jonnybaker

grace open table

the next grace is on saturday - an open table. the blurb is as follows:

Join us for Grace where there will as ever be an open table.

We have always been inspired by Christ’s welcome of all around the table, especially those at the fringes. We will be gathering to continue that practice, and remember him.

You are of course welcome!

this tees up our lent. lent has always been a season which we enjoy as a space to dig deeper into something related to following in the way of christ. this year's reflections are inspired by claudio carvalhaes book praying with every heart which is possibly the best book on prayer i have read (it's not cheap though reasonable on kindle and is on perlego if you use that). we will focus on praying from the edges and there will be conversations around those at the edges due to sexuality, empire or race who we will endeavour to pray with and for with a lump in our throat as claudio would put it. i am really looking forward to all of that. maybe see you saturday...

re:lentless

grace this saturday getting ready for lent. here's the blurb 

It feels like we have been in Lent for a year, and we haven't even got to Lent yet!

February is the depths of winter, but it is also a time when the first signs of spring begin to show - signs easily missed, hope that is still a long way from fulfilment. What have we learned from the journey? How have we been changed? Nothing will be the same, but how do we want to be different?

The service itself will be in Zoom. Look out for the link if you are in the Whatsapp group or on the email list, or email [email protected] and we will send you the link nearer the time.

Things you will need for the service:

• Images or words that represent things you want to leave behind in this desert time.
• a candle
• some salt

The cafe will take place in the Grace space in Gather that we used for last month's service - now we have it, we can hang out there! Many of you will have the link already from last month, but we will send it out again at the time. (NB Gather works best in the Chrome browser. It doesn’t work on a phone - you need to be on a computer.)

lent - less is probably more

lent means spring so it was nice to see some crocuses and daffodils out and magnolia starting to appear as i walked this morning. it's a season of year i love both for spring and for lent... 

lent in the season of the church's year is a preparation for easter. people interpret it in different ways and do different things. but broadly speaking my assessment of it is that for many it has become a time of year for a focused reflection on faith and what that means. grace, the community i am part of, always have some kind of focus which includes regular meals, conversation and prayer for example and that usually includes exploring a theme or a book together. this year following january's grace which explored themes of soil, soul and scociety we are all being encouraged to take up a practice or practices in one or more of those three areas. and there are a series of gatherings and meals related to those themes. here's the blurb that got sent round

Most things are helped by practise - music, sport, craft, skills. When it comes to faith it's the same - prayer say takes practise. Lent is a chance to try out a new practice (or more).You could pick a practice in each of the areas of soul, society, soil. Or just one (or indeed none - there is no pressure to - it’s not a guilt trip so it's fine to just be). But if you want to then we look forward to seeing what people might come up with and indeed finding what people do anyway. Here are a few suggestions if you are stuck for ideas:

Pray - try a regular time of silence, or use the examen, or try active prayer (when you walk, run, swim…)

Read - we suggest the story of Jesus in Mark's gospel - see below for a couple of chapters each week that if several people followed would mean it was a shared practice. You could try lectio divina or the Ignation way of reading (google them).

Sign up for an email - we could share suggestions in whatsapp but by way of example Richard Rohr sends one out weekly or Enneagram Institute do a daily email for your personality type. 

Get outside in whatever way works - walking, cycling, running, gardening.

Think of a small action you can do to help the planet and add that into your lifestyle.

Grow something - spring is a great time for that 

 

Mark’s gospel suggestion for reading plan - 

W/c 25 Feb Mark 1+2

W/c 2 March Mark 3 + 4

W/c 9 March Mark 5 + 6

W/c 16 March Mark 7 + 8

W/c 23 March Mark 9 + 10

W/c 30 March Mark 11 + 12 + 13

W/c 6 April Mark 14 + 15 + 16

lent kicks off today with ash wednesday where you can attend a service of ashing where ashes are marked on your forehead and the words 'you are dust and to dust you shall return. turn away from sin and be faithful to christ' are spoken to you. i need to hear that call away from my shadow, my dark side, my own selfishness and  to follow in the way of christ whose way is so inspiring and heed the call towards being the best version of me that can shine in the world. i will be attending a service this evening to hear and respond to that call. 

the internet has really made lent boom i think because it means so many people are sharing their ideas or resources which you can jump into. the challenge is that there is a lot around so you need to choose. it could easily end up being exhausting or unfocused or both - less is probably more. 

it's probably a bit late now and you may already be sorted but a couple of things i noticed...

a poem a day podcast from martin wroe. i loved the lifelines book and we used it in our weekly tuesday group to explore themes chosen by different people. and it so happens that the first poet on there is none other than harry baker who is currently on tour round the uk!

cms have produced a resource on lament. it feels like the state of the world calls for plenty of lament, not least the state of the church which continues to feel so flawed. the news of jean vanier's abuse left me reeling this week. 

proost as ever are producing creative things and they too are in the physical object mode sending lent letters to your door which i am sure will be delightful. sign up quick though.

i am sure you know of other things but if you choose to use lent as a season of reflection on life and faith go well. turn and be faithful!

how to disappear completely

the wonderful si smith has published a graphic novel with valley press. it's gorgeous drawing as ever and a powerful story in its own right, a story of loss and withdrawal. it's also clearly informed by christ's journey to the wilderness though i don't think you need to make that connection necessarily. it was originally commissioned as a piece to work with schools but is good news that is has made it to a wider audience. si says...

I’d previously produced work that relocated biblical narratives to present-day Leeds, and also explored the story of Christ in the wilderness, so this comic felt very much like a natural progression for me,’ Si explained. ‘It was a way of reflecting on the season of Lent, packing it with references and layering up the meaning so it bears repeated reading. It’s also deliberately quite open to interpretation, so readers can invest the narrative with their own meanings

you can order it through valley press here

entering silence

if you follow the blog you'll know i have reflected on silence before (this post links to a series i posted) and even done a photography exhibition on the theme. but i was delighted to see space to breathe have produced a resource on entering silence that is available on proost. it's available free during lent and then you'll have to pay after that. so if you want a bit of guidance exploring silence then look no further - and i am making this worship trick 71 in series 4. 

turn

well it's getting close to the season of lent. it's a time of year when grace, the community i am part of spend some time reflecting on what it means to follow christ in today's world. we'll be having a couple of grace services and then reading various things and discussing them over meals.

 

but if you are around london join us at grace on feb 10th for the first of two services exploring the themes of lent. themes for both are taken from words in the ash wednesday service ‘turn away from sin and be faithful to christ’. first up is ‘turn’ - face down your vices and join us in grace’s very own 3 step programme followed by grace café which will be serving up pancakes.

broken - a series for lent

well it's been a long time since i posted a worship trick but i was delighted to see paula gooder has written a lent course around the series broken. i thought the series was fabulous - a raw, honest story of a priest in england in the midst of a community with plenty of troubles and brokenness of its own while the priest is facing his own flashbacks of trauma in his own life. i think it's the best thing sean bean has done and is written by jimmy mcgovern who is a brilliant writer. and the course is available to download free here. we have already lined something else up in grace but let me know how you get on if you give it a try...

that's worship trick 71 in series 4 if anyone is counting!

how to disappear completely - si smith's latest

everything si smith produces i have loved so i was very excited to get how to disappear completely through the post this week. this is a comic for lent based in leeds. it's beautifully illustrated and follows one story that seemed to me to be a contemporary take on christ's journey into the wilderness. it's kind of a mini graphic novel but i guess that's what a comic is? you definitely don't need to be based in or know leeds to appreciate it. 

in case you don't know si's work he has a load of things on proost including the lovely 40. i think proost are likely to try and add this comic as a download at some point hopefully but to be honest it is best experienced in print and is only £5. go get yourself a copy...

i ma making it worship trick 70 in series 4

calling poets + resources for lent on proost

if you are looking for ideas and resources for lent then have a look at proost - an update with links to old and new material is here . lent seems to have become a season for many groups to explore faith creatively. in grace this year we will be reading and discussing about henri nouwen's book life of the beloved to reflect on discipleship and what it means to follow christ in today's world.

one of my favourite ever resources on proost is the collection of poetry learning to love and i'm really pleased to say that chris goan who curated that is now pulling together a second collection - go and read his blog post about it to find out how to contribute.

stations of lament: hope and the poetry of pain

yes before you complain i do know it's easter week and am personally reflecting on stories of the resurrection but... tuck this away for next year or something - stations of lament: hope and the poetry of pain. jason miller sent me a link to some things they had done in ohio in lent and holy week this year. i have blogged about his stuff before (though can't find the links). i don't know many communities using lamentations for worship but think there should be more. anyway one for the right season. and worship trick 62 in series 4 (that very slowly developing series!)

waiting and silence

waiting and silence is a new video on proost made by paul hutchinson and narrated by pádraig ó tuama.it is a  28 minute documentary, which explores a quaker meeting during an act of worship. it's perfect for lent exploring the role and function of silence and contemplation in our society. delighted to have this land at proost which continues to surprise against the odds with all sorts of creative content... there is a trailer here on youtube which gives the flavour.

if you follow the blog you'll know i am a big fan of silence - see for example the presence of silence

40 thoughts

i always like the season of lent. lent means spring and is simply a season of the church year in the run up to easter. traditionally it is a time of preparation for easter with a focus on discipleship. we have often used it in grace to reflect together on something in a bit more depth. this year we will be using ian adams 40 temptations for a few reflections and discussions over meals. 

there are always new creative things that appear each year. i always used to have more time to blog these kinds of things but will try nd mention one or two...

first up 40 thoughts - this has to be the simplest - one thought of a few words x 40 - nicely presented by tim watson. here's no 19... proost has this as a freebie in a pdf here. i am adding this as a worship trick - 61 in series 4

ashes to ashes - grace this saturday

lent starts this week. join us on saturday for grace for a lent communion by numbers...

40 temptations - something for lent

ian adams has produced another amazing resource - 40 temptations. it's a downloadable pdf booklet with 40 reflections which combine poetry, photography and mediation. they are profound, really profound. this booklet began its gestation last year as a series in morning bell which i remember being wowed by at the time. i'm not sure whether temptation is the right word - ian also describes them as taunts, a sort of internal (or external) script that tempts us to be less than we are or can be as humans made in god's likeness.

to give an example one is:

you don't belong here

the naming of these taunts is so powerful. i think we all have this kind of thing going on rumbling below the surface (or sometimes shouting loudly in our minds) to derail or sabotage us. it's quite a daring ask to set yourself or your community to face these down over lent. it's much easier to pretend they are not there to be honest, or at least to keep them hidden in the dark. but i dare you to journey with this resource over the season of lent either alone or with a community you are part of...

this is the third booklet like this that ian has produced - the other two are come and see - on starting a missional community; and give me a drink - on mission. those would also make good study resources for lent.

if you are looking for other ideas for lent have a look at proost news this month which links to a few things.

back in silence

it was lovely this week to get a few days retreat/silence/space for prayer. i found st clare's portiuncula on the web through the retreats web site. it is hosted by a fransiscan sisters community. the space itself has five rooms (hermitages) with a gorgeous view over the valley. the building is about 10 years old, beautifully designed with a lovely fountain in the centre that symbolises the overflowing of god's love for the world, and a chapel. it also has a peace garden with a gorgeous labyrinth in the chartres design. one morning when i walked this labyrinth it was so frosty that after each step the coldness of the stone left a frosty footprint as you can see in the photo. each day i met with one of the nuns to chat about how i was doing which was also helpful. i mostly tried to be silent and walk and pray and think but i did read chesterton's biography of st francis while i was there which was a good companion. it was a great way to head into lent...

new artists on proost - getting ready for easter...

if you are planning ahead for easter have a look at proost's resources for easter. there's some classics there and a few new things. 

on the subject of new it's wonderful to have a new artist or two on proost - steve leach (who is also training on the cms pioneer course) has an ep gardens with three electronic tracks responding to the three gardens of eden, gethsemane and paradise. 

restless: evening prayer for restless hearts also looks and sounds really beautiful - from tim snyder and aaron strumpel - both also new on proost! the sample track on this page is quite amazing...

giving space for soulwork

i have written a reflection for christine sine as part of her lent series over at godspace on giving space for soulwork. here's an extract...

We are all fractured and wounded, more perhaps than we know or like to admit and it is far easier to keep the front stage shiny and bright rather than risk have a look back stage and God forbid make ourselves vulnerable by allowing others to come and have a look back stage. But this journey towards the brokenness of our inner selves is essential if we are to become more fully who we are, which is our life’s work. We talk about this with students as ‘soulwork’. Lent it seems to me is a season that is a gift to us to do some of this journey, this paying attention and soulwork.   see here for full article

clear away the clutter

geez magazine are posting a good series on lent for skeptics - the latest is clear away the clutter

beware of your ears close your eyes - maundy thursday event at union chapel free!

no idea exactly what this event entails but union chapel are curating a series of events in the run up to easter. this one caught my eye and it's free. i'll be heading along - spread the word. no need to book either - just turn up. see you there... the blurb says

This is a non-conformist exploration of the senses for Maundy Thursday. An invitation to come and experience a hypnotic spectacle dominated by stroboscopy and industrial and noisetechno frequencies combined with sounds of Union Chapelʼs Henry Willis Organ. This has never been done before!

Light controlled electronics: xname

Organ: Claire M Singer

and a few other activities for lent...

there are so many resources around for lent now - my advice is to pick one thing and stick with that! if you want to see the things i have linked to over the years i have tagged anything with lent so you can scroll through.

christine sine is prolific in producing resources for both advent and lent. she has a whole range of stuff going on including a new book, lots of blogging and guest bloggers (i will be one), and this 40+ ideas for lent and holy week 

we (jenny and i) have janet morley's book with poems for lent to look through at home. 

grace are going to be reading through an altar in the world (not especially a lent book but lent is a season for reflecting on what it means to follow christ so will do nicely).

a book i think would be wonderful too is ian adams running over rocks. see beloved life for a whole load of resources around what ian and gail are up to...

make the most of the season anyway!