jonnybaker

a shift in perspective: elijah in the desert

at grace this saturday we continue our lenten desert journies with a shift of perspective and elijah in the desert

it will be an interactive exploration of the story. we take it in turns to curate/pull it together - this month it's my turn with adam and kathy and i'm looking forward to it...

8pm st marys ealing | directions on the web site | café and guest DJ

lent blog still rolling

the grace lent blog is still rolling along

you are the god who sees

the outline for the feb grace service hagar is now in the grace archive.

i loved steve's blessing you are the god who sees and am making it worship trick 24 series 3

wake up to the wonder

wake up to the wonder - my turn to post on the grace lent blog 2008

spirit2go: worship trick 23

steve taylor always comes up with creative ideas for advent and lent...

this year he has developed spirit2go. as he puts it the thinking behind it is...

Working toward Lent this year, I have also been seeking a way for people to do spirituality without any physical link to church, while retaining some sense of shared life. How could people do a shared task, but in their own timestyles, yet be encouraged by each other? In the old days it was meet physically, same time, same place. But is that the only way?

there are creative tasks to do and share what you get up to in the comments under each of the assignment blog posts or e-mail them in. i guess you could do this alone, with a family, with friends - a global interactive worship experience of sorts...

grace lent

so lent starts today...

have just got back from norway where the youth ministry training i did seemed to go well (reflections on that to come...)

but a quick mention that the grace lent blog 08 starts today so add it to your reader and follow along.

also this is a bit late for today but jenny is leading a course on desert journies at st marys for six wednesday evenings. no need to book you can just turn up.

we are picking up on two of those desert journies at the next two graces. first up this saturday is hagar.

space and time and contemplative prayer

i have put together a movie with jon birch to go with our track space and time. it's a pretty simple idea - photos of empty seats, chairs and benches to invite the viewer to sit in god's presence and take some space. we made it thinking about lent being a time to focus on prayer. i also thought it would go well as part of my exhibit but having put it next to the photo have decided the photo is more powerful on its own.

jenny is doing a national series of training days for urban saints on contemplative prayer. and so we've recorded three tracks of her leading prayer/meditation exercises - an ignatian examen, a stilling exercise and a breathing prayer. these go to make up the contemplative prayer EP.

these are this month's proost releases and ideal for lent. you can watch and/or listen to samples in the media player. check the list of ideas on the front page of proost for other ideas.

am off to norway tomorrow for the first time for a couple of days to do some youth ministry training. looking forward to it...

am now exhibiting at the moot lenten journeys exhibition

since i first blogged about the moot beyond the wilderness:lenten journeys exhibition i have been invited to exhibit at it. i'll be showing one photo - it's just arrived from the printers and i have mounted and framed it and it looks pretty neat! so if you are anywhere near victoria between feb 12 and 21 have a look in the SW1 Gallery. there are also some other events related to art and spirituality and lent accompanying the exhibition...

40 book - hot off the press, laudamus from COTA and lent resources

i just had a delivery yesterday of '40' the book. many of you will know si smith's wonderful illustrations of jesus journey into the wilderness. i have used them a load of times in worship. they are fantastic for all ages and perfect for lent. if you haven't seen it the movie is available on proost.

well chris goan wrote a script to go with them and contacted si and to cut a long story short have turned 40 into a book - on one side of the page is one of si's illustrations, and on the other is chris's reflection. rather than using lulu which we have done for the pocket liturgies we have done a small print run ourselves. it's available as a download on proost for free if you are a subscriber but it's the kind of book you will probably want in print. so you can order them through proost as well and it's only £7.

this was part of our january release on proost.

the other new january item is laudamus, an album from karen ward's church of the apostles in seattle. this follows a service of morning prayer and evening prayer. cota have led worship at greenbelt and people have really enjoyed what they have done.

i put a list on the front page of the proost web site of resources that we have that are particularly suitable for lent so you might want to have a look at that as well...

beyond the wilderness: lenten journeys

details on the moot lent art exhibition and events are now on the moot community arts pages

Moot Community Arts in association with the SW1 Gallery, Victoria bring BEYOND THE WILDERNESS.
Identify your hidden desires, your soul's yearnings and your long held hopes and dreams in the heart of the city.
Join us for BEYOND THE WILDERNESS - LENTEN JOURNEYS - an edgy collection of visual and performance arts taking you on a Lenten voyage of discovery.
AND IF YOU WANT TO BE THE ARTIST - it's your chance to unleash the poet within, the artist inside and explore your spiritual hunger with others on a similar path.
BEYOND THE WILDERNESS comes from Moot Community Arts and contains:

    * A two-week Lent spirituality course, Tues 12th Weds 20th Feb 08
    * An Art Show, 14th to 21st Feb 08
    * A performance Cabaret, thurs 21st Feb 08
    * A Poetry Workshop day, Sat 16th Feb 08

For more details and to book places, see Moot Community Arts Website