Tag: God

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Advent Project – An extraordinary story…

Ordinary people, in an ordinary place… an extraordinary story…

A few years back, I helped produce a project that portrayed people from a local village, relating them to characters in ‘The Christmas Story’.

‘Ordinary’ people in their ‘ordinary’ place – we are perhaps all part of an ‘extraordinary’ story. 

Recently, Jill Marsh the District Mission Enabler for Northampton Methodist District commented on the project and suggested we might help produce similar for others. It’s a simple idea that could perhaps resonate in YOUR community…

A local church chose nine nativity characters and nine corresponding pictures of people from their village life. You can see the original project here: Ordinary People. The project was printed as posters and displayed in a local shop window for shoppers and passers by to see. 

You could do similar in your community!

If you like the idea, I’d be happy to artwork and supply graphic poster images for you*. I can arrange cost-effective printing and delivery of A2 posters for you to display, and/or supply your images for online social/media use. *For a small donation to cover my time.

Using your images of the people around your community, it perhaps could help people think about what the nativity story means today. 

All you’d need to supply is nine quality images with captions, (it’s important to obtain consent for them to be used), and supply any local / logo and details etc. 

Images used previously were:

  • ‘Guiding Star’ – Guiding eg. a crossing patrol person
  • ‘Choir of Angels’ – Singing eg. playgroup school class
  • ‘Shepherds’ – Working eg. work men/women
  • ‘Mary’ – Expecting eg. mother to be
  • ‘Magi’ – Bringing eg. visitors
  • ‘Bethlehem’ – Waiting eg. village sign population
  • ‘Census Officials’ – Organising eg. parish council officers
  • ‘Inn Keeper’ – Hosting eg. barman/lady
  • ‘Angel Gabriel’ – Messenger eg. post-person

Let me know if you are interested, and if I can help. Contact me here Jules Richards 

 

Ordinary people in an ordinary place – an extraordinary story…

(Note: images shown here in here have blurred faces to respect individuals identity from this project dated 2011)

Or do it all yourself…

If you just want to do-it-yourself, below is a link to a DIY Microsoft Word document (ick!) for you to use and put your own images in.  It’s not very elegant but you can edit it and ‘change the photos’ with your own photos.  The quality may not be ideal for large prints but you can do-it-yourself yourselves at home.

Simply feel free to download, edit the text, and ‘change’ the photos. (‘change’ see below)

Please credit me for my efforts where appropriate. Any questions contact me.
Jules P Richards

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5 minutes with God

In a past life… I created bookmarks for Bookmark People. Bookmark People are no longer trading.

The bookmarks below have been updated! Here: ‘Five Mindful Minutes’

Printed full-colour double-sided on 350gsm silk artboard. Boxed and delivered to one UK address. 

5minutesCorner

The text reads:

5 minutes with God…
Sit down comfortably, feet flat on the floor.

  • For one minute, just be still: relax your muscles, calm your breathing, listen.
  • For one minute, remember something you are grateful for. Say thank-you to God for it, and be sure that God is happy for you.
  • For one minute, remember something you regret. Say sorry to God for it, and be sure that God forgives you.
  • For one minute, think of some good thing you would like for another person. Ask God for it. If what you want just isn’t possible, God will still use your prayer to bless that person.
  • For one minute, think of some good thing you would like for
    yourself. Ask God to show you if it’s right for you, and listen for
    the answer. God seeks to guide you…
  • May the peace of God be with you.

Original text by: Moira Biggins – NEMACT

5minutesBookIf you’re interested in these or perhaps something similar – just get in touch…

Contact Jules…

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Two for joy.

Nowt specific to focus on, but lots of eddies and currents going on.  After the advent-urous Christmas excitements, January sees a wake of settling sediments.

P1080960xxI caught these two magpies this morning on the early morning walk with the dog. It’s usually Em that takes Bracken out, but occasionally, usually a Sunday, I’ll get up and out early leaving Em to lay in – realistically Em’s Sunday lay in will typically turn into and early morning fest with the kids.

One for sorrow, two for joy… yadda yadda… goes the ritual rhyme, there are various versions but we stop at two (as we did with the kids, a sighting of 3 or 4 magpies is not really entertained). We tell the kids that one for sorrow usually means that the one magpie has lost his friend but that it’s probably around somewhere you just have to look harder for it.

My mid-life turbulence is accompanied by a sort of ‘return to nature’ thing going on with the old personal world-view.  I sense this might be reinforced by the infotainment media’s magnificent nature/science output, part of the bread and circus we are fed.  We are served imagery and coverage that is just fantastic and ‘out of this world’!  It’s easy to take for granted the stuff we see on our TV/PC screens but the common place close-ups and slow-mo we see would not have been dreamt of when we were young!

It’s a beautiful but also raw and cruel natural world; stuff blossoms, blooms, decays, dies, transforms. Stuff kills, feeds, struggles, in circles and rhythms – nature is a wondrous thing.

2014-01-08 21.26.46I have and for now will refrain from writing about my relationship to our dog. Save to say it’s significant. Bracken is/was Em’s project but I have taken to him full on. Yes he’s a dog and we try to maintain animal / human sensibilities, but one can’t help noticing the warmth of a living creature when he sleeps on your lap. When he looks for attention. When he shows ‘signs’ of affection. When he identifies with you as his ‘master’?  It’s nature.  An ongoing discovery.

The morning walks, as with the daily commutes, bring you closer to the elements and the seasons – again you feel closer to nature, more alive.

Where these ‘out of this world’ experiences link up with a supreme being, a creator, a trinitarian god, I cannot comprehend. Nature is not the biblical God, nature is a living breathing growing moving feast that shapes us and makes us what we are. Just look at the recent storms, that form and reform our environment. Just look at the fragile chemical soups that form our brains and characters. We constantly battle to forge our place in the natural world. We constantly battle to settle our physiology and psychology with drugs and medicine as well as habit and ritual. There’s a bigger thing than us indeed, but perhaps focusing on it becomes harder as life goes on.

OK, I’m also currently distracted by a few books and stuff that I received last month which will no doubt cause effect in due-course but generally there’s…

Nowt specific to focus on… ? except the world WE live in?

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post-puzzled…

After my last “puzzled” post, an appealing poem by Gerard Kelly was shared with me.
Thanks R.

puzzle

This poem/prayer is something many can identify with, however, for me, its dressing of religious tones is unhelpful (for me… I think).

I support the idea and practice of “faith and understanding” within various religious subcultures, but personally I have difficuties with our relationship with the terminology surrounding “God”, and the ideology outlining the reality that “is” true life.

For me, a prayer, which is what this is, needs to be ‘real’ for it to truly be exercised; to come alive when read and hence ressonate with the reader.

I applaud such word-smithery for its conviction, and indeed such as this does help many pilgrims to realise their faith.

But for me, for now, I have to rework it to fit my perspective – I guess it’s just me?

For me, the contemporary idea of Christianity’s ‘God’, carries sooooo much baggage, inference, misunderstanding, disillusionment and disappointment…

For me, I struggle to name this reality of ‘God’.  Naming ‘it’ tends to colour it with an often unhelpful character. Even “nature”, “spirit”, “a glorious righteous life-force” might be unhelpful.

But ‘it’ is a reality, and should be sought, embraced and respected.

Fit me In Somewhere
By Gerard Kelly [notes JPR] Fit me in somewhere
In this giant jigsaw, God*.
Somewhere in this work of art you’re* working,
Select a space my shape can fill
And with a puzzle maker’s skill
Let my contours find their fit without contortion.


Teach me [help me see] which patch I am[might be], God*,
In the cosmic quilt you’re quilting. [quilt too positive? Warm and fuzzy?, suggest picture, painting?]
Show me where my square of selfhood is of use.
Let the colourful complexities
Of the pattern that is me
Find their purpose in the placement that you* choose. [“right place”? I have yet to know god’s opinion?]


Show me my position, God*,
in this group photograph.
Stand me where you* want me to stand.
Put me next to whom you* will.
Make me stand, for good or ill,
Precisely in the place your plan [your plan? “true life”]demands.

Tell me what I am, God*
in this body you* are building [not sure]:
a tongue to taste,
a nerve to serve,
an ear to hear.
Give me grace
to not be, gracefully,
the parts I am not called to be
and to play with elegance
the roles I’m given.

Fit me in somewhere
In the giant jigsaw, God*,
Somewhere in this work of art you’re working.
Weave your wondrous tapestry
Until the twisted, tangled threads of me,
Surrendered to your artistry,
Form an image that is beautiful to see.

[yet still aware of the tapestry’s thready loose ends on the back ;-)]

*For me ‘God’ carries sooooo much baggage and inference, misunderstanding and disappointment…  

 

 Fit me In Somewhere Also…
(after Gerard Kelly…)O true life, that is right, all-encompassing and real…

Fit me in somewhere
In this giant jigsaw.
Somewhere in this living work of art
Select a space my shape can fill
And with a puzzle maker’s skill
Let my contours find their fit without contortion.
Help me know which patch I might be,
In the cosmic picture you’re, painting.
Show me where my square of selfhood is of use.
Let the colourful complexities
Of the pattern that is me
Find their purpose in the a place that right, good and true.

Show me my position, in this group photograph.
Stand me where‘s best to stand.
Put me next to whom you will.
Make me stand, for good or ill,
Precisely in the place your true living demands.

Tell me what I am, in this body that’s growing:
a tongue to taste,
a nerve to serve,
an ear to hear.
Give me grace
to not be, gracefully,
the parts I am not called to be
and to play with elegance
the roles I’m given.

Fit me in somewhere
In the giant jigsaw,
Somewhere in this living work of art.
Weave your wondrous tapestry
Until the twisted, tangled threads of me,
Surrendered to your artistry,
Form an image that is beautiful to see.

[yet still aware of the tapestry’s thready loose ends on the back ;-)]

O true life that is right and encompassing and real, Fit me in somewhere…

 
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Worship?

I commented on “worship” last October: taking a bath the interaction between things is what make them…

I recently saw someone comment that they “NEED to worship God”, that when they begin to worship “something happens within me… natural selfishness gets kicked out the back door and my heart* opens up to the transforming, powerful, grace-filled-love* of God*.  …it reminds me… that all of the responsibilities and struggles I take on are in his-hands*, and that I can trust him to walk-with-me* and not abandon me, to give me the words and the strength.  …to remember the love-he-has-for-me*, to be open to the work of the Holy-Spirit* and to remind myself that he is that centre. Worship helps me to know that I-am-loved*, and it sets me free to love others, and to see the grace-of-God* at work in the world around me.” 

They commented: “so often in discussions about worship we have a tendency to make worship about us and not about God. …it is important that we don’t forget what it is for and who it is about. In worship God becomes greater and I-become-less*…     I need to worship!”

(I have concerns with some of these * notions)

My admittedly imperfect perspective might be as follows:
I need to worship (to adore, revere, respect, devote, admire, venerate, celebrate?) the thing /notion/sense/power(?) that is bigger than us all”.
When I recognise the reality of otherness and possibilities, it helps to refocus on the bigger picture and review perspectives, attitudes and opinions in a fresh way.
To repeatedly recognise the fabula (story) of ‘life’, and reappraise the sjužet (discourse, perspectives, attitudes, opinions – interaction) can enrich the poor, liven the dead, and can make the blind see.
To review the selfishness that often hinders creativity and open up to the transforming, power of reconsideration.
Life is limited but the clouds move.
This worship reminds me that I am relevant in daily the interaction and it sets me free to let others be.
Worship is about us as part of the fabula and yes, it is important that we don’t forget our place in things.
In worship, life becomes greater and we become more real…        we need to worship!”

(None of this considers the euphoria, endorphins and satisfaction induced by standing and singing etc – that’s another topic.)

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A method in the madness?

Methodism and the Cornish Miner: a worthwhile read of you have 30mins.

I was given this pamphlet recently by a friend of a friend. It was produced in 1960. It’s the type of thing that could easily Have been lost! I found it a worthwhile short read -but then again I can identify with being brought up in the 70s in the pews of Cornish Methodism.

This account details how at a certain point in history, the church and its activities had a great effect… (?)

Even if you have no spiritual life/faith, Christian ideas have always given practical advice about how to handle failure, dejection and loss… etc.

It may be no accident that the huge increase in the incidence of common mental health issues seems to coincide with the decline of religion in the West and the loss of a whole tradition experienced in dealing with, if not answering, life’s unanswerable questions. There might be extreme misdirection but there might be also valuable insights offered by Christian teaching if you can fend off the theological language and hoopla in which it’s dressed.
Download a scanned copy here – GDRIVE link: Methodism and the Cornish Miner

Download a scanned copy here – DROPBOX link: Methodism and the Cornish Miner

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Elephant Juice

20120127-220251.jpg

Elephant Juice

As a teenager, I watched the Royal Institution Christmas Lectures. This is a tradition I try to keep up each year. It’s a bit like reading Usborne Guides for children; entertaining, bite-size, palatable info that I find much easier to swallow.

This year the RICL was about ‘the brain’, and was entertaining as ever. It reminded me that “what we perceive” is but a subjective notion and that what others perceive might be similar but not the same. In fact what we conceive of seeing is sometimes at odds with what was ‘true’… A minefield I know! …but fun!
It illustrated that our brains ‘memorise’ (encode) stimuli, map patterns, and retrieve or create perceptions etc. (neural activity, chemicals, electricity).
Take a look: http://richannel.org/christmas-lectures-2011-bruce-hood–whats-in-your-head
It was fascinating to observe visual illusions that illustrated the limits of our visual perception.
That we only clearly see a visual tunnel of a few inches at a time and via stepped saccades we build up our idea of what we’re experiencing. The Change Blindness illustration was enlightening: http://youtu.be/ImQFQj6yvVE?t=32s

And so we are what we think and we think what we are… the paralysis of analysis – my Achilles heel.
And so… thankfully, enter the conciliating creations of myth, song, fable and assurance.
The logic is fair enough and indeed wondrous, but I also wonder what we might do if it were not for the colouring, soothing, palliative artistry that culture, art, nature, and meaning give us.
Without my dose of coffee, cheese, music, fiction and wonder, I would be more lost that I am.

Turn to your friend and silently mouth the words “elephant juice” to them while they watch you… what do they see you say?

Thank ‘heavens’ for mystery.

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What if Immanuel? Ordinary people, ordinary place, extraordinary story

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2011 – I’ve produced some artwork recently for a project portraying people from a local village in Leicestershire and relating them to characters in ‘The Christmas Story’.
The local church identified 9 nativity characters and 9 corresponding pictures of people from contemporary village life. An interesting piece of creativity!
It’s to be on display in a shop window in Sibson Road in Birstall, for shoppers and passers by. Ordinary people, ordinary place, extraordinary story.

Extraordinary Story

It caused me to ponder various things… the obvious: ‘what if a God was one of us?’
The seasonal: Immanuel, ‘God is with us’?
“The Christmas Story” a curious story that I’m told differs in each gospel account and has had heaps tagged onto it over the years… to the point that I wonder if elves and reindeer were present in the stable? Oh and coke cola and red stuff.
God became man… ? We can wonder at the significance of the prophesied birth. Light and angelic hope…
I dunno…
The project above asks, if it happened today, “where would you (and I) be in it”?

Hummm… I can’t imagine…

I’d like to think that I could sense the majesty and grace of such a prospective happening, but can’t see myself as the chosen host, the visitors, the authorities or the worshippers… but I guess I am still one of the ‘us’.

Immanuel, ‘God is with us’?

Check it out anyway, it’s produced by the Methodist Church in Birstall all credit to Rachel Parkinson and her team. It’s on Sibson Road Birstall – from next week.
Ordinary people, ordinary place, extraordinary story.

(Note: images shown here in here have blurred faces to respect individuals identity as this project is dated 2011)

(There's a new 2020 post click here with a free to download do-it-yourself template!)