Had a moment to post something. Thinking about the role of ritual in mission (picking up on post on happy midis and commitment). There is an issue we have discussing with the Yp about the purposed dominance in ritual (wether formal tradtional or reasonably new) in how it when they are involved others presuppose that they are committed to the concept behind it. This is particularly true for those taking place in a chuchbuilding. There is a way in which it inhibits thier journey to explore and exeperience g-d through engaging with it because of the meaning others prescribe to their participation.

This problematic partially because of their approach to committment but also as it demonstrates the imbalance of the culture tradition bible approach and how even when we are sensative about how to engage with tradition there is an overweighing pull that for some gets in the way of encountering g-d.

StreetSpace working with Chard Town council are inviting local community groups and charities to come and be part of a fun day to celebrate the completion of the work on the Skate park and surrounding area on July 3rd 2010. The whole area has changed with the new lights, skate park, cycle path and redevelopment, and has a more open and community green feel. The fun day will build on this and is hoping local groups will come forward and use the opportunity to fundraise for their cause and contribute to making the day work.

Local groups and charities are invited to attend the day and have a stall in the tradition of the summer fete. This could be a smoothie or ice cream stand, tombola, dunk the mayor, bash a rat, bric a brac, plant sale etc. Proceeds will go to the local group and StreetSpace Youth Project. If any local groups want to attend the day there is no charge but they must provide their own stands, equipment etc and book a place in advance by emailing admin@streetspace.org.uk or ringing Richard on 07830197160

Richard Passmore says “after all the hard work it is time to celebrate, and we hope as well as all the competitions and official opening, the day will have real summer fete feel. I hope local groups take the chance to raise money for their good causes whether that is a recognised charity, carnival club, local football team or whatever, the more the merrier ”

The day will run from 11am – 3.00pm and the Skate and Bike Park will be opened by The High Sheriff Mrs Patricia Hunt JP. There will also be sports and games events in the Multi use Games Area, Skate and Bike Competitions, a Bar-be-que and a whole host of activities for the whole family .

We have two new projects coming on line for Streetspace in the next few weeks, and I am still following up the other 30 odd enquiries. FYT also have two new posts with the out for good project.
Out4Good Project – working with and for ex-offenders

Project Leader and Project Worker posts

With 3 years of BIG Lottery Funding Frontier Youth Trust is taking the Out4Good Project (O4G) into its next chapter by recruiting these two key positions. O4G provides a sharp and challenging picture of how young people/adults who are ‘ex-offenders’ might be enabled to make the crucial transition from incarceration to a full and meaningful life back in the community.

With several years track record of success the project team will;
Work with young adults from prisons – supporting them to ensure that they don’t return to prison.
Develop creative housing responses for those young adults
Recruit and train mentors and ensure that young adults from prisons are able to find meaningful and purposeful activity
The workers will be based from home and will work in the Colchester area

Interviews for the Project Leader Post will be: May 21st 2010
Interviews for the Project Worker Post will be: 16th or 17th June 2010
Closing date for applications: Project leader (May 7th) and Project worker (7th June)

Salaries for these posts are Project Leader (£25,134) and Project Worker (£15,300). An application form and further details can be obtained from: Frontier Youth Trust, Unit 306f, The Big Peg, 120 Vyse Street, Jewellery Quarter, Birmingham, B18 6NF, Tel: 0121 687 3505. E-mail: frontier@fyt.org.uk.

THIS PROJECT IS FUNDED BY THE BIG LOTTERY FOR THE NEXT THREE YEAR

S

new video on streetspace here

Anti-social behaviour

The Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) has published a survey conducted by the Youth Taskforce focusing on anti-social behaviour (here). The survey reveals that 80 per cent of people surveyed would like more positive activities for young people. The survey also shows that over two thirds of people in the 69 priority areas targeted think anti-social behaviour has stayed the same or got better over the last two years, while over a quarter say anti-social behaviour has got worse.

College is closed for Today and tomorrow. so i am about to venture out in the snow.

This is my final advent reflection for 2009…

What sort of body are you?
A busy-body
A lazy-body
A beautiful – body
You see my body, not my mind, not my soul, not my heart, not my feelings
Does any-body care?
Every- body wants to be a some-body
No-body wants to be a no-body
I am body – therefore I am

“The soul does not war with the body; the soul loves the body” – Meister Eckhart

“Our sensuality is a gift from God; in fact, “God is our sensuality” – Julian of Norwich
“You need four hugs a day for survival, eight for maintenance, and twelve for growth”
Virginia Satir

And so finally we are left with body. A body theology majors in touch, in feelings, in the senses, in sensuality (the English word for Incarnation) in what touches us and moves us. Body theology grounds us in the now, in the present, in the moment and demands a rediscovery of the reverence of flesh and a reawakening of the body, the resurrection of the bodily.

I wish you all a SENSUAL, embodied, Christmas.

I hope not to open the computer between now and Jan.

At the first Christmas God didn’t send a book, or a message via a body-less ‘audible’ voice, no text, no website, no thunderbolt but a baby, a vulnerable body. This was the most vulnerable act where this god-child could have been exposed to emotional, physical, sexual and spiritual abuse.

‘The incarnation had nothing to do with theology. It was rather about vulnerability, about letting go, about emptiness, about surrender and none of that is in the head’ Richard Rohr

The two big events celebrated in the Christian calendar in remembrance of Jesus are united by the centrality of body. The commonalties include, nakedness, vulnerability, letting go and emptiness. At Christmas, the tenderness of new born soft flesh and at Easter, the torn, whipped stripped, beaten and wounded flesh and finally killed body.

Even though body is central to Church celebrations it remains uncomfortable with body and often is intent on rejecting and punishing the body. Society is full of people who are unhappy with body and feel the need to cover it, decorate it, change it, build it, enhance it and wound it. The Church often appears to be in constant conflict with body and continues to struggle to unite sensuality, sexuality and spirituality with sexuality and gender issues still hotly debated often causing disintegration.

However, when Jesus asked us to re-member him he didn’t ask us to read a book, obey certain laws, recall and repeat special words or perform a ritual. Instead he asked his followers to re-member his body, to embrace body, to eat body, to reconnect with body, to be embodied.

So this incarnation Christ invites us to hold his small vulnerable body and also his whipped, naked, beaten and wounded body. Christ invites us to love body, listen to body, and welcome body and to be tender with body; mine, yours and the body of Christ.

This is the body of Christ,
We are the body of Christ
We are body
Body!