jonnybaker

community sermons from 'average bunch of people not particularly overgifted in any direction' church

i don't really know much about ashley church other than that i have liased with sue rockhill who is part of it through the wonders of our connected world online following her being at spring harvest. anyway we liased about the labyrinth meditations but it came up in conversation that they were being used as part of a community sermon. i immediately liked the sound of it - anything is normally better than one person speaking with the rest listening as far as i am concerned. so i asked sue to tell me a bit more about it and in her words...

we were a fairly average bunch of people - not particularly overgifted in any one direction, so apart from odd bits of brilliance we are working from ordinary lives in a fairly bumbling way.

Community sermons happen about once every school term. The congregation is given the title and the date and left to bring what they think will add something to the subject. Recent Community Sermons have included; writing the story of Christmas in 30 words;describing bible characters and the work of the Holy Spirit in them through limericks (that was a lot of fun!) And the most recent, called In the Gap was a look at what happened between Easter and Pentecost. There are very few rules - probably none actually. Even 'Christmas in 30 words' was modified by someone of artistic leaning to be Christmas in thirty strokes of the brush.  The most recent was the most energetic Sermon, since it involved walking a labyrinth, but everything is optional and there were paintings to look at and writing people had done on the subject, as well as quiet corners to pray in and of course the coffee lounge, where we think God is most likely to be hanging around. Community Sermons demand a lot of flexibility from the leader, who will turn up on the morning perhaps knowing that one or two people have mentioned that they have something to bring, but will not know whether there is anyone else with something or not. Ours is a fairly relaxed church and if there was really nothing we would probably go and have coffee, but so far there have always been people with things to say or show, so it has never come to that!

i don't want to start a new fad (god save us from that) but i do like the notion of bumbling church or average bunch of people not particularly overgifted in any direction church. of course so called average does as sue says allow people to express their gifts and one of the pieces in the last sermon was a lead cast plaque! i am making this worship trick 65 in series 3 . the notion of the community creating worship/sermons out of the community and their gifts is what worship is all about - the work of the people and all that...

the daily commute

the daily commute, originally uploaded by jonnybaker.

pipedown

well you never know when a new blog starts if it will actually get going, especially if it's a blog run by a few people, but it seems like pipedown could be here to stay reviewing new music, adding mixes and urban graphics. seizing the opportunity of the G20 summit the guys made a banner saying pipedown to wave in the crowd in any riots that erupted - photos here! i particularly like this one...

overflow

overflow from jonny baker on Vimeo.

reaching out in mind body and spirit

ten years ago i heard john drane speak at a conference ACE 99 reflecting on the decade of evangelism in the church of england. as part of that he talked about spiritual seekers and how a mission perspective might give us a very different approach to how we related to the new age and those seekers. the most shocking thing at the time was that he produced a set of tarot cards and showed some (on overhead projector slide back then) and showed how the imagery was very much informed by the scriptures (he has since written a book on it). i think in a lot of ways that was a catalyst for people taking the challenge seriously of being on the inside of the spirtual seeking communities and tourists in the wider culture journeying with and sharing stories rather than somehow seeing an us and them world.

i got involved in running a stand with others at the london mind body spirit festival - and we'll be back again in a month. if you follow the blog, you'll know as i've written about that before. well this last weekend was the first ever uk gathering of christians who have got involved in this area. there were about 70 people there who had brought stands and resources for what they were up to. it was encouraging to see how much it has grown. from being an area of practice one or two pioneers got involved in, it has become a fledgling movement. following the weekend i think a more intentional network will grow in which people can share stories, learning, ideas, resources and so on. the gathering was pulled together through the sheffield centre with steve hollinghurst who has been a key person in this area, and journey into wholeness. so it's encouraging! if you're involved but weren't there buzz me an e-mail and i'll get you invited into the network when it emerges. it was also wonderful to experience philip roderick playing the hang again

john and olive drane were there and were inspiring as ever. it was also a real privilege to meet ole skjerbaek madsen who has been doing this stuff in denmark for decades with a group in the master's light. i don't speak danish so don't understand the site but he shared his story and led a communion liturgy that they use. i found an interview through google with him in english. and here's a quote from the talk he gave...

what i have learned in this process is the need to move from a defensive or even hostile attitude to neo-spritual seekers and practitioners to dialogue and presence in the milieu if the gospel should be heard and the christian fellowship be inculturated.

thanks steve, howard and laurence for your work in pulling it together

worship star

worship star (ht david who left a link in the comment on a previous post)

greenbelt visual arts

greenbelt visual arts

musicademy

i have been invited to contribute to musicademy - a worship blog/community. the posts there will be occasional and mainly things on worship i have reflected on here...

it's interesting that there seems to be a growing restlessness about contemporary worship from within the communities that have led it not just from those of us who have taken a different approach - see for example this piece bored with contemporary worship? or this piece on worship songs (i love the fact that the url is spelled brain maclaren!!!)

back

kester brewin is back

the answer to life the universe and everything

the answer to life the universe and everything, originally uploaded by jonnybaker.

don't be average

don't be average . i love this attitude...

night vision - emergingchurch.info update

it's been a while but emergingchurch.info gets an update. very glad to see a piece on church for the night in bournemouth. jon oliver who was club chaplain also has a book out night vision

sophia network new site

jenny launched the sophia network and has put a ton of hours into it over the last eighteen months. the network exists to connect women in youth work and ministry, to access training, develop skills and share wisdom. 

it had it's own web site running under a content management system but following the redesign of my blog at the start of the year jenny asked if i thought it would work to run the sophia site in a similar way. that conversation got me helping. jenny created the structure conceptually then i have designed the site. the animated walking woman took the most time - i shot a video of a julian opie installation in new york and grabbed and cropped some stills from that and turned it into an animated gif. 

i think the site is a pretty good example of how powerful a tool typepad can be for not just running a blog but creating a web site with it's ability to create pages and so on. it's the first time i've tried creating a bar of buttons along the top and i had to mess around a little with the style sheet but it was all easy enough and i really am not a web designer.

the TWO PIECES OF BIG NEWS are

• 1. that when sophia launched it cost you money to join but now thanks to fund raising efforts and wanting to be generous it's FREE to join. so if you are a woman involved in youth ministry go and join! the events are all in the uk but it's open to anyone. the membership section is still running under the old site but i think the plan is to shift that at some point to a social network like ning.
• 2. the articles used to be available to members only but are now available to anyone including us men :-) so add the feed or follow along however you do. it's worth taking a bit of time to scroll back through. i loved this article by jen bouncing back on some of the nonsense that's around in the church on gender in certain circles (nonsense in my view that is ;-) ) rediscovering heart . also by jen is a fantastic piece on women and men in ministry if you need to do a bit of thinking about some of the passages in the bible that trip people up. it's a long piece so get a coffee/wine and take your time. there is a lot of stuff there. one i hadn't come across is this piece by sally nash - reading the bible as a woman - wow! you've got to read it. it includes this piece by nicola slee

Speaking of silence:  a reproach
The sounds of women’s silence run deep
Let us attune our ears to the sounds of women’s silence,
to attend and listen to what is not said,
what has never been said,
what is only now beginning to be said.
Let this silence cry aloud in our ears,
let it resound and reverberate inside our heads,
let it deafen our whole being with a colossal roar.

This silence is eloquent, articulate of women’s pain and women’s lives.
It is compelling, hypnotic, fearful, overwhelming.
It speaks louder than words.
It utters volumes of speech.
It drowns out all other language.

Where are the women in our history, in our heritage?
Where are the stories of our women heroes, mystics, leaders and teachers?
Who will guide the footsteps of our daughters?
born today into a deafening silence about their ancestors, about themselves?

So many women’s voices have been lost in the pages of history,
erased and blotted out and passed over in silence
by the rulers of patriarchy, the makers of culture.
So few have survived in the pages,
and their stories have so often been ignored,
trivialized, marginalized, distorted.

We want to hear the sounds of our foremothers’ voices.
We want to listen to our grandmothers’ tales.
We want to speak the name of our sisters who came before us.
We need to hear their stories,
we need to hear their voices,
to hear and know who we are.

jen had done an amazing job with sophia - it's exciting to see it develop

dreaming of europe

gerard kelly shares his dream for europe

to create on mainland Europe a centre where mission, spirituality and learning can come together; where thoughtfulness and conversation are encouraged, not despised, and where young leaders can gather to consider the historic challenges facing the churches of Western Europe. Tied to no particular denomination; serving all equally; competitive for the Kingdom of God rather than within it, such a centre could foster missional imagination across the European landscape. It could touch ancient churches deeply embedded in our culture and history and equally resource new and emerging movements. Its aim would be simple:  to empower young Europeans to believe in their churches and transform their world.

guerrilla worship - trick 64

in the comments on the via luminosa post nic was toasting the new itinerants, the new walkers, the new turn in the organism formerly known as alt worship that is seeing it wandering in public spaces.

well on that tip dream held a geurrilla worship flash mob. they have a video of the event and describe it as follows:

We began scattered among the shoppers. At the signal, we all stopped and took off our shoes ... an ancient sign that this is "holy ground". God lives in shopping malls as well as churches!
We then made out way to the park at the centre of the mall where we sat together to form a cross ... and prayed silently for a few minutes. We remembered Easter and the cross. We prayed for the current economic situation ... for those who have lost jobs ... and for God's blessing on our city ... we prayed for hope.

i don't know what you call this turn or trend but i am going to make guerrilla worship (it was called spontaneous worship at greenbelt) a worship trick - no 64 series 3.

if you are going to the big chill... or even if you're not

have a listen to bands that will be playing - simple but ingenius

via luminosa

i forgot to look at this in the run up to easter and today is the last day it is on! but if you are in york have a look at the via lumnosa, an after dark series of projections following the journey of the passion. i am hoping there will be some photos to follow... again it's alt worship getting into the public space rather than church space which is a welcome trend. sue wallace and visions are the team behind it.

i think i mentioned it before but beyond in brighton had a similar public art journey - easter path which needed ongoing attention it semms . they say this about moving into public space...

It is time we stopped huddling away in our churches concentrating on our own little rituals and iconic observances and found ways to engage with those around us who are looking for some hope and inspiration and Easter is a great opportunity for that.

bill viola 2 pieces in london as part of mythologies exhibition

i called in to the new haunch of venison gallery which is amazing - at least i assume it's their new gallery or maybe they've just used the space for this exhibition? it's the old museum of mankind and has a lot of space in rooms throughout. the current exhibition mythologies explores stories we tell about the world in order to understand it. damien hirst has a piece in there along with a stack of other artists but i really went along because i noticed bill viola had a couple of pieces in it. if you've not come across his work he is a video installation artist whose work explores spritual themes. i have seen a load of his work in london over the years - angels of the millenium, messenger, a solo exhibition with haunch of venison, passions...

one of the pieces is called incarnation and has two naked figures - seemingly referencing adam and eve, but maybe just humanity - who are in grey blurred in the distance. they slowly walk towards the scren and reach out a hand to go through a sheet of water. as they do so they turn from grey to colour, look around in wonder before eventually returning. the other piece small saints has 6 small screens, much like icons. on each a figure makes a similar journey from the gloom through a wall of water into the light and colour. the figures stand prayerfully or reflective before turning and returning. the sequences probably take around 10 minutes.

i read up in the catalogue what bill vioa had to say about them and he talks about transfigurations, or awakenings where a person undergoes a total transformation, the world comes alive, is seen in new ways. it's an inner transformation that is being referenced.

i was transfixed by these pieces. they would make perfect imagery for baptism passing from death to life or light to darkness. i don't think for a moment that that is what viola had in mind but it's so striking - in fact a lot of his pieces would fit perfectly with baptism. he is definitely interested in the threshold of change between life and death, this world and the next.

it's on until 25 april - go if you get the chance.

walking forward backwards

in response to my article in leadership journal mike weaver sent me an e-mail where we liased on faithful improvisation. he has studied improv and uses it with churches. this is a paragraph from the e-mail he sent that he said i could post which has the lovely idea of walking forward backwards...

One of my improv teachers, Keith Johnstone, once talked about improv as "walking forward backwards".  What he means is this...improv in theater keeps the scene moving forward into the future, but the improvisers use recall as a way of adding to the scenes in the moment...pulling thoughts and ideas, recycling them if you will, into the present scene to move the entire show forward.  It's quite magical.  I reframe Johnstone's comment this way that improvisers move forward with eyes in the back of our heads.  I think that's how we approach tradition.  We remember what is significant in our past and pull certain things into the present as it adds and helps us move forward in mission into the future.

heaven UNKLE

UNKLE heaven with spike jonze

update: thanks to darren wright - download the movie here