Showing posts with label resources. Show all posts
Showing posts with label resources. Show all posts
7.9.09
30.6.09
sophianetwork.org.uk
tomorrow i'll be attending a consulation day with sophianetwork, see below for information
_______________________________________
How can organisations and churches be places where both men and women thrive in ministry? Our consultation last year highlighted concerns about a lack of opportunities and support for women in Christian ministry. Is that a true reflection of what’s happening in the church?
The Equality and Human Rights Commission have highlighted five areas of persistent inequality in society that affect both men and women: the income gap; supporting modern families; public services; tackling violence and sharing power. Do these inequalities also exist in the church and in Christian organisations?
Come and share your experience, learn from others and help us find a way forward. To include input from Andrew McCracken and Mandy Marshall from Tearfund on their recent gender audit, and from Sally Nash on skills for collaborative ministry from her book.
When: Wednesday 1 July, 2009
Where: CPAS, Athena Drive, Tachbrook Park, Warwick, Warwickshire CV34 6NG
Time: 11am to 4pm
Lunch and refreshments will be provided.
We still have a few places so RSVP to Sharon Prior if you plan to come.
29.6.09
women who preach
reading through some stuff on sophianetwork, i came across this post on preaching tips.
the one that jumped out at me was this one:
'2. Develop your own style – don’t try to be like anyone else – you’ll be rumbled. Don’t be taken in by the popular blokey, shouty, stand-up comic style of preaching. Is that really the most effective way of communicating?'
in fact i had just been thinking about preaching styles and how my own experience of preaching has formed how i preach myself - and i'd been wondering how much i like that fact, or whether it inhibits me a bit.
recently a couple of people have said things like i preach with 'humility' and that i am 'softly spoken'. i had almost equal and opposite reaction to these comments. so often people are complimentary about those who speak with 'authority' (although i'm never really sure what that means), or who are passionate about what they are saying. i'm not sure how humility or mellifluence fits in with this idea of 'authority'.
i guess i am growing in my own style, growing up into being happy to be whoever i am when i preach, but it's sometimes quite difficult when there's such a lack of role models - not that i'd want to preach like anyone else, whether they're male or female - but this point about the 'popular blokey, shouty, stand-up comic style of preaching' really pinpointed something for me, because it really isn't my style and i had wondered if that was because i simply don't like being shouted at from the front of church myself, because of the experience of that being manipulative and coercive. however it seems that this is something that a few women have picked up on enough to say that women (and men?) should be released from this role model.
so is this a female thing? a style thing? a culture thing? a 'me' thing?
the one that jumped out at me was this one:
'2. Develop your own style – don’t try to be like anyone else – you’ll be rumbled. Don’t be taken in by the popular blokey, shouty, stand-up comic style of preaching. Is that really the most effective way of communicating?'
in fact i had just been thinking about preaching styles and how my own experience of preaching has formed how i preach myself - and i'd been wondering how much i like that fact, or whether it inhibits me a bit.
recently a couple of people have said things like i preach with 'humility' and that i am 'softly spoken'. i had almost equal and opposite reaction to these comments. so often people are complimentary about those who speak with 'authority' (although i'm never really sure what that means), or who are passionate about what they are saying. i'm not sure how humility or mellifluence fits in with this idea of 'authority'.
i guess i am growing in my own style, growing up into being happy to be whoever i am when i preach, but it's sometimes quite difficult when there's such a lack of role models - not that i'd want to preach like anyone else, whether they're male or female - but this point about the 'popular blokey, shouty, stand-up comic style of preaching' really pinpointed something for me, because it really isn't my style and i had wondered if that was because i simply don't like being shouted at from the front of church myself, because of the experience of that being manipulative and coercive. however it seems that this is something that a few women have picked up on enough to say that women (and men?) should be released from this role model.
so is this a female thing? a style thing? a culture thing? a 'me' thing?
25.6.09
new song old song
when i saw this i thought - wow! talk about recovering the old chants.
having spent a couple of hours in westminster abbey yesterday at graham kings' consecration as bishop of sherborne, and listening to the wonderful music that was part of the liturgical rhythm and reading through simon barrington ward's 'the jesus prayer', i think there's definitely something 'soul deep' about this way of worship.
having spent a couple of hours in westminster abbey yesterday at graham kings' consecration as bishop of sherborne, and listening to the wonderful music that was part of the liturgical rhythm and reading through simon barrington ward's 'the jesus prayer', i think there's definitely something 'soul deep' about this way of worship.
15.6.09
about a boy
i've been reading an awesome book lately - and it's not a christian one.
well, at least any book which calls itself 'raising cain' and has reference to the story of cain and abel, must surely have authors which have some kind of knowledge, but technically the book is written by two psychologists who work particularly with boys and sometimes men who need a little help, and sometimes a lot of help.
my mum gave me the book, she's just retired from social work and her last few years have been in education, working with those who don't really fit into school very well.
the authors are attempting to stem the flood of those boys who grow into men and never really get taught to know and love who they are, and so cannot learn what it is to know and understand the emotions and inner life of others around them. it is one of the only books which i have encountered so far which neither majors on the 'essential difference' between the genders, nor denies that there is one. there is a certain amount of reticence about the supposed biological differences (which appeals to me), a matter of fact-ness about nature and nurture being pretty much a 50-50 split when it comes to our identity, and a bowing to the seemingly irrefutable evidence that the top 'difference' between boys and girls in our childhood development is that boys are so much more active and girls tend to be able to articulate themselves better.
they also admit that there are always exceptions to the rule, but that that doesn't negate the need to deal with the way we respond to our children when this is the way they act - in general.
for any of you who have boys, as i do, i wonder if this resonates with you - it certainly did with me: high levels of activity are seen and understood negatively. what is, the authors argue, a normal 'boyness', is received by others around them as 'badness'.
a small example in my own family is the fidgetiness of my boy at the table. so we sit down to eat and he can barely contain himself! fidget fidget, sometimes he just stands by his chair, or starts to sit on my knee, or stands on his chair. it's irritating, and i find myself saying 'sit down' 'stop fidgeting'. but he's not doing anything wrong. i remember my dad saying that when he was a boy if they could have put all the food you needed into a pill to take, then that would have been fine with him - having to stop to eat was just such a bore.
the book continues to talk about how boys are militated against in schools because of this high activity level and that there are now so many more boys labelled with ADD/ADHD, now that there is a label. they even talk about the probability in their opinion that some are simply medicating against 'boyness' rather than illness.
it broke my heart actually, reading some of the case studies and watching my own boy. i love my boy (love my girl too, but for now this is about boys), he's got such an inner life, i'd hate him to lose that. he reminds me of me a lot, which is where the gender thing confuses me a little - my children seem to fit more readily into the 'sibling position' thing than the gender thing. my boy is a classic 'baby', as am i, and my daughter reminds me so much of my older sister it ain't funny. but he is definitely a boy - his energy levels are off the roof - and i'm not sure that boys are treated so well in our culture. their propensity as a human being for emotional connection with themselves and therefore others, is mitigated by the social pressure to 'be a man'. and i can try my best to model otherwise, but i'm not a man. my boy needs his dad and other men to model emotional literacy to him because 'he must see and believe that emotions belong in the life of a man.'
the book has many treasures, but for now i'm going to leave you with a secular book's exegesis of a biblical passage - a hope for a different ending for the 'cains' who now walk our world:
Cain's story describes every boy's desire to please - especially to please his father - and the sequence of ill-managed emotional reactions that lead to a tragic ending. we see a reflection of boys today in cain's disappointment and shame at his heavenly father's rejection, his anger at feeling disrespected, his silenced voice in the turmoil of feeling, the absence of empathy or emotional reflection, and his impulsive act of anger.
for us, cain's story resonates in the lives of boys today when we see them distanced from their own feelings and insensitive to the feelings of others, so clearly suffering the consequences of an impoverished emotional life.
before cain kills his brother, God reminds him: 'sin crouches at the door, its urge is toward you. yet you can be its master.' how different cain's story might have been had he been able to draw upon inner resources, emotional awareness, empathy, and moral courage, for instance, to master the moment. but this emotional education was missing for cain, and it continues to be the missing piece in the lives of most boys today.
well, at least any book which calls itself 'raising cain' and has reference to the story of cain and abel, must surely have authors which have some kind of knowledge, but technically the book is written by two psychologists who work particularly with boys and sometimes men who need a little help, and sometimes a lot of help.
my mum gave me the book, she's just retired from social work and her last few years have been in education, working with those who don't really fit into school very well.
the authors are attempting to stem the flood of those boys who grow into men and never really get taught to know and love who they are, and so cannot learn what it is to know and understand the emotions and inner life of others around them. it is one of the only books which i have encountered so far which neither majors on the 'essential difference' between the genders, nor denies that there is one. there is a certain amount of reticence about the supposed biological differences (which appeals to me), a matter of fact-ness about nature and nurture being pretty much a 50-50 split when it comes to our identity, and a bowing to the seemingly irrefutable evidence that the top 'difference' between boys and girls in our childhood development is that boys are so much more active and girls tend to be able to articulate themselves better.
they also admit that there are always exceptions to the rule, but that that doesn't negate the need to deal with the way we respond to our children when this is the way they act - in general.
for any of you who have boys, as i do, i wonder if this resonates with you - it certainly did with me: high levels of activity are seen and understood negatively. what is, the authors argue, a normal 'boyness', is received by others around them as 'badness'.
a small example in my own family is the fidgetiness of my boy at the table. so we sit down to eat and he can barely contain himself! fidget fidget, sometimes he just stands by his chair, or starts to sit on my knee, or stands on his chair. it's irritating, and i find myself saying 'sit down' 'stop fidgeting'. but he's not doing anything wrong. i remember my dad saying that when he was a boy if they could have put all the food you needed into a pill to take, then that would have been fine with him - having to stop to eat was just such a bore.
the book continues to talk about how boys are militated against in schools because of this high activity level and that there are now so many more boys labelled with ADD/ADHD, now that there is a label. they even talk about the probability in their opinion that some are simply medicating against 'boyness' rather than illness.
it broke my heart actually, reading some of the case studies and watching my own boy. i love my boy (love my girl too, but for now this is about boys), he's got such an inner life, i'd hate him to lose that. he reminds me of me a lot, which is where the gender thing confuses me a little - my children seem to fit more readily into the 'sibling position' thing than the gender thing. my boy is a classic 'baby', as am i, and my daughter reminds me so much of my older sister it ain't funny. but he is definitely a boy - his energy levels are off the roof - and i'm not sure that boys are treated so well in our culture. their propensity as a human being for emotional connection with themselves and therefore others, is mitigated by the social pressure to 'be a man'. and i can try my best to model otherwise, but i'm not a man. my boy needs his dad and other men to model emotional literacy to him because 'he must see and believe that emotions belong in the life of a man.'
the book has many treasures, but for now i'm going to leave you with a secular book's exegesis of a biblical passage - a hope for a different ending for the 'cains' who now walk our world:
Cain's story describes every boy's desire to please - especially to please his father - and the sequence of ill-managed emotional reactions that lead to a tragic ending. we see a reflection of boys today in cain's disappointment and shame at his heavenly father's rejection, his anger at feeling disrespected, his silenced voice in the turmoil of feeling, the absence of empathy or emotional reflection, and his impulsive act of anger.
for us, cain's story resonates in the lives of boys today when we see them distanced from their own feelings and insensitive to the feelings of others, so clearly suffering the consequences of an impoverished emotional life.
before cain kills his brother, God reminds him: 'sin crouches at the door, its urge is toward you. yet you can be its master.' how different cain's story might have been had he been able to draw upon inner resources, emotional awareness, empathy, and moral courage, for instance, to master the moment. but this emotional education was missing for cain, and it continues to be the missing piece in the lives of most boys today.
18.5.09
30.3.09
29.3.09
on disagreeing
i found this article on david runcorn's website (a good resource, recently discovered) - it is deeply challenging.
25.3.09
yes
yes
when i said yes
i didn't know
the sacrifice to come
i was so young
when i said yes
i didn't know
what it really meant
to be heaven sent
when i said yes
i didn't know
who could tell?
it was immanuel
when i said yes
i didn't know
that blessing's cost
a son, lost
when i said yes
i didn't know
an empty cave
a world to save
when i said yes
i didn't know
a history made
that doesn't fade
when i said yes
i didn't know
i would hold his hand
in the promised land
when i said yes
i didn't know
when i said yes
i didn't know
the sacrifice to come
i was so young
when i said yes
i didn't know
what it really meant
to be heaven sent
when i said yes
i didn't know
who could tell?
it was immanuel
when i said yes
i didn't know
that blessing's cost
a son, lost
when i said yes
i didn't know
an empty cave
a world to save
when i said yes
i didn't know
a history made
that doesn't fade
when i said yes
i didn't know
i would hold his hand
in the promised land
when i said yes
i didn't know
23.2.09
book reviews
christianbookshop is just about to publish my reviews of two lenten books: 'journey to jerusalem' and 'fasting and feasting'.
you can find one of them here and the other one should appear at some point today.
whatever resources you choose over the next six weeks, enjoy your lenten journey as you turn once again to reflect on what it means to turn your own face to 'jerusalem' and direct your own path to follow the way of the cross.
you can find one of them here and the other one should appear at some point today.
whatever resources you choose over the next six weeks, enjoy your lenten journey as you turn once again to reflect on what it means to turn your own face to 'jerusalem' and direct your own path to follow the way of the cross.
29.1.09
those days are not over
stop the traffik are beginning another campaign aimed at raising the awareness of local communities to the presence of traffiking, and encouraging people to action.
one of the things that we can do is to send a letter to our government (local, national) to ask what they are doing to prevent traffiking, and if there is anything else that we can do to help stamp out this rot.
you can find some UK specific information on thetruthisntsexy website, which is a campaign that has run for a year to raise awareness of the problem of sex traffiking in the UK in particular - raising awareness and making sure that we don't forget that this is a current issue which still needs tackling and isn't going to go away. that campaign is over now, as they pass on the baton to those who've been involved, and others, like stop the traffik, who continue on a more global scale.
sting may have wished his plaintive 'raaaaaaxanne' to ring with truth - but the truth is that women are still bought and sold, still treated as chattels, still silenced, still pushed into the private sphere where they can be abused. unfortunately the days of the red light are still with us.
the question is, what are we going to do about it?
13.1.09
dogger-el
they say we're from mars and from venus
i think this a label quite heinous
for when all's said and done
and a friendship is won
does it matter which one has a....
better spacial awareness enabling parking the car to be undertaken more efficiently, according to recent scientific studies
i think this a label quite heinous
for when all's said and done
and a friendship is won
does it matter which one has a....
better spacial awareness enabling parking the car to be undertaken more efficiently, according to recent scientific studies
15.12.08
rejesus
last thursday it was my job to organise a 'christmas meditation' for the small group i lead. this kind of thing is something that i love doing, a particular favourite of mine, and i thought i would set up a couple of little 'stations' around my house for us to move around and engage in.
in trying to find something a bit different for some of these stations i discovered a gem of a module from the rejesus website in the form of this nativity icon. on the website you can click on one of the characters in the icon and spend some time reading the reflection and prayer. it takes about 10-15 minutes (depending on how meditative you're feeling) and is excellent for an interactive meditation like the one that we did, and just as good on your own.
go and enjoy
in trying to find something a bit different for some of these stations i discovered a gem of a module from the rejesus website in the form of this nativity icon. on the website you can click on one of the characters in the icon and spend some time reading the reflection and prayer. it takes about 10-15 minutes (depending on how meditative you're feeling) and is excellent for an interactive meditation like the one that we did, and just as good on your own.
go and enjoy
10.12.08
1.12.08
today creed
rachel tagged me to take part in a creed meme that started here and i decided to do one that is a very specific contemporary one - because in the last three months we've known sickness and because today my friend's husband lost his job and because sometimes we get tired and just need a friend. it isn't one for always, it is for today.
__________________________________________
we believe in God
the healer of healers
master above masters
friend of friends
she is beyond
she is above
she is with
she is Father Son Spirit
i tag dennis, maggi, jon
__________________________________________
we believe in God
the healer of healers
master above masters
friend of friends
she is beyond
she is above
she is with
she is Father Son Spirit
i tag dennis, maggi, jon
29.11.08
the cup
the cup holds all things
my hopes, my dreams
is it empty
or full?
the cup holds all things
the stuff of life that overwhelms
filled to the brim
what if it spills?
the cup holds all things
the wrath which will save me
if i drink
will i stand?
the cup holds all things
the wine of the banquet
offered freely
come, drink!
28.11.08
note to self - don't babylon
BABYLON: (1) city situated on the river euphrates to which the israelites were exiled (2) what a lot of preachers do
_________________________________
the above quotation comes from adrian plass' recent offering to us to make us not take ourselves too seriously, something for which i am eternally grateful.
however this one whilst admittedly raising a snigger, did make me ponder on something that i've observed for a little while now. namely that there seems to be a particular evangelical movement to preach sermons that last at least 45 minutes.
i don't know where this has come from, most of us have had to listen to long sermons and i doubt that many of us have thought, 'oh, we're on point 6 out of 10, goody another 4 to go'. now i love preaching, i take it very seriously - i guess i have quite a 'high' view of preaching to go with my 'high' view of scripture. but precisely because of my high view of preaching, i don't find that i need to be anxious if i haven't said absolutely everything about the text in front of me, or the issues which it might speak about, or to. but it's difficult not to get drawn into this as a preacher. like the more you can say means you're somehow more of a preacher - i'm sure there's some psychoanalysis to be done on that.
perhaps it's apocryphal, that thing that they say about people switching off after 20 minutes, but simply from my own experience of being in a congregation, i have found that a i glaze over somewhere beyond 25/30 minutes, partly because of seat comfort, partly because of brain overload, and partly because the probability is that the preacher has started to repeat themselves at this point. okay, it does depend on the context i suppose - sometimes you expect a longer sermon or talk, like if you go to a conference setting or something (even then it can be difficult not to find yourself dreaming of coffee and a caramel slice........), or if you are going to a teaching session on something - but this is not preaching. preaching is something other than that, where it is promised that the word will be brought to life and it will not return empty. it holds a promise of God for him to be present when his word is preached.
it's mysterion or sacrament to us.
so what do we think, that the holy spirit can't pierce someone's heart in 10 minutes? or 20? sometimes i think we need reminding that this is God's living word, he is the one who brings it to life, not us.
_________________________________
the above quotation comes from adrian plass' recent offering to us to make us not take ourselves too seriously, something for which i am eternally grateful.
however this one whilst admittedly raising a snigger, did make me ponder on something that i've observed for a little while now. namely that there seems to be a particular evangelical movement to preach sermons that last at least 45 minutes.
i don't know where this has come from, most of us have had to listen to long sermons and i doubt that many of us have thought, 'oh, we're on point 6 out of 10, goody another 4 to go'. now i love preaching, i take it very seriously - i guess i have quite a 'high' view of preaching to go with my 'high' view of scripture. but precisely because of my high view of preaching, i don't find that i need to be anxious if i haven't said absolutely everything about the text in front of me, or the issues which it might speak about, or to. but it's difficult not to get drawn into this as a preacher. like the more you can say means you're somehow more of a preacher - i'm sure there's some psychoanalysis to be done on that.
perhaps it's apocryphal, that thing that they say about people switching off after 20 minutes, but simply from my own experience of being in a congregation, i have found that a i glaze over somewhere beyond 25/30 minutes, partly because of seat comfort, partly because of brain overload, and partly because the probability is that the preacher has started to repeat themselves at this point. okay, it does depend on the context i suppose - sometimes you expect a longer sermon or talk, like if you go to a conference setting or something (even then it can be difficult not to find yourself dreaming of coffee and a caramel slice........), or if you are going to a teaching session on something - but this is not preaching. preaching is something other than that, where it is promised that the word will be brought to life and it will not return empty. it holds a promise of God for him to be present when his word is preached.
it's mysterion or sacrament to us.
so what do we think, that the holy spirit can't pierce someone's heart in 10 minutes? or 20? sometimes i think we need reminding that this is God's living word, he is the one who brings it to life, not us.
25.9.08
blessings
May we be blessed.
As we look to the year ahead, and the year gone by.
As we return to our schools and workplaces and find New rocks and New brambles.
May you be blessed as you engage with others, as you find the time to participate and give others the chance to do the same.
May you have the courage to create and take risks,and may you find your rest in God.
May you be blessed, as you show your weaknesses and accept God's Grace.
May others see that you are fragile that they might join in your fragility.
May our broken edges fit together to become one body.
As Christ kept the holes in his hands and feet having rose from the dead,may we keep our wounds even after we have healed.
May you be blessed as you are healed by Christ's own wounds.
May you become broken in order to become whole.
May you become whole by knowing you are broken.
May you remember your wounds and embrace your hurt.
May you go into the places that scare you.May you deal with anger and with sadness
And may God be with you all the way.
May you be blessed, that you are perfect in your imperfections -as you are forgiven, but never forgotten.
May you be blessed, as you are accepted as you are.
As you are broken.
As you are wounded.
As you are hurt.
As you are loved.
Amen.
from jonny's blog
As we look to the year ahead, and the year gone by.
As we return to our schools and workplaces and find New rocks and New brambles.
May you be blessed as you engage with others, as you find the time to participate and give others the chance to do the same.
May you have the courage to create and take risks,and may you find your rest in God.
May you be blessed, as you show your weaknesses and accept God's Grace.
May others see that you are fragile that they might join in your fragility.
May our broken edges fit together to become one body.
As Christ kept the holes in his hands and feet having rose from the dead,may we keep our wounds even after we have healed.
May you be blessed as you are healed by Christ's own wounds.
May you become broken in order to become whole.
May you become whole by knowing you are broken.
May you remember your wounds and embrace your hurt.
May you go into the places that scare you.May you deal with anger and with sadness
And may God be with you all the way.
May you be blessed, that you are perfect in your imperfections -as you are forgiven, but never forgotten.
May you be blessed, as you are accepted as you are.
As you are broken.
As you are wounded.
As you are hurt.
As you are loved.
Amen.
from jonny's blog
23.5.08
3.2.08
#4
4th meditation: pick up your cross
readings
The tempter came and said to him ‘If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.’….’If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down; for it is written, “He will command his angels concerning you”’….Again, the devil…showed him all the kingdoms of the world… ‘All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me’….
MATTHEW 4:3-9
…sin is lurking at the door; its desire is for you, but you must master it.
GENESIS 4:7
readings
The tempter came and said to him ‘If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.’….’If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down; for it is written, “He will command his angels concerning you”’….Again, the devil…showed him all the kingdoms of the world… ‘All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me’….
MATTHEW 4:3-9
…sin is lurking at the door; its desire is for you, but you must master it.
GENESIS 4:7
moment of thought
For Christ this was the place where he decided to go the way of the cross. The temptations that Satan presents him with – an instant following, security in his identity as the Son of God, and in his kingship over all creation – all these things are his already, but the temptation is not those things in themselves, rather the way in which Jesus acquires them. Jesus knows that the way we do something is as important as what we do.
The temptation is ‘the way of the cross’ vs ‘the way of violence’ and exerting power by force.
The wilderness becomes the cross roads – do we choose to pick up the cross and follow Jesus?
prayer
because You are love
I desire You
because You are the forerunner
I follow You
because I am broken
You heal me
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