SATMIX - Seeing is Believing?

the 'happening' is programmed...

the word is out...

Saturday 19 March...

Seeing is Believing?

ALLO DARLIN

Saw Allo Darlin at the Aéronef in Lille this evening.

an energetic concert from the 4-piece anglo-aussie band.

Elizabeth Morris gave a dazzling performance with

ukelele in hand and clear distinct vocals. (she's got a great voice)

The lads played a tight vigorous set.

They gave magical renderings of The Polaroid Song,

Dreaming, My Heart is a Drummer, Lets Go Swimming and

Kiss Your Lips. We were given a couple of samples of their

new material that will be on their new record coming out

in April.

An enjoyable show.

The only complaint was the shortness of the concert,

1 hour maximum.

Pour Un Christ Vert

I've just finished reading a fascinating book by Hélène & Jean Bastaire.

They argue that in the 60s we had a 'red Christ' and that today the 'green Christ' is now more appropriate. We are faced with climatic problems, famine, pollution and the likes and for the authors the Christian needs to recognize the 'Cosmic Christ' and his work of salvation of the whole cosmos. We are to join in with him in the task of freeing the creation from the consequences of our stupid ways; to be good (gérants) managers of the earth...

A good read and reminder of our wider duties as human beings wanting to live in harmony with God, ourselves and (not forgetting) creation

EXIT THROUGH TH GIFT SHOP

Banksy is not just a street artist he's now a film director who's made a movie on street art.

i really enjoyed it, the humour, the shots of street artists in action.

the story's about Thierry Guetta a french immigrant in LA who's crazy about filming...

he becomes passionate about filming street artists doing their stuff;

he gets to film his biggest star, Banksy...

I won't give you all the plot, wouldn't like to spoilt it for you...

it had me laughing...

and asking the question...

is he actually taking the piss?

SatMix

i'm really excited about a new project that i'm involved in here in Lille.

we're planning bilingual 'happenings' called SatMix.

the idea is to a create monthly spaces for creative/alternative

worship.

we're 7 on the team.

it's been several years that i've been dreaming of such an adventure...patience :-)

why SatMix?

it will take place on a Sat(urday), with a Mix of styles, influences,

art forms...

we're planning our first on 19 March.

the theme is 'Seeing is believing?'...

i'm grateful to the church of 'L'Eau Vive' for being open and willing

to allow and endorse the venture.

au boulot! (let's get to work)

Who do you say that I am?

here's a link to Kester Brewin's blog:

http://www.kesterbrewin.com/2011/02/17/who-do-you-say-that-i-am-should-christians-be-non-self-identifying/

Kester raises the issue of identity as Christians and how christians are perceived by others.

i can relate to this tension, i don't want to be associated by certain 'christian' thinking such as racism, homophobia, ethnocentricity and other 'non-christlike' thinking and practices.

we are sometimes quick at self-identification which can unfortunately enclose us in boxes that estrange us from the other. we may feel comfortable, cosy and safe in our small self-fabricated 'religious' identities but we could be missing out on so much more...

THE KING OF LIMBS

at last the long awaited record from Radiohead is out...where have the last 3 years gone, since Rainbows?...and the live show in Paris?

i've just downloaded 'The King Of Limbs' and i'm giving it a listening (& keeping an eye on the oven - don't want the fruit tart to burn!)...

i'll review it after a few listens (feral's got some groovy beats....)...

so far experimental electronica in the same vein as Rainbows...

Come Alive

A SIMPLE LIFE-CHANGING MANTRA

When reading Robin Sharma's The Monk Who Sold His Farrari, i discovered a fresh the helpfulness of using a Mantra.

In Shanshii Mantra is made up of two words; 'Man' (mind) and 'Tra' (free):

the mantra helps us to free the mind of negative thoughts.

A useful mantra that I repeat frequently on a daily basis is:

"I am loved, i'm alive, i'm energized"

Firstly i remind myself that i am loved; before all else i need to have this belief firmly anchored in my soul, in the very depths of my being. I am loved (by God), so my life is born out of this amazing fact.

Secondly, i have to constantly remember that i'm alive...life is a grace, and life needs to be embraced, chosen and pursued with all my might.

Lastly, I'm energized...God's given me energy, energy to live! My resource is in God...and the mystery of God within provides me with the energy needed to fulfill my dreams.

Repeatedly speaking aloud positive truths will have a positive effect on our lives, how we perceive ourselves and this will change our thought patterns; our outlook of life will be transformed and we'll begin to walk tall with a renewed confidence.

A GOD WHO IS MUCH MORE...

here's yesterday's meditation from Richard Rohr:

The pre-existent Christ existed from all eternity, within what we Christians call the Trinity. There is dynamism, a loving flow, a God who is movement itself, a God who is much more a verb than a noun. No static or anthropomorphic definition of God is ever complete or adequate. God is totally beyond us and totally within us at the same time, fully divine Spirit and yet “at home” in our material bodies (John 15:4, Romans 8:9). Only non-dual (“contemplative”) consciousness can allow both of those to be true at the same time. The rationalist will choose one side or the other—and lose out!

Christ Consciousness “reminds us” (John 14:26) that we have an inner organic animating principle, which Jesus will call the Holy Spirit. In John's gospel, Jesus says it is absolutely necessary that he must go, or this Spirit cannot come (John 16:7). In other words, if we totally idolize the outer image we never get to the inner image—and that is the point! Jesus leaves so we can internalize the whole process. Picture Christ not above history and sitting on a throne, as most Christian art and music deoicted, but within all things and unfolding all things from inside like a gracious ticking time bomb. If they had understood the Holy Spirit, Christians should have been the last ones to doubt or deny evolution.

I love the idea of Christ 'within all things and unfolding all things from inside like a gracious ticking time bomb'...

this Christ at the same 'within' and 'without'...present in the creation...working and shaping within our 21st Century culture (s)...

God open our eyes to see Christ at work and to join Him

ENNEAGRAM II (Advanced Spiritual Discernment)

I've been tremendously helped by this book written by Richard Rohr.

The Enneagram is an ancient spiritual tool which has given me an enriched self-understanding.

Franciscan Richard Rohr enables the reader to discover her personality type, her unhealthy compulsions and how to deal with them.

This has certainly transformed my life. It's been a real God-sent at a crucial time.

I have found renewed energy, vision and a more complete perception of who I am and how I can move forward on this journey.

I now realize more fully why I react to situations in certain ways, what motivates me and how I can now counter-balance my weaknesses.

needless to say I recommend it !

7 DEADLY SOCIAL SINS

i receive the Sojourners emails and discovered Gandhi's 7 deadly social sins.
1. Politics without principle
2. Wealth without work
3. Commerce without morality
4. Pleasure without conscience
5. Education without character
6. Science without humanity
7. Worship without sacrifice

...the world would be such a better place..
n'est-ce pas ?

COMPANIONS

bishop Dom Helder Camara of Reclife (1909 -1999) born 7 February, wrote:

"To walk alone is possible, but the good walker knows that the great trip is life and it requires companions".

EMERGING FAITH...EMERGING POLITICS

here's a link to Kester Brewin's blog http://www.kesterbrewin.com/2011/02/02/emerging-faith-must-be-combined-with-an-emerging-politics/

in church this morning we prayed for Egypt, Tunisia & the situation in the Palestine...

i agree with Kester brewin that our 'emerging' theology needs to reach and transform our political thinking...

the situation particularly in the Palestine is one of injustice and discrimination (mainly) fueled by well-meaning theologically mis-informed christians who assume that the 'sun shines out of the arse' of Israel because they are God's chosen people. (put rather crudely) - and a poor eschatological understanding...

WAKE UP!

what about the palestinian christians (and muslims for that matter) who are being harassed, humiliated and de-franchised?

Think again...!

In the name of the God of love, peace and justice...

pray, act, speak out against these atrocities carried out by the Israeli government...

Let justice roll down like a river and righteousness like a mighty stream!

THE LARGENESS...

over the past few months, maybe years, my perception of God has been going through a series of changes.

I guess this is quite natural as God is Other and as He reveals Himself to us in different ways our understanding of Him alters...the spiritual journey is a constant movement . The very nature of a journey is one of discovery (if you keep you eyes open!) and traveling through a multitude of landscapes...

I've been realizing the 'bigness' of God. This may seem obvious to some but God is so much bigger than I ever thought.

'Dieu est grand' (God is 'big') is a phrase we often declare (at least in French churches) . I once thought of it almost exclusively in terms of 'strength' and 'power'. But now I see it as a description of the 'largeness' of God; a God who is not restricted to our western christian understanding of Him.

God's eternal invisible divine nature has been clearly revealed since the creation of the world. ( see Romans 1:20). That's to say before the Bible, before the Torah, before the calling of Israel, before the establishment of the church - God clearly revealed Himself...

God was (and is) making Himself known through the diverse cultures that we find in this world. Through art and nature I often see glimpses of the Creator...beckoning me to join Him in His redemption dance...united with the Son, blown by the breath of the Spirit, secure in the arms of the Father...

Now that's a 'large', 'wide' all embracing God!