Tag: Mr G

Gaia

Visitors to Chelmsford Cathedral this autumn were able to experience an astronaut’s view of the world when the stunning ‘Gaia’ artwork came to Essex.

Measuring six metres in diameter and created from 120dpi detailed NASA imagery of the Earth’s surface, ‘Gaia’ provided the opportunity to see the planet in its entirety as it slowly revolved in the nave of Chelmsford Cathedral, accompanied by a surround-sound composition by BAFTA award winning composer Dan Jones.

The Exhibition was held in conjunction with an inaugural Science Festival, providing an opportunity for people of all ages to be inspired and to discover the fascinating world of science.  This had the support of Essex County Council’s Climate Action Fund and Anglia Ruskin University.

The Exhibition was attended by large numbers if people including many children and young people. It provided an opportunity for people of all ages to be inspired and to discover the fascinating world of science.

The context of the Cathedral lent another dimension which by nature of the faith professed within and outside the walls of the building is a visible reminder of the things of God, His care, love and compassion holds us all close to His heart.

The concern for the earth God has created is something many of us are sharing in the face of climate change and the many unusual weather and climate events which are afflicting us.  As I looked quietly at the globe, lit from within and suspended two metres above our heads (more if like many children you lay on your back looking up.), I saw the immensity of our planet, poised in space. It is the vulnerability of both it and us which struck me forcibly. This fragile earth and gift of God needs our responsible care and deep stewardship.
I saw more. Seeing the planet in this way it struck me just how much water covers the surface and, by comparison, how little land. On what is quite obviously, a finite and limited area, there is no room for warfare, exploitation, Nimbyism, selfishness and greed. We don’t own any of it. We share the earth with everyone and every creature. We share it all with Nature. So,we have got to change the way we see everything and everyone. We can no longer leave it to a few, often incompetent, Governments. We certainly cannot allow a handful of less than a dozen dictators to impose their will on millions of others and destroy livelihoods, homes and habitats at will. How dare we allow that to happen and do nothing!

As I write COP27 is in progress in Egypt. Whether it will actually make progress remains to be seen. Yet we all have a part to play in this process. We cannot allow them to destroy innicent livesThose of us who serve God as our Creator, Lord and Spiritual guide – however we express that – can and must pray. Prayer is not a last resort but a first Resource.

Below is a prayer written by Pope Francis, to start us off.

A Prayer for our Earth

All-powerful God,
you are present in the whole universe
and in the smallest of your creatures.
You embrace with your tenderness all that exists.
Pour out upon us the power of your love,
that we may protect life and beauty.
Fill us with peace, that we may live
as brothers and sisters, harming no one.

O God of the poor,
help us to rescue the abandoned and forgotten of this earth,
so precious in your eyes.
Bring healing to our lives,
that we may protect the world and not prey on it,
that we may sow beauty, not pollution and destruction.

Touch the hearts
of those who look only for gain
at the expense of the poor and the earth.
Teach us to discover the worth of each thing,
to be filled with awe and contemplation,
to recognize that we are profoundly united
with every creature
as we journey towards your infinite light.

We thank you for being with us each day.
Encourage us, we pray, in our struggle
for justice, love and peace.

Amen

Prayer of Pope Francis, Laudato Si’

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The words in italics at the beginning of this article is drawn from Chelmsford Cathedral’s website. Below is an explanation of  Gaia

Since the 1970s James Lovelock developed the Gaia hypothesis, named after the ancient Greek goddess of the Earth (See GAIA). As originally conceived the ‘Gaia’ concept envisages the Earth as a super-organism that operates to regulate its own environment, principally temperature, to keep it habitable for the biosphere.

A Spider goes to a Concert

Photo: detail of ceiling at the church of St Germain des Prés, Paris. [Mr G]

One of my pastimes is to be a ‘groupie’ with a local choir which includes friends. Last weekend we went to Paris where they presented two concerts and a musical involvement in the Saturday Mass at St Sulpice. It is currently acting as the Cathedral whilst Notre Dame is being restored. At the first concert, in the church of St Germain des Prés, some of the sopranos noticed a spider hovering over the choir as they sang. It had travelled quite a distance from the ceiling but by the end of the concert, it had disappeared. So I wrote this poem….

 A Spider goes to a Concert.

Down came the Spider  
Abseiling intrepidly,
hanging by its own thread,
precariously, from the church roof.
It stops.
Hovering over music ascending
from collective voices.
Sounds made by practiced singers.
“Look, a Spider”, a soprano points out
between pieces.
but the Concert builds to its
final crescendo.
No time to spend on Spiders.
As the music fades,
the concert ends and the Spider
is gone.

Not a Spider at all,
but an Angel,
taking up the music to heaven,
for God to enjoy!

[Mr. G.]

Inspired by a spider who came to a concert by
The Felicitas Choir at the church of St Germain des prés
Paris. 27th Oct 2022)

Imitate the Hallowed ones.

All Hallows’ Eve – a time to Sparkle with light and love.

‘The Feast of All Pumpkins’ was one of the slightly irreverent names give by some to Harvest Festival.
Judging from the decorations which fill our shops, pubs and many homes, it is presumably a description that we could apply also to Halloween.  Once again this is a day which has been hijacked by commercial interest and turned into something that was never intended.  ‘Trick or Treat’ could be seen as a bit of harmless fun – taking over from Guy Fawkes night.  After all what does the tradition of lighting a fire and setting off fireworks on November 5th mean to most people today? – outside England, very little.  The idea of blowing up Parliament would never occur to us today.  Of course not!

The problem is that Halloween has long been associated with the occult, black magic and the darker side of life.    A concentration on mock horror can quickly turn into real horror.    A concentration on the dark side of life can have a negative effect on life.  We are living through some very dark times on our world at present. Ukraine, the energy and cost of living crisis, economic uncertainty throughout the world, drought and famine and the way we are treating refugees, and the poor  are all part of a darkness in humanity which creates a negativity that becomes the devil’s playground.

Try reading C S Lewis’s Screwtape Letters if you don’t get what I’m trying to say

However, like all negatives there is an opposite positive and it lies in the name of Halloween  itself.   ‘Halloween’ means The Eve of All Hallows.    The word ‘Hallow’ means ‘Holy’ as in the traditional Lord’s Prayer – ’Hallowed be thy name.’
Halloween is the evening of the Feast Day of the Holy Ones of God – which is another way of describing the Saints.   

All Saints’ Day is the glorious feast when we remember the Holy people who have perfumed the world with the fragrance of their holy lives and deep devotion to Christ.    So Halloween is a time of preparing for All Saints Day.
This is not best done by thinking about ghosts, vampires and witches.   

It is best done by quietly reflecting on those people whose faith has influenced our lives and who have shown something of the saintly qualities we are seek to imitate in our own lives.   Few of us has  grown in  faith without the help of good and holy Christians. People who have encouraged us, taught and shown  us something about God’s love, and reflected Christ-like love  in their own lives.   These are the people we should be thinking about at All Hallows and All Saints.   Some are now with God and others are still here, quietly showing us what God means to them.   We honour them but more than that, we honour Christ whom they show us.   

A better use of Halloween is to praise God for such ‘saints’ and to pray that the holiness they show us might become a quality in our own lives.  

Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heav’nly host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
Amen.

(Thomas Ken. b. 1674)

[Mr G]

Meeting God in Scripture

Thoughts on Bible Sunday   

When I was at Junior School I remember John Garnett telling our teacher that he had just completed a reading of the entire Bible. He was quite smug about it and I suppose for an eleven year old boy it was quite an achievement. Not to be outdone, I decided that I also would read the Bible from cover to cover. I set off eagerly through the pages of Genesis and Exodus and all went well until I got to Leviticus when, sadly, I abandoned the project. Trying to read the Bible from cover to cover as a way of beating John Garnett rather missed the point of why we read the Bible. I know that now!

When we read the Bible and especially when we pray its pages we enter into a loving relationship with God. As Christians, we are part God’s story and it remains a continuous story of God’s Love Affair with His people – with us! We don’t read the Bible in order to chuck quotes at others, still less to prove some argument or opinion we hold – though sadly the Bible has been used and continues to be used by people in just such a way.

The Orthodox spiritual leader, Kallistos Ware, wrote that:
The real purpose of Bible Study is to feed our love for Christ, to kindle our hearts into prayer and to provide us with guidance for our personal life. The study of words should give place to an immediate dialogue with the living Word himself  – with God, with Jesus Christ.

To be reminded that the sacred words of the Bible lead us into an encounter with Christ is very important. We are in relationship with a Living God, and not just a book. An Orthodox Saint, St Tikhon, said that Whenever you read the Gospel, Christ himself is speaking to you. And while you read, you are praying and talking to him. This conversation must never be rushed.

A friend of mine once said that we should read the Bible in digestible bits rather than indigestible chunks! Modern translations of the Bible helpfully divide the text up into sections rather than chapters and one section at a time can be enough to feed our praying..

Today, we keep Bible Sunday and it is a reminder of how very important the Word of God revealed in  Scripture is for our life of faith. How can we tell God’s story and be part of that story if we neglect the Bible? I love this quotation from Richard Carter, Associate Vicar for Mission at St. Martins-in-the-Fields, London. I offer it as a little Ponder Point.

“Sometimes, you just have to read the Bible with your heart.
It’s not a theory, it’s not an argument, it’s not a weapon, it’s not words.
It’s the Word made flesh.
It’s God’s love deeper and wider and more expansive than your dreams.”

[Mr G]