jonnybaker

at the threshold

for what in 2012 are you most grateful?

what brought you the most grief?

what was a gift or a surprise?

what moments stand out the most?

and as you think about 2013...

what are you waiting for?

what is coming towards you?

what journeys will you go on?

who will you travel with?

we're just off out for a meal with friends to see out the old year and in the new. i hope you have a great evening/day and hope you also get to reflect and dream with friends. have a brilliant 2013! 

happy christmas

tune in to radio 3 tonight 10pm

a very unusual activity is hapening in our house tonight - we'll be tuning in to radio 3! harry is featuring in the show verb christmas performing two poems. tune in...

looking for christ in ordinary places

love ric stott's art in florence - looking for christ in ordinary places part 1 and part 2

the Jesus I experience would be more at home in the grimy forgotten corner

latest pioneer news

you can download the latest cms pioneer newsletter here.

reflections on #nicsfight

it was good to catch up with kester briefly at the XX gig in brixton last night. the campaign around nic's fight has been remarkable in the momentum it has generated. kester reflects here on 10 days that must have seemed a bit like a whirlwind and connects it with the theme of the commons which he explores in his book mutiny.

if you haven't signed up the petition is being delivered tomorrow so do go and sign it

small ritual postcards

steve has produced some brilliant small ritual postcards - he kindly gave me a set. i see they are also being contextualised for the dutch...

it takes faith beyond imagining...

alleluias is a wonderful call to worship - i always love what cheryl writes.

n wales and manchester here we come

after the cms pioneer christmas bash today i am heading up to n wales with gav to see the en gedi arts advent exhibition and to take part in this panel on the theme another world is possible (following my greenbelt spiel on the same theme). details here

then thurs it's a visit to manchester to take part in a day hosted by venture fx - VFXtra which is open to anyone i think. there are three such regional gatherings going on on the same day.

be nice to get out of london and oxford for a few days!

advent prayers and advent in the dark

christine sine is always a proloific creator and gatherer of advent resources. scroll through her blog or follow along but here's a link to a series of prayers for the journey. 

i love this piece that richard passmore posted called advent in the dark form the presbyterian church of nz.

nic's fight

there is a lot of momentum growing around a campaign to get friendslife insurance to pay up on nic hughes life insurance. he recently died of cancer. the guardian and others have picked up on it. nic's wife susie is on bbc fivelive today at 10:30am. you probably didn't know nic but if you have a sense of justice then go and sign the petition. it's a really good example of the quick influence that can spread via social media - i really hope friendslife will do the right thing and change their decision. my dad died of cancer and life insurance payout was such a massive help to my mum.

being dangerous

andrea campanale is interviewed here under a series called dangerous women - which i instinctively like the title and idea of. it could be a negative term if it was being used to warn against people by calling them dangerous but here it is being used to celebrate adventure, risk and the gift of pushing beyond the status quo. andrea is one of the pioneers on the cms pioneer mission leadership training

the magical union chapel did not disappoint

ADVENTurous on saturday was a wonderful day. i hope it is the first of many - a regular advent festival like this exploring poignant themes, celebrating advent, fused with the arts in london would be amazing. i was photographer for the day and have added a set of photos here - see slideshow here.

this photo is the lead singer of hope and social wandering into the crowd literally unplugged - up on a pew (which he politely asked permission for!!) singing and hand aloft to the cavern of the chapel. it was a really magical moment. it was also almost completely in the dark so i was pleased i managed to get a photo out of it!

and this is one of the amazing pieces of art put together by engedi arts and now in leeds and shortly to be in colwyn bay - this chess set is called 'mother mary chess set' and is by pea runstall and pits a series of marys against the empire of domination - it must have taken an eon to make and was quite extraordinary as was the rest of the art.

if you liked the ADVENTurous movies

it was a great day at ADVENTurous yesterday - if you liked the movies shown, several were from proost and three were made especially for ADVENTurous.

elf issues and garbage garbage were both by jon birch and shown in the day

prophet(tear) and wonky donkey were both on display in the exhibition and harry performed wonky donkey.

if you are interested in advent resources on proost, have a look at our advent news which summarises lots, or click on the seasons button and search advent and/or christmas.

oh and it's been pointed out to me after my blog post yesterday that advent actually starts today - advent sunday - of course! so all you people who have advent calendars with a dec 1 or advent candles with a 1 what were you thinking?!

advent

well advent begins. love this poem by rowan williams...