From: HeartEdge | Mailer heartedge@smitf.orgSubject: Resources via HeartEdge | Ched Myers, Maggi Dawn and Frank Skinner

Date: 27 April 2021 at 09:00To: rjlawrie@talktalk.net

HeartEdge 2021

Compassion

Ched Myers on Sanctuary and the Street

"When ever we march for justice we follow in the footsteps of Jesus..." US ecumenical activist andtheologian Ched Myers o!ers essential analysis of Palm Sunday - from the walk into Jerusalem toMartin Luther-King and the sanctuary to the street... "This is a very contemporary story..."Compelling. Watch here.

Environment, Civil Disobedience and Faith

"I need to break the law in order to be heard... Civil disobedience that is the thing that makes the change... the confrontation stage... done respectfully, and with dignity... beauty and with fun and withcompassion..." Dr Gail Bradbrook, co-founder of Extinction Rebellion on climate emergency, civildisobedience, prayer, spirituality, science and wonder and the radical power of women. From 19.02minutes here.

"Hold a climate-focused service to explore the theological and scienti!c basis of creation care and actionon climate, to pray, and to commit to action." Lots here

"The third level is arguably the most important. Poverty is embedded in society and we can continue toput sticking plaster over its e"ects..." A sharp insightful blog highlighting and challenging communityapproaches to tackle inequalities - here.

"43% households in receipt of Universal Credit experience high or very high levels of household foodinsecurity..." Church Action on Poverty on retaining £20 a week Universal Credit after September -plus food data - here.

plus food data - here.

Good letter to the UK Home Secretary to reconsider the UK Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill -here. Another letter here on plans to Assess the Claims of Asylum Seekers. Use your voice, speakup - good and e!ective to do.

Race and Inequality

“It is perhaps not too surprising, when taken as a whole, we begin to see a cyclical process taking place;one which mirrors to an extent the ‘seven stages of grief’..." This snapshot of the impact of thepandemic on black and minoritirised ethnic communities here, highlights the need to tackleinstitutional racism.

"... a substantial and incontrovertible body of evidence con!rms beyond any doubt that the incidence ofdirect and institutional racism prejudices the UK’s Black and minoritised communities to thisday..." 21k signatories collected by the Runnymede Trust for this letter - and you can still sign...

Race and funding? "We are calling for funders to adopt more open and trusting practices that make lifeeasier for those they fund, in light of the ongoing uncertainty caused by Covid-19." Agree? Join withthe Institute of Voluntary Action Research here. More here.

Culture

Maggi Dawn “the arts shape us. It's worth taking note"

"If you insist the arts are an illustrative add on the painting or the poem is not speaking at all... If you areengaging in the arts - you have to let them speak in their own voice... lament or joy, let the music do thetalking..." A rich conversation with HeartEdge pal Maggi Dawn on art, community, imagination andaction here.

Curating new art; Plus Wilderness art & Chaiya Award

"... belief – and religion – provide an undercurrent of inspiration for artists, who in turn often seek toencourage contemplation and a sense of wonder." Vivien Lovell, founder of arts unit Modus Operandi,in 1999, on developing art projects."Taking the risk of appointing an artist new to public art canresult in a great work, whereas inviting someone to do what they have often done before may notlead to an exciting result." Interviewed by own Jonathan Evens here.

The Wilderness Project is an exhibition, presented by The Haven + London, which showcases the workof a diverse group of artists coming together and re"ecting on the experience of life in lockdownduring the Covid19 pandemic. Have a look here.

Look out for the Chaiya Art Awards show taking place 14-23 May 2021 online and at gallery@oxo onLondon’s Southbank. This exhibition will showcase some of the most innovative and exciting artists

London’s Southbank. This exhibition will showcase some of the most innovative and exciting artistsexpressing their creativity in response to the theme ‘GOD is…’ Detail here.

"There is a uniqueness to every human life lost, to each shape that has been fashioned..." HeartEdgemembers Chapel in the Fields on lives, lost to the pandemic and the bigger picture. Watch here.

Commerce

Milton Keynes: Faith and the Commercial!

"Cycle Saviours is an exciting social enterprise that loves saving, refurbishing, repairing, servicing andselling bikes..." Milton Keynes Christian Foundation operate a number of Social Enterprises andservices. Have a look at Cycle Saviours.

"Urban Bee-lievers is an exciting social enterprise #nding ways to encourage, educate and inspireeveryone in Milton Keynes to help make our city bee-friendly..." Here's another - some great post-lockdown inspiration - here.

High Street Change and the Church; Rural Enterprise

Good business and the church... HeartEdge and the Dioceses of South Queensland and Melbourne.This series features stories, case studies, ideas and approaches presented by clergy and lay leaders- here.

"There are currently around 44,000 units standing empty. Property company JLL estimates that !gure willnearly double in the next few years, leaving 80,000 redundant shops littering UK high streets..." TheUK high street is changing fast - shifting from retail to o$ces and other use. In the shiftinglandscape - an opportunity for the church building?

"... where local authorities have helped facilitate community business ownership and access to bothpublic and privately-owned buildings, it has created more vibrant and resilient high streets." The report'Saving the High Street: the community takeover' o!ers some ideas - including Dumfries with eightbuildings, a new enterprise centre and plans for a!ordable "ats to help remake part of the towncentre. Or creating a park in Stockton... or new ideas? How do we want our town centres to look -and what role the church in this?

“Cornwall is a vibrant hub for young people with plenty of opportunities to set up and grow a socialenterprise..." A great spread of ideas - here. And the challenges here for the commercial business -insight from Manu Maunganidze here

Congregation

Frank Skinner on Prayer; Dave Andrews on Change

Frank Skinner on Prayer; Dave Andrews on Change

"I don't like the religious voice... that there is a religious tone that needs to be adopted... My mind is openplan... I like it all in there." Popular UK comic Frank Skinner on form - talking prayer, sermons, faithand humility and unpicking Biblical metaphors here.There's more (at 27.35) here.

"I am convinced a ‘conservative’s radical strategy to change’ is as relevant today as ever it was. Paul’s DIYstrategy for turning a congregation upside-down and inside-out seemed to consist of #ve keycomponents..." Brisbane based Dave Andrews essential insight here.

Finding the Intentional Community

We're often called 'Change Community Church' because we keep changing the way we do things..."Urban Expression are a network of Christians - they've produced a brilliant short video from theirrecent Open Day all about their work. Watch here

An intentional community? "...one unique gift of intentional communities to the church is that it fosters amore holistic and intensive experience of church that touches all of life rather than just a few hours aweek. By its example it is both a critique of and a support to the church." Lots of insight in thisarchive interview with US based David Janzen from 2012 here - who wrote 'The Intentional ChristianCommunity Handbook'.

"My last practical tip for building an intentional Christian community is to slow . . . down." Steph Ekhertin 2017 on the challenge of building an intentional community. Practical re"ection for anyonestarting out here.

Themes of Church less as vocation lived out daily in local contexts explored here from another USpiece from 2012.

"After about a year, everyone was begging for more structure. This was because it was so "uid peoplewere struggling to work out who we were and what our purpose for being actually was. So wedeveloped a rhythm for meeting throughout the month." Finally, Andrea Campanale - of 'SacredSpace' in Kingston, UK, takes a look at how to start a missional community - here.

"It’s about going deep where you are (thinking); #nding contentment in what you have (thanking);knowing the joy of surrendering to who God made you to be (rather than trying to be somebodyelse) and being faithful in the small, good things, He has called you to do (thriving)." Picking up onthese themes and writing about New Monasticism in 2019. More here. There's further backgroundfrom a US perspective here.

We like the insight from Scargill Movement in Yorkshire here and Northumbria Community here.

Interested in exploring community and want to know more? Ping an email over and share your insightson what you're doing, what goes well and what you need. We'll #nd useful responses.

Our !rst hurdle, of course, is ascertaining what the powers of evil are. This can be di#cult in a Churchwith so much post-enlightenment (enwhitenment) baggage. Jarel Robinson-Brown writes onreparations for crimes and sins against people of African descent. A challenge to be intentionalabout whiteness and race here.

about whiteness and race here.

Conversations about race and white privilege inside the church with Alastair McKay, Ruth Harley, CareyHaslam and Rosemarie Davidson-Gotobed - an essential session here.

Finally, contemplation and spiritual re$ection require silence,and author of various popular books oncontemplative spirituality, Martin Laird talks about this and other aspects of a spiritual life in anextended interview here. The page also has links to a whole bunch of online resources.

Members

For Best Results - Join HeartEdge. Then Join In.

More new case studies of 4C practice to Resourcepages of the website. Thanks toHeartEdge researcher by Naomi Jacobs for these.

For all HeartEdge practitioners - volunteers or waged,try out:

Monday: (two per month): In depth BibleStudy with Simon Woodman, 19:30-21:00(BST) via Zoom. Register here:

26 April: 08 Matthew10 May: 09 Luke-Acts24 May: 10 Luke-Acts

Tuesday: Sermon Preparation Workshop, SallyHitchiner and Sam Wells in conversation and#elding your questions. 16:30 (BST), livestreamed here. Wednesday: Community of Practitionersworkshop, 16:30 (BST), Zoom meeting.Fortnightly #rst / third Wednesday discuss'God's Companions' with Sam Wells, orfortnightlySecond / fourth Wednesday sharing ideasand encouragement. Detail on Facebook.Email HeartEdge here to register.

Keep a look out for (G)race: ourpodcast about God and race with AzariahFrance-Williams and Winnie Varghese -returning in May.

Events

April

Anglicans in Europe Post-Brexit and the Pandemic: Bishops in Dialogue:Tuesday, 27 April,14:00 (GMT), via Zoom, book in here. What are the challenges facing Anglican Churches in Britain &Ireland, post-Brexit and Covid-19 pandemic, and role in a new context? With host Alastair McKay,Sam Wells, Vicar of St Martin-in-the-Fields; Guli Francis-Dehqani, Bishop of Chelmsford, C-of-E; JuneOsborne, Bishop of Llanda!, Church in Wales; Andrew Swift, Bishop of Brechin, Scottish EpiscopalChurch; Patricia Storey, Bishop of Meath & Kildare, Church of Ireland. Introducing the Visual Commentary on Scripture: Thursday 29 April, 14:00 (BST), via Zoom- book in here. Celebrated with a launch event in 2018 at Tate Modern The Visual Commentary onScripture is the #rst online project to introduce visitors to the entirety of Christian Scripture in thecompany of art and artists. Project Director Ben Quash shares the challenges and discoveriesencountered in this ambitious undertaking.

May

Inspired to Follow ‘Who is my Neighbour? A journey through Lent’. Sunday 2 May, 14:00(BST) via Zoom. ‘Inspired to Follow: Art and the Bible Story’ uses the National Gallery’s art collectionas a spring board for exploring faith. Session 16: The Resurrection. Book in here.

Public Health and Church Engagement post-Pandemic - Workshop 1: Wednesday 5 May 10:30-12:00 BST via Zoom - book in here. Gillian Straine CEO of The Guild of Health and St Raphael on thechurch and people of faith as agents of healing in our post pandemic world, the links between faithand health and theologies of healing and good practice. What is the role of the church alongsidescience, medicine and public health? Workshop 1 on the potential for the healing ministry, thehistory of healing in the Christian church and the biblical background for healing as a missionaryactivity. Navigating the Dark; a conversation between an artist and a theologian: Thursday 6 May,19:00-20:00 (GMT), via Zoom - book in here. Artist Jake Lever is interviewed by Paula Gooder,Chancellor of St Paul’s Cathedral, London. Jake Lever is a artist who makes work that invites aslowing down, a return to the liminal and the "real". Inspired to Follow ‘Who is my Neighbour? A journey through Lent’. Sunday 9 May, 14:00(BST) via Zoom. ‘Inspired to Follow: Art and the Bible Story’ uses the National Gallery’s art collectionas a spring board for exploring faith. Session 17: The Ascension. Book in here. Art, Scripture and Contemporary Issues: Tuesday 11 May, 14:00-15:00, BST, via Zoom - book inhere. Curators for the Visual Commentary on Scripture on curating for VCS for use by churches.Including Deborah Lewer on the Scriptures speaking meaningfully to the ‘world(s)’ that present-dayinterpreters of the Scriptures continue inhabit; and that the ‘world(s)’ to which art has responded inevery epoch can speak meaningfully to both. Debbie is Senior Lecturer in History of Art at theUniversity of Glasgow. Public Health and Church Engagement post-Pandemic - Workshop 2: Wednesday 12 May 10:30-12:00 BST via Zoom - book in here. Gillian Straine CEO of The Guild of Health and St Raphael on the

12:00 BST via Zoom - book in here. Gillian Straine CEO of The Guild of Health and St Raphael on thechurch and people of faith as agents of healing in our post pandemic world and role of the churchalongside science, medicine and public health? Workshop 2 on the potential for the healingministry, the history of healing in the Christian church and the biblical background for healing as amissionary activity. Workshop 2 on approaches to healing taken by medicine, psychology and theNew Age movement and our con#dence in the potential of Christian healing today. Art, Scripture and Contemporary Issues: Tuesday 11 May, 14:00-15:00, BST, via Zoom - book inhere. Curators for the Visual Commentary on Scripture on curating for VCS for use by churches. Inthis session Caleb Froehlich on curating the Cities of Refuge exhibition exploring the choices anddecisions made about both text and images. Caleb Froehlich is a researcher for the St AndrewsEncyclopaedia of Theology and an editor for De Gruyter’s Encyclopedia of the Bible and itsReception. Living God's Future Now conversation - Stephen Cottrell: Thursday 13 May, 18:00 – 19:00 BST.Via Zoom book in here. Sam Wells on what it means to improvise God’s kingdom with StephenCottrell the 98th Archbishop of York. Inspired to Follow ‘Who is my Neighbour? A journey through Lent’. Sunday 16 May, 14:00(BST) via Zoom. ‘Inspired to Follow: Art and the Bible Story’ uses the National Gallery’s art collectionas a spring board for exploring faith. Session 18: Pentecost. Book in here. Inspired to Follow ‘Who is my Neighbour? A journey through Lent’. Sunday 23 May, 14:00(BST) via Zoom. ‘Inspired to Follow: Art and the Bible Story’ uses the National Gallery’s art collectionas a spring board for exploring faith. Session 19: Death of Stephen. Book in here. Art, Scripture and Contemporary Issues: Tuesday 11 May, 14:00-15:00, BST, via Zoom - book inhere. Curators for the Visual Commentary on Scripture on curating for VCS for use by churches. Inthis session Susanna Snyder will speak about her experience of curating the Ruth 3-4 exhibitionexploring why she made the choices and decisions she did in relation to both text and images.Susanna Snyder is Lecturer in Ethics and Theology at Ripon College, Cuddesdon, and an Associateof the Centre for Theology and Modern European Thought, University of Oxford. Public Health and Church Engagement post-Pandemic - Workshop 3: Wednesday 26 May 10:30-12:00 BST via Zoom - book in here. Gillian Straine CEO of The Guild of Health and St Raphael on thechurch and people of faith as agents of healing in our post pandemic world and role of the churchalongside science, medicine and public health? Workshop 3 explores best practice in the healingministry, including how to pray for healing, the healing sacraments, and how to create an healingatmosphere. We will explore di!erent approaches, and look at some diverse experience of healing.The Healthy Healing Hub project will be introduced, and begin to explore the question of how Godis calling you to respond to what has been explored in this course. Being With Neighbours Internationally: Thursday 27 May 2021, 14:00 – 15:30 BST, via Zoom- book in here. Covid has led churches to reimagine how best to use their digital capacity to buildrelationships overseas in more ecological and sustainable ways. Where technology is available, newrelationships are possible. This workshop shares practical examples of how to be with neighboursinternationally in a way that leads to mutual "ourishing for the whole congregation. Stories fromUS, UK, Africa, Europe and beyond to inspire and dialogue to enrich our sharing together. Bringyour own stories too.

Inspired to Follow ‘Who is my Neighbour? A journey through Lent’. Sunday 30 May, 14:00(BST) via Zoom. ‘Inspired to Follow: Art and the Bible Story’ uses the National Gallery’s art collectionas a spring board for exploring faith. Session 20: Saint Peter. Book in here.

Missed it? Find earlier Living God’s Future Now sessions at on the video section of our Facebookpage.

Last Word | Love... and The Railway Children

It is not perhaps surprising that we forget – all too easily – that many of the early Christians foundthemselves, quite quickly, homeless. For being a Bad Jew and a convert to a new religion or sect cameat a price. You could lose your parents, children, friends and the roof over your head. Likewise, forthe purposes of worship and meeting together, the #rst Christians were Jews, but aberrant oneswho were soon evicted from the synagogues and temple. As such, they were no longer forging theiridentity through being the children of Abraham or Moses, as their numbers now included Greeks,Romans, Ethiopians; people of di!erent ethnicity, for whom a knowledge of Judaism – let alone anyattraction to it – was minimal. Questions, then, of what bound the church together, and to theirneighbours, were existential for the early church.

So, the early church, following the mandate of the Kingdom of God as set out by Jesus, was multi-ethnic and anti-tribal. Time and again, writers in the New Testament set out a vision for the churchthat is parochially focused and engaged and yet universally welcoming. It welcomes the slave andfree, male and female, Jew and Greek, old and young, citizen and foreigner. It was not just a mould-breaking faith, but also a caste-crushing religion. In Christ all were equal, just as they were in theeyes and heart of God: equally loved, equally saved, equally cherished and equally bound. This iswhy attention to what the Covid-19 pandemic has revealed is so important for us now. Namely, thestark divisions still operating within many communities, regions and nations, where the rates ofspread, infection and death have highlighted levels of social and economic di!erentiation – orrather, deprivation. The virus has been harsher on those already struggling with the heat ofoppression, hardship, poverty and sickness. The virus does discriminate (Wilkerson, 2020).

The early church, in contrast, was shaped around the indiscriminate love of God. It was acommunity that cared for all, as Christ had done. Di!erence did not matter, because to God, eachand every one is cherished, and made in the image of God. The diversity of the early church ismuch like our own today. The promise of Jesus is that we are not left orphaned, or desolate (John14.15–21). The love of Christ is adoptive in character – we are taken into God’s family: we are notborn into it. God has many children, but no grandchildren; adoption is not passed on through thefamily line, but rather renewed in every age with every person.

One of my favourite #lms is The Railway Children. It is a movie for all ages and has enjoyedenduring popularity. The #lm is closely based on the Edith Nesbit’s story, originally serialized in TheLondon Magazine during 1905 and #rst published in book form in 1906. I remember going to seethe #lm at the Crosby Odeon with my grannie in 1970, when it was #rst released. The #lm and bookconcern a family who move out from London to a house in the shires near a railway. Their movewas forced upon them, after the father – an intelligent, high-ranking civil servant – was unjustlyimprisoned for espionage, but is eventually exonerated.

imprisoned for espionage, but is eventually exonerated.

In their new environs, the three children – Bobbie, Peter and Phyllis – befriend an older gentlemanwho normally takes the morning train from near their home. He becomes an unlikely hero, for inhis empathy for the children, is moved to help prove their father’s innocence, thereby reuniting thefamily. Before the father is freed, however, the family care for a Russian exile who came to Englandlooking for his lost family. And the family also take in and care for Jim, the grandson of the oldgentleman.

For a good part of the #lm, the children are e!ectively orphaned. The climax is achingly beautiful.The train pulls in and stops, and Bobbie, alone, stands on the platform and waits, not knowing ifher father is there. The entire scene is consumed in the steam and smoke of the locomotive. Andout of the clouds, the father emerges. As the Gospel says: ‘I will not leave you orphaned; I amcoming to you’ (John 14.18). When we think of orphans, we instinctively think of children withoutparents. In fact, the English word ‘orphan’ comes from the Greek orphanos, meaning ‘bereaved’,‘bereft’ or ‘deprived’. In English, it has come to signify a child losing one or both parents. Of course,we are always somebody’s child. Unless we predecease our parents, we will all know what it is to beorphaned: to be without our father or mother. We can be an orphan at any age.

This pandemic has so far led to tens of thousands of deaths in our land, and that number willcontinue to climb. That means there are hundreds of thousands of new orphans today; and a greatmany more families, friends and colleagues are also sadly bereft. We only understand the gift ofwho we truly loved when we experience their loss. At Eastertide, we wait and pause for anotherloss, even after the cruci#xion. For after the resurrection of Jesus comes the ascension. He leavesand returns to the Father. The disciples will be bereft once more – orphaned. Yet the Scripturespromise us an end more like The Railway Children.

In the Gospels Jesus refers to the Holy Spirit as ‘the Comforter’, and it is this name that most closelyassociates the maternal and paternal comforting care that Jesus gives – so abundantly in hisministry – with what is to come after he has gone. Don’t be afraid of the storm, or of sinking in thisboat. Do not worry about lack of food or clothes. Do not worry about those who hate you. Do notworry about death. ‘Do not be afraid ... I am with you,’ says Jesus.

The is an extract from "The Humble Church: Becoming the body of Christ" published by Canterbury Pressand available with 10% o" here. Martyn Percy is Dean of Christ Church, Oxford and teaches in the Faculty

of Theology and Religion. He is a Fellow of the University's Said Business School and was previouslyPrincipal of Ripon College Cuddesdon.

HeartEdge is an initiative of St Martin-in-the-FieldsWe are grateful to all our founders. Which may be you. Thank you.

Also our funders Hymns Ancient and Modern and Allchurches Trust.Got this far? Still reading the small print? We love that. This is passion! Are you a joiner? We hope so.

Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences, subscribe here or unsubscribe from this list.