Thoughts and things that I have found.
Bright pink has faded into washing mixup pale.
Pom poms that were full and joyous droop under drops of rain.
Plain stalks are visible, the hidden structure of last week’s show.
Damp confetti strews the lawn and pavement,
slowly browning, beginning to decompose.
In the sunshine cherry will still be bright and joyous.
In the wind I’ll laugh with dancing petals as they swirl.
But on damp bank holiday, cherry’s May feels a wash out.
Ever since lockdown I’ve been part of a group that gather once a month in the Pinewoods for a short outdoor service. We’re trying to link up our enjoyment of nature with love of God and Christian faith. We have managed to meet every month, in all types of weather.
One of the highlights last year was our Forest Carols – a short outdoor carol service accompanied by brass band. We start a little before the sun goes down and got to enjoy sun setting as we sang.
We’re doing this again on Sunday 11th December at 3pm. If anyone lives locally to the Harrogate area and fancies a lovely, free, festive event do come along.
In our daily prayers at Kairos Church we follow a reading plan that runs through the New Testament in 2 years. This week we have started a new book of the bible: Romans. This letter is quite different from the book of Acts that we have just been reading. Its got moments that are quite provocative and blunt. If you are wanting to join in reading with us, then this week we’ll be reading chapters 1-4.
You might like to watch the two bible project overviews of the book here: https://bibleproject.com/learn/romans/ If you like that and want to watch more you could always try this: https://bibleproject.com/…/new-testament-letters…
Finally if you want to go even deeper there are loads of good books on this letter. My favourite is by Paula Gooder and called Pheobe. Its a novel that imagines life for one of the women mentioned in the letter, a leader in the early church, and does a great job describing what life might have been like for 1st Century Christians in Rome. https://www.gooder.me.uk/books/phoebe-a-story/
I shared some this in our church-family facebook group about a week ago, but thought it would be useful to put it in a slightly more public place as well. Like many, I’ve been disturbed and challenged by George Floyd’s death as well as the subsequent wave of protest, anger and pain. In the midst of the anguish it has been good to see so many people engaging with what is going on and looking for ways to add their voices to the calls for racial justice.
The church I lead is called Kairos, its a greek word for time and it describes the moments that present an opportunity for something new: for change. This is a Kairos moment for the world. The church I lead is also quite a diversity-deficient church in a diversity-deficient area, and so this moment presents us with an opportunity to change. It is time to practice some repentance and belief – that means change the way we think and the way we act.
I am personally feeling challenged to say a few things publicly, to write some things to policy makers, but mainly to listen to others, to pray, and ask God to help us change then to plan to live and lead differently. I am also grateful for the friends who are more directly involved in this struggle for justice who are sharing there experience and for the people who have patiently called me out for my assumptions, actions and inaction.
I don’t have answers, but as a Christian I do believe Jesus is the answer. Jesus – the great reconciler, truth-teller and non-violent messiah.
With all that in mind I wanted to share some of the people and resources that I am turning to to re-think my responses to race and following Jesus.
Statements
The Archbishops of Canerbury and York released a very clear statement that is helpful.
I found this response by Pastor Agu Irukwu: Senior Pastor of Jesus House for all the Nations in London and Pentecostal President of Churches Together England extremely good too.
We have lots of friends who are part of 3dm USA. I thought their statement was very good.
Influencers
Social media can become a powerful way of opening yourself up to new learning and perspectives. Try following some people who are speaking about this. Those of you who are instagram types could start with @josaxton @latashamorrison and @bcwlindsay.
Books + Podcasts
We Need to talk About Race by Ben Lindsay. This is a fantastic book about the UK cultural and church context. I’m half way through and am loving it! I’ve just noticed that the Ebook is only 99p!
Tearfund’s latest podcast focusses on breaking structures of injustice and is good.
Thinking about this with children
God’s Very Good Idea by Trillia Newbell and Catalina Echeverri Celebrates diversity as a key part of creation and could help young families start to have conversations about racism and sin. Its currently on sale at a very reduced price.
The Gospel In Color by Jarvis J. Williams and Curtis A. Woods is for older kids. It boldly shows how racism is sin and explores both forgiveness and reconcilliation. It comes with a parents guide.
If you know of other resources then do let me know in the comments.
Lets keep praying, talking and learning together how to act differently.
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Finally – updated to the post.
If you watch much of the news or follow Social Media you will have noticed the inevitable backlash to protests and lots of worry about protecting monuments and keeping order. Of course order and safety is important – especially in lockdown. But I would suggest dealing with injustice is more important. It is worth bearing in mind that in the past power holders, and those who benefit from the status-quo, have used arguments about maintaining order or having respect for history as ways of undermining legitmate protest and slowing real response. I hope that we can avoid that trap this time around!
There’s been lots of buy-ness and planning over the last few days. For me: trying to work out how to best keep connect with others, be a church without physical proximity, be part of supporting friends and neighbours.
I’ve found myself asking lots of questions.
What should we do? How can we help? Who most needs help? What does the advice say? What is going to happen? How will we get through this?
These kinds of practical, tough, quick-answer-me-now questions are important. They lead to plans and steps and coping.
But they also lead to anxiety, a sense of worry. Some of our answers may not feel adequate or as water tight as we might hope.
I’ve also found myself wanting to ask different kinds of questions: more open, more lingering, conversation starters not situation fixers.
More like the kinds of questions that Jesus asked, even in times of real pressure.
I am trying to get in the habit of using the version of the Ignatian Examen found in the excellent little book “Sleeping with Bread”. They form around two really good questions.
For what today am I most grateful?
For what today am I least grateful?
I wonder if it might help us to ask and ponder slow questions a bit more right now.
Over on Kairos Church’s social media I’m going to try and post a question a day. If you have ideas for good questions do suggest them.
Second mixtape of the year. February has my birthday in it so is a month I always enjoy. In Harrogate there have been signs spring might come soon. Its also seen beginning of Lent, the Christian season of “bright sadness” that focussed on making space for the eternal and beginning to anticipate Easter. As the month ends this year my part of the world is gripped by freezing temperatures and snow. Exciting and fun but also a sign that winter’s bite is not over yet!
Here’s a mix of upbeat and reflective music, ending with a prayer. I hope you enjoy listening to it.
What have you been listening to this month?
https://open.spotify.com/user/askewben/playlist/0JoN6CpebJmh4RSzcqbA0p?si=9SkMkRVvRNW_1x64cyoU2Q
Last week the Askews went on a little adventure! We got to spend some time in Aarhus, Denmark. We were visiting friends from The Order of Mission and their church. There were many things that were wonderful about the time; we stayed in a lovely, cosy, cabin about 40 mins out of the city which provided some warmth and space for us all. We visited some of the fantastic sites of Aarhus including a rainbow walkway, a giant boy and a robotic elevator car-park. Some of us even got to ice skate for the first time.
We worshiped together at Aarhus Valgmenighed. I always find I enjoy time worshiping with Christians in different languages and noticing the similarities and differences in how we talk about and approach God. I loved the mix of spirit, word and symbol in the service, and the hope and hunger for God to move that was tangible in the church.
The highlight for me was meals and conversations with other families who are part of The Order of Mission at their homes. We didn’t really know any of them well before our visit, but found that our shared commitments to TOM gave us a language and understanding of one another that went deep. There was lots of common understanding as we shared stories of adventure, transition, breakthrough, pain and God’s faithfulness with one another. Each evening ended quite naturally with prayer, for one another and for our global TOM family.
Perhaps this is one of the best bits of being part of a global, dispersed network – getting to visit, learn from and encourage one another in our contexts! Thank you to the Dahlmanns, the Thomsens and the Mortensens for your welcome! We’re looking forward to getting together with more TOM family at the Global Gathering in Cambridge.
In December Spotify sent me a playlist of the songs I’d played most last year. There were some surprises (and some skewed results due to my son’s taste for minecraft parodies) but it was fun to listen to what I’d been listening to.
Music stays with me, and songs become attached to certain moments. Like fragrance, I find song can instantly take me back somewhere, remind me of a person or lift me out of my current place. Music helps me appreciate the world, concentrate, get distracted and worship.
I used to love making mixtapes, to give to people or to play in our car (it is only our most recent car that plays cds not tapes. We are in automobile terms old fashioned.)
So I’ve decided to start some mixtape playlists, a few of my favourite pieces of music from each month to share with you, if you’d like to listen.
Here is January’s tape. The new year started fairly reflectively for me (as it does often) lots of looking back and desiring space, silence, prayer, but gradually I’ve got going and I think that is reflected in the songs. One or two are favourites from 2017 and a few are things I have heard for the first time this month.
I hope you enjoy this with me! What have you been listening to?
https://open.spotify.com/user/askewben/playlist/1lzn44D3NnvcGnPd2A7PJd
It was so good to spend some time retreating in Northumberland last week. The time to slow down and reflect was very helpful.
What was also wonderful was to be a guest within the Northumbria Community. What a joy to sit at their table and join in with their rhythms!
Theirs is a dispersed community shaped by a rule of life and a common way of praying. Both the rule and the rhythm of prayer seem to have given their members a robust way of keeping going through challenge and change, and a way to live their life in pursuit of God. The beautiful liturgy also has an outward function: Celtic Daily Prayer is one of the key ways people get to find out about the Northumbria Community’s way of life.
A highlight for me was prayers and communion in their lovely woodland chapel. A building lit and heated only by fire and candle. Chilly, but very special.
“It’s like being at base camp and looking up at an unconquerable mountain; can’t dwell on the difficulty, you have to just start the journey, One step follows the next which leads the way to the next. There will be missteps but as long as the vision is whole, the mountain will fall.”
Like what I’ve been hearing from the new DJ Shadow album, love this quote from him on the creative process.
I found the quote on Pitchfork.
DistinctlyAskew 
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