. Inspirational... 

We went on a free walking tour starting at the clock Tower in the Town Square.  

Charles Bridge (Karluv Most) joins the two halves of the City, crossing the Vlitava River and is adorned by 75 statues. It's full of tourists. We spent quite a bit of time there too. 

My Oil Pastel drawing is of Charles Bridge at night - reflections on the black Vlitava River.......  

I nearly went again this week for the ISAAC European Conference, 17th - 20th May hosted by Teen Challenge. In the end I'd done enough traveling recently and needed to be around home for a bit.  

ISAAC is a consortium of Christian Drug rehabilitation Programmes around the world  I've been involved since its inception in Florida in 1997. In fact, the first Gen Sec, Dave Partington and myself did a consultation of another Network in the Indian Sub Continent 'FORUM' for Tearfund earlier, that indirectly led to its formation. I continue involvement now, especially in the expansion of ISAAC in Asia. It's a great network of amazing people.  






Visit the ISAAC website. We also have a FACEBOOK page and community if you are interested.      

The Old Prague Astronomical Clock in the OLD Town Square, with the hourly 'Walk of the Apostles' 

The City tour starts near the Old Clock in the Prague Town Square. But it's not just the old astronomical clock  that has the hourly 'Walk of the Apostles'. Many apostles are apparent in the ISAAC Network as well.....  

sacred:space - The Puzzle of Evil

The last sacred:space evening (Sat 28th April) was led by Mike Cope in the NAWKI style - Church but 'NotAsWe KnowIt' 

And the theme was the Puzzle of Evil. It was an excellent, thoughtful evening.  Mike had help from 3 friends Alan, Shona and Ivan.

They explored the theme by means of video, image, discussion, conversation, music, song - a rich multimedia of thought-provoking material.  A heavy topic with a light touch. With space to think and reflect using various prayer stations...

The content was rich, mainly dealing with the problem of suffering rather than evil per se.    Drawing from negative theology (or apophatic as opposed to catathatic theology), we see an 'imperfect reflection' (through a  glass darkly). To the standard question 'if God is so powerful, why is there so much suffering,  the standard answer is 'free will'.  Augustine called this a 'better explanation than any other philosophy'    
But John Hick argues that 'if the price of being human is suffering then the price is too high'
(All of this was on an simple video which I will post once I have the link)

Alan had a number of pointers to potential answers .....

• The film the City of Angels   (Nicholas Cage and Meg Ryan) an angels who falls out of heaven and experiences humanness - love and pain together
• Eli Weisel's picture of the young boy hung by Nazis - who took a long time to die - 'where is God?' someone in the crowd asked - 'There he is on the Gallows'.   Either God is dead, hung like the young boy, or he is involved in suffering. 
• Bonhoeffer argued that only a Suffering God is of any use 
• Grunewald's Triptych of the 'Crucifixion' in the chapel of a hospice for leper

The pointing finger of identification, the leprous skin of Christ who became 'a curse'; the purity of the praying women, and the Cross like a giant Crossbow shooting the Christ-arrow to hit the Divine target.  The image of the Divine lamb that was slain..... all point to God's involvement in our suffering.

‘A god who cannot suffer is poorer than any human. For a God who is incapable of suffering is a being who cannot be involved. Suffering and injustice do not affect him. And because he is so completely insensitive, he cannot be affected or shaken by anything. He cannot weep, for he has no tears. But the one who cannot suffer cannot love either. So he is a loveless being’                       Jurgen Moltmann   (1974) the Crucified God

 
 As I said, the evening was thought provoking. Yet it was in the simple acts of lighting a candle, or writing a prayer or dropping stone in water, that somehow provided a way forward in the face of such huge, unanswerable, puzzling questions......

The Lodge at Istalif: I lift my eyes up to the Mountains

(1) Istalif: Mountain and Valley 

We were staying at the Lodge at Istalif  - a group of us having a  break from routine.  I was here to meet with some of our people - working mainly in Mazar. This was a chance to get away for a couple of days and have fun together.   We had to walk an hour from where the van dropped us off at a school in a village.  We were staying at a Lodge belonging to friends from the US. It is a small business they run

We were only 7 in all.  We talked and walked up the valley, sat and read. And relaxed together.  We ate mainly omlettes and toast in the morning and rice and beans in the evenings (fortunately suplemented by Chicken one night and very late Kofte the other)  Green Tea was plentiful and neverending.   Frederica ran an Art workshop..... looking at the theme of rock and water.

I did a couple of paintings -  One of the River valley, just below the lodge (2) - Oil Pastels in an A4 Stetch Pad.

(2) Istalif River, below the lodge 

The other of my pictures is a Oil Pastel (1) stetch from the balcony of the view facing us, in all its splendour and majesty.  A reminder to look up ......

I lift my eyes up to the Mountains where does my help come from  (Psalm 121)  

I lift up my eyes to the mountains — where does my help come from?
My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.
He will not let your foot slip — he who watches over you will not slumber;
indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.
The LORD watches over you — the LORD is your shade at your right hand;
the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night.
The LORD will keep you from all harm — he will watch over your life;
the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore. 

Bamboo in the Wind - Dhulikhel, Nepal

The drawing is a Dhulikhel Mountain range visible through Bamboo bent over in the wind, based on a  photo taken from the balcony of my bedroom. It is  a drawing in Oil Pastel.  I have included the Instagram picture as a comparison (enhanced by Snapseed app on the i-phone).  The Oil Pastel drawing I have given to Simon a Korean Colleague as a momento.

We were in beautiful Dhulikhel, Nepal for a gathering of CMS people from all over Asia,  about 70 in all. It was a splendid occasion, full of encouragement, as people shared their stories. We had an AsiaCMS board meeting at the beginning and then the Trustees stayed on to meet the people-in-mission (PiM).  We heard from KangSan and Francis about their vision for the future. Vinod lead the bible studies on (modern) Parables of the Kingdom.   There were inspirational dramas based on the personal  stories shared.  Plus visits to local churches and projects. Good food.  And lots of time to talk and chat and catch up.   I led a day training at the end on Samaritan Strategy.  There was a camp fire and cultural evening and the Asia PiM all said farewell to the 3 musketeers: Adrian,  John and myself. It ended in dancing the conga !

The views from Dhulikhel were stunning when the clouds lifted

I came across this poem which combines Bamboo, Wind and Mountain. I'm not sure if Dhulikhel held any such romantic notions for any of the participants.  We'll just wait and see!

The Mountain and the Wind

The mountain stands
The wind plays with her
Leaving her treetops in disarray
The wind moves on, unaware
Of the rustling gossips
Of him and her.

The mountain stands
The wind serenades her
A sighing song among the leaves
The wind moves on, unaware
Of the thousand songs he gave
Echoing in the bamboo grove of her heart.

The mountain stands
The wind dances around her
A waltz, a tango one eventide
The wind moves on, unaware
Of the face he left behind
Carved forever in her heart. 

Angelina Pandian

And here is my attempt at a Haiku poem (5-7-5 stucture) after Matsuo Basho

The Wind blows silent,
As Mountain Peaks through Bamboo,
A prayer is spoken.