In Ramallah for funeral of poet August 08

I thought this poem from Frederica Venn was very poignant given the developments in Gaza at present. She is a community artist and spent some time in Gaza in August of last year, There is an article on her on the CMS website 'From Banksy to Bethlehem'

Avoid reading this if poetry leaves you cold! A wonderful Palestinian poet has died in America, called Mahmoud Darwish. Beautiful words from a real Master. So since he is being buried here in Ramallah I travelled here. I strongly advise reading him. Try his websites. He was born 1942.

Have a look at these 2 poems for starters: 

I come from there  and Under siege

JOURNEY TO RAMALLAH ( for the funeral of Mahmoud Darwish, Poet)

I do not smell the sea
in Palestine,
that is off limits now,
I am far from the Gaza strip.
But I taste the stones.
Rocks of the ages.
Veined with malable history,
worn by pressure
sweet as a sacred memory,
that burst fresh with colour
reverend to touch
creamy as primrose
golden as dawn
run though with chaos
rust-like to blood.
And just when you start to hunger,
soft pink seeps romance.

I travelled to Ramallah
To honour Mahmoud Darwish.
Snaking along pure greyness
observing the Wall.
mounted by silver thorns
crazed as a maze
crowning another heartbreak.
Where once there were trees,
and birds flew to visit.

My senses are reeling.
My smell is for music
an odour of angels
carrying sweet burden
that my blind eyes can not see

And what of my feelings?
Cocooned in that shell
that floats safe in water,
in harbours called home?
I am here because
I am trying to listen
I am learning to hear.
So I close with the words
the Poet,
For whence did I come,
and share.

My wings are Time.
Love is the fire of love. So catch fire
and free yourself
from the body of place

Drawn Blank: the art of Bob Dylan Woking Jan 09

The Lightbox exhibition in Woking winner of the £100,000 art fund prize for museums & galleries in 2008, is currently hosting an exhibition of Bob Dylan paintings: ‘Drawn Blank’  

Sketched in the late 80s early 90s during his travels in USA Europe and Asia. He started drawing ‘to relax and refocus a restless mind’. ‘What would I draw? Well I guess I would start with whatever was at hand. I sat at the table, took out a pencil and paper and drew... I’d lose touch of time completely. An hour or two could go by, and it would seem like only a minute’

You can see the paintings on Bob Dylan's website 

They are reworkings in 2007 of the original sketches. Provincial scenes that appeal to a traveller like me. Places and people, pub-life, town and country. Modes of transport, bicycles and trucks. Hotel rooms and cafés, views from balconies. Some pictures framed by windows, portholes, doors. An empty motel pool. Man on a bridge. Train tracks. Woman in Red Lion pub. A lazy Sunday afternoon down by the river. Dad’s Restaurant. 

They have a ‘singularly disenchanted aura about them, a feel of unresisting and unrewarding blankness’ (Andrew Graham-Dixon in the book Drawn Blank) ‘Dylan’s coiled and slightly nervous manner of drawing, which often teeters on the brink of cartoon or caricature is in a line of descent that goes back to the works of artists like Toulouse- Lautrec, Degas, van Gogh.’ 

I started connecting the pictures to the music. His portfolios are repetitive, same picture, different colouring. The Woman in the Red Lion Pub (from Blackpool), reminded me ‘the times they are a changing’. 

And 'Slow train comin’ was so slow in fact that it couldn’t yet be seen on his painting of ‘Train Tracks’ (Minnesota) . 

The Van Goghic man on the bridge (looked like Moscow to me) seemed to be ‘knocking on heaven’s door’. A tramp-like prophet, singing out his haunting songs:

‘When you gonna wake up, when you gonna  wake up


When you gonna wake up and strengthen the things that remain?’

‘But you're gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed


You're gonna have to serve somebody,

Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord

But you're gonna have to serve somebody.’

International Carol Service, Christchurch Woking, 20 Dec 08

‘JOY TO THE WORLD’

These pictures of Madonna and Child from around the world, formed the cover for our International Carol Service on Dec 20th. Yet again a little glimpse of heaven as people from different ‘tribes and tongues, peoples and nations’ worshipped God in over 20 languages. Somehow this symbolises the coming of Jesus as ‘the person for all people’ 

The International, multicultural carol service has become a part of our Christmas celebrations. The style is 9 lessons and carols, all read and sung in different languages, representing the multi-cultural mix we have in Woking.

We had around 20 languages - Tamil, Arabic, Farsi, Armenian, Urdu, Russian, Uzbek, Latin, NT Greek, Nepali,  Akan, Swiss German, Japanese, Mandarin, Cantonese, Malay, Swahili, Ibo, Afrikans,  English and Northern!  The last one was quite splendid with the Magnificat being read in broad lancastrian. 

Some of the highlights included the Swiss family Lampérth singing 'Das isch de Staern vo Bethlehem'   (with trumpet);  an Armenian couple Asator & Roubina Ghazarians playing classical guitar and singing 'Mojdeh, Isa bedonya amad: Good News Jesus is born'. Quinton Dippenaar sang a solo, karioke-style 'Hierdie Kind: This Child' in Afrikaans. The local Chinese language school formed a choir of around 15 and enthralled us with 'Ping An Yie:  Silent Night' in Mandarin.   

Rajen Cheetri read for the first time from a Nepali Bible, I had brought him back from a trip last January (previously he had translated  the text himself).  He also rejoiced at the fact that for the first time in Nepal, Christians can celebrate Christmas on 25th Dec as a public holiday  (See announcement in Christianity Today)

We also had an interview with Dr Haroon of Kunhar Hospital who thanked the congregation for the support (at the first International Carol service 3 years previously) of the work of the hospital during the Pakistan Earthquake. (See article on the CMS website)

This year a collection was taken for  ACROSS (12 churches together in Woking providing hospitality and welcome for Asians) and the Graceworks Youth Ministries - focussing on their partnerships with turning Point Turst in the Kibera Slums of Nairobi, Kenya and Bethesda Childrens' Ministries in Goa, India.

ACROSS's new coordinator Asif Mall from Pakistan gave a short address on 'Christmas:the never-ending story'. He is also involved in an Urdu, Christian Apologetics Satellite TV programme on Glory TV.  (see web link mentioning Asif on Religious intollerance in the West)

It was a great evening with International food and refreshments to round it off. 

There was a write up in the Woking News and Mail  1st January  'Global Joy at Carol Service' (unfortunately the article is not online - nor the photos)   They quote me as saying:

'my work means I get to travel a lot and attend many churches around the world. This was an opportunity to bring some of those experiences to Woking and to allow people who don't usually get to hear, speak or sing their native language in church to be able to do just that.'

Statement by Bishop of Jerusalem on GAZA

Things are hotting up in GAZA. I visited a few years back and remember it vividly. I will try to write more about that another time. In the meantime.... 

Statement by the Right Rev’d Suheil S. Dawani, The Anglican Bishop in Jerusalem on Gaza Jerusalem - December 29, 2008

During recent weeks, the three Abrahamic Faiths have observed their Holy Seasons with a sense of peace and goodwill. Therefore, we are greatly grieved by the severity of the ongoing military operations in Gaza that are occurring in heavily populated areas and impacting the civilian population.

As a Diocese with well over a century of an unbroken commitment to the well being and peace of the community in Gaza City through our Al Ahli Arab Hospital, we are both stunned and saddened by the events unfolding in Gaza.

The heavy loss of Palestinian lives and the serious wounds and injuries to many hundreds of innocent bystanders require the immediate cessation of hostilities for the well being and safety of both the Palestinian and Israeli communities, and especially for Gaza and the nearby Israeli population centers. The gravity of the situation threatens to engulf this entire region and we ask the Palestinians and Israelis to return to active negotiations for the well being and safety of both communities.

Of immediate concern is the urgent medical services needed by the victims of this violence. The immensity of providing care for the injured and wounded is overwhelming a healthcare system struggling to provide essential healthcare services for 1.5 million Palestinians, most of who live in refugee camps.

As the casualties and human suffering continue to rise, we appeal to the Israeli and Palestinian communities to exercise responsible restraint. We urgently call on all parties to immediately cease hostilities, and provide for the humanitarian needs of those directly affected by the conflict. At the same time, we can assure the Gaza communities that the Al Ahli Hospital will continue, as it has for many decades.

Bishop Suheil adds (30/12/08):

"Our Al Ahli Hospital located in the heart of Gaza City is providing essential frontline medical and emergency humanitarian services to those coming or being brought directly to it. Additionally, it is receiving patients transferred by UNRWA from the Government Hospital Al Shiffa for emergency inpatient and surgical treatment of the wounded and injured. As a non-partisan well established Hospital, we are receiving patients from all directions. This coming Sunday all of our Churches will have special services for Peace and Reconciliation for those whose lives have been impacted by the Gaza conflict - especially the wounded, injured and the families of those innocents who have died"

Zen Dog - the Interesting thoughts of Edward Monkton

I was sent a card with this picture and message for my birthday from my little siser's family

Strangely appropriate  don't you think.

For more such cartoons see the Interesting thoughts of Edward Monkton and there is a website of fine art products as well 

C.M.S. Christmas Mailing Service Dec 08

CHRISTMAS MUSICAL SPECTAULAR

Alexandra Burke won the X factor final singing Leonard Cohen’s song Hallelujah and has sparked a mini war on the internet over whose version is best. The purists (like me) prefer Jeff Buckley’s.  You can read all about it in the Times online    Actually I also really like a version by Canadian singer Allison Crowe.  There's also an article on the CMS website on Halleluyah's X Factor by Martin Wroe one of Greenbelt's Trustees and a main mover behind an online Community called Generous

Phil, based in India. posted a link on his facebook to another Music piece or should that read Music 'Peace'!   Playing For Change: Song Around the World "Stand By Me" which I thought was brill.

I have been inspired by a website wherethehellismatt  Excuse the title but watch the video: Dancing2008  It has become for me a metaphor of mission, inviting people to ‘join the dance’ and I have been showing it everywhere. Any theological reflections on a postcard please.

COMPLEXITY MADE SIMPLE

We had a CMS office party Christmas staff celebrations which went very well indeed You can look at the videos I produced as our ASIA contribution on facebook and I am trying to upload them to YouTube (inspired by the aforementioned film Dancing2008)   Anyone on facebook can see them already   Back on the Road Again  and  Will Ye Go? 

When Jonny Baker uploads his video Complexity Made Simple we will send you the link It brought the house down at our Christmas celebration. It was based on a talk that Tim Dakin did to a group of managers trying to simplify the complex. It is now part of CMS legend.

CONSTANTLY MOVING STRUCTURES 

We are anticipating more changes in the New Year. Don’t you just love change!
The Asia enquiry Process is going well so far. We have conducted around 25 structured interviews using a questionnaire. And have also had group processes in Thailand, at the faith2share  consultation in October and then in Rawlpindi and Karachi in Pakistan in November.  In February we are meeting partners in Pune India to continue the process and we are planning an event in East Asia, hopefully in the Spring.   All of this will feed into the process of Asia CMS becoming a separate entity (like CMS Africa) We will try to keep you updated.

CHALLENGING MONEY SITUATION

The global economic downturn is understandably affecting the charity sector. So we face challenges. Although I am assured that religions charities do are not as affected as others. However we are cutting back in order to face the challenge as well as increasing our fundraising targets.   But this means we are more than tightening our belts. There are some redundancies and vacant staff posts are currently frozen. There will be a strong emphasis to ensure that MPs are ‘fully resourced’ and this may mean if the situation cannot be improved for some severely underfunded MPS, we will seriously need to look at bringing people back earlier than planned. I share this not to raise anxieties but to be realistic about the challenges ahead of us in the coming year.  

     COMMUNITY of MISSION SERVICE
CMS is now acknowledged as a community within the Church of England, so let me know of you feel ontologically changed in any way!
What it is meant to mean is that we are acknowledged for who we already are, a ‘community of mission service’ - a movement of people in mission. But it will also be a way for people to focus their mission vocation and be resourced within the wider mission community. There are people working on the prayer resources encouraging a mission focused spirituality, building on the prayer resources we already have. What I have seen so far is excellent.

CELEBRATING MINISTRY SUCCESSES 

I thought that the resource that Sheilagh sent round our yahoo group, ‘Celebrating Successes in Ministry’, was a very helpful way of focusing thoughts during the change of year, a traditional time to reflect and plan and make those resolutions. Let us know if you get any profound thoughts.

That’s enough from me. May I simply pray that you will experience real peace and deep joy where ever you are, this Christmas, and may your ministry in 2009 be even more fruitful.

Phil  

Postcards from the edge - sacred:space December 08

Gala Contemplating the Mediterranean Sea which at Twenty Meters becomes a Portrait of Abraham Lincoln 

In sacred:space using  postcards that 'chose us' we were encouraged to meditate for some time on a single image. 

This is the picture that chose me !   I found it on an  internet site of  Salvador Dali  paintings  and another where there is a review of this particular image.

It is a cubist picture of Dali's wife Gala looking out at mediterranean made of blocks or 'pixels'. I was initially distracted by both the nude and the cross  Only when the picture was 'out of focus' by squinting did I 'see' the other picture. Through not seeing the detail, but looking from afar. I discovered I needed to remove my specs to see from another perspective. There is a moral in there somewhere.