Images of Christ in Photography

Jonny Baker has done some great detective work and found some images of Christ depicted in photography.  For the whole story, check them out here.

Well worth clicking the link!

The Lord’s Prayer – Retelling Our Story

Sometimes it is good to rethink those familiar things.  I came across this retranslation of The Lord’s Prayer via @lizdyer.

O Breathing Life, your Name shines everywhere!

May our future actions grow from here!

Release a space to plant your Presence here.

Envision your “I Can” now.

Embody your desire in every light and form.

Grow through us this moment’s bread and wisdom.

Untie the knots of failure binding us,

as we release the strands we hold of others’ faults.

Help us not forget our Source,

Yet free us from not being in the Present.

From you arises every Vision, Power and Song

from gathering to gathering.

Amen

Check out http://gracerules.wordpress.com/

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Easter Video

I’m not a big delerious fan but I came across this video via @EasterLIVE and I think it is really good.  I may use it Easter morning.

Saint Arnolds

I realised as I was updating the “Emerging Church in the North of England” page that I have been very remiss with my updating of late. 

Duttyo keeps informing me of the new emerging group Saint Arnolds in the Lord Darcy pub Alwoodley, Leeds.  I think the group meet regularly to discuss the bible and drink beer.  I am hoping to go and check it out in the next few weeks.

I am assuming that Arnold is a tongue in cheek referrence to The Simpsons but no doubt Duttyo will correct me =D

Rock Eucharist

Some of my friends and the readers of my blog will remember this well.  Partly because you were there and in some cases because you were in the band!

A few years ago we decided to have a thought experiment – what would the Eucharist look like if it was incarnated into a sphere that people easily recognise – a rock concert.  If memory serves I spent a lot of time playing guitar in Drop D tuning for such worship songs as “Bring Me To Life” by Evanescence. 

Recently there have been Blues Brothers moments between myself and Duttyo about “putting the band back together” and going on the road doing youth services.

At Greenbelt two years ago I was introduced to Rachel and Paul Ganney by my wife.  I am sketchy on the details (and no doubt I will be corrected) but I think they met when Ruth was a teenager and playing rock at church services.  That evening Rachel and Paul and some other guys went on to do a Rock Eucharist.  A good time was had by all!

It turns out that Rachel has just commented here on my blog and that they are living the dream.  Check out their Rock Eucharist Roadshow at http://www.rockeucharist.co.uk/

As an addendum – Duttyo, I think Hull is far enough away for us to live the dream here in Leeds =D

Easter Live

Easter Live has been tweeting and re-tweeting the different thoughts people have about Easter.  What does it mean to the twitterverse?  Check out the hashtag #easterlive

There is a simple PowerPoint to download today if you want to loop it in a service.  I personally will wait until the big day and may add things to it as time progresses.

Time – How Long is Too Long?

I have just had a conversation that prompts this question:

How long do you give a Fresh Expression to establish itself before you pull the plug?

What is a ‘fair crack of the whip’?

2010 – Carbon Emissions

I have recently been inspired by spring springing up around me unannounced.  There has been so much snow this year that it has come as a bit of a shock.  This lent, wife and I have decided not to give up something trivial but actually strive to give up a bit more carbon footprint.

I was alerted to this campaign called 1010.  The basic premise is that we all give up 10% of our carbon footprint this year.  If you notice it actually has a specific challenge to “the church”.   

So can you do something to reduce your carbon emissions in 2010?

More Networking – The Changing World

I just read a very interesting article about social networking by Kore who I discovered through twitter.  The main crux of the article is that we have moved in society from consumers and workers being given designs and making product handed down from the powers that be.  We are now participants engaging in a conversation that shapes our future as we envisage it.  We now chose to create and share our content with each other.  We make our own clothing and share our ideas with others.  You only need to look at Threadless or ebay to see this becoming increasingly the case. 

The factory encouraged us to see everything through the prism of the orderly production line delivering products to waiting consumers.  The web will encourage us to see everyone as a potential participant in the creation of collaborative solutions and ideas.  This way of thinking will not touch all organisations but some will be transformed, and many will find some aspects of what they do changed, possibly quite fundamentally, by this new organisational recipe.

People want to be treated like participants and contributors not merely consumers, spectators, a passive audience or band of followers, so how do we really deepen participation?  What does it mean to be a participant?  How can you really get people to collaborate and share? How could the church help to nurture this culture of sharing and collaboration? Why does it matter to people and why should it matter to the church?

Networking

Sometimes you just happen to be in the same place at the same time and like comes to like.  Whilst taking a colleague to a meeting last night we started talking about all sorts of things.  I just happened to mention the words ‘Fresh Expressions’ and ‘Emerging Church’.  Needless to say, one thing led to another and we discovered that we know a few people who are interested in exploring different ways of ‘being church’.

I have suggested that we meet up to talk and see where we all are and what we can do in an organic manner.  No structures and official groups.  No working parties.  No committees.  Just us and a table with some food and drink.  Lets see what emerges from that…

I love it when a plan comes together.