Eva's annual Christmas present list

If you click on the image it will get BIGGER...family members (and those thinking of getting Eva a present) please take note of this list! She is VERY serious about it!

and sew to bed

Please look at this website andsewtobed
70 years ago on 9th October John Lennon was born in Liverpool. 30 years ago on 9th December he was shot dead in New York City.

The West Everton Community Council (WECC) and One World Week alongside The Craftivist Collective is taking part in the Liverpool Bluecoat Bed-In to celebrate John Lennon’s 70th birthday. The Bluecoat event takes part from October 9 – December 9, 2010: our Bed-In is on December 1, 2010.

During our Bed-In we want to raise awareness of global issues in our own community and amongst the people of Merseyside. We may represent a specific community but we come with our global concerns to a bed in the bluecoat. We want to raise awareness of national and international inequality and demand change – we want to see an end to the social chasm between those who have and those who need. Ours is a peaceful protest that wishes to engage all people in crafty action: Craftivism! We will make lovely stuff and change the world by stealth and beauty.

We think that ‘all you need is love’ but unless you make an effort to share it out equally some people get more love than others. We want to demonstrate something of our love for the community we live in, the city we have been brought up with and the world that embraces us. We believe that that only way we can do this is to demand equality, justice and peace.

We will be engaging in craftivism activities in bed. We will knit, sew and stitch our way to peace. Before the bed-in we will offer craftivist kits to anyone who is prepared to stitch for us – we aim to gather stitchers from across the globe. These mini-protest-stitch-kits will be completed and put together to form a massive protest duvet during the bed-in. This duvet will then be filled with white feathers to symbolise our hope for peace.

WECC is a group of people who work toward justice and equality in an urban community – we are neighbours, activists, artists and friends. In recent times we have organised a fantastic series of events to celebrate our community called Out of The Blue – this is a festival of creativity that takes place in and around Everton Park

Craftivist Collective is a global community of people who marry craft processes to activist aims. Their purpose is to expose the scandal of poverty and human rights injustices through the power of craft and public art. This is always done through provocative, non-violent creative actions craftivism collective).

One World Week – One World Week is a Development Education Charity. Each year, “The Week” is an opportunity for people from diverse backgrounds to come together to learn about global justice, to spread that learning and to use it to take action for justice locally and globally (one world week).

To get involved email Ellen Loudon – ellen@ellenloudon.com

The People's Pageant

I am sorry to be absent for so long - but I am sure you are following me on Twitter (see right). I am still alive and though I don't have much time to blog I am still very active on the interweb...

Anyway, I am planning an exciting project for June with some schools in Everton - called The People's Pageant. For more info see the blog.

Do let me know if you'd like to be involved.

we need a hero

mac make a big mistake - a gadget with unfortunate name

Cartoon by Dave Walker. Find more cartoons you can freely re-use on your blog at We Blog Cartoons.

Happy Christmas

I am in a bit of daze over Christmas preparations. I have lots of services to do before I have my dinner and the house is full of people. So, I am sorry if this posting will be brief. I just wanted to say Happy Christmas dear reader and I do hope you have a peaceful season.

the death of popular culture

I have had a bit of a bonkers 10 days - full of Christmas cheer, popular culture and a viva that nearly tipped me over the edge.

I missed a lot of the run up to Christmas last year because I was caught up in jury service but this year I am getting the full hit of being a priest at Christmas-time. There is so much to do - and advent has been a lively spiritual challenge for me. I am loving the waiting for Christmas and all the lead up to it. That said there have been a few things that have been quite disturbing - The X-Factor for one. I am not sure I can express my disdain for it without rude words but I will have a go. I once thought it was as innocuous as karaoke but now think it is destructive. You know, dear reader, that I love popular culture and can usually find some worth in nearly any of it (even Miley Cyrus has her good points) but xfactor is a cruel twisted popular culture that is sucking the life out of everything that is good about music. It is a vampire draining the life-blood from young people's talent and leaving them with nice teeth, lovely hair, shining legs and a look of vanity. I want it to stop - with all my of my heart I want it to stop. I want our young people to come back and stop following the nasty child catchers into the little box. I want them to run free and make pop music that is about them and not about a strange middle aged man who likes everything to be pretty. So there...

I am a bit tense at the moment (can you tell). I had my PhD thesis viva last Friday and whilst I am not knocking my achievements I still have some more work to do on it...work that I am disappointed about really. They are asking me to shift my work away from my practice and more toward the theory that underpins it. Of course my theory is completely sound and the work they are asking me to do is perfectly reasonable but I am gutted that I didn't express the worth of the practice clearly enough to validate it. It's not the end of the world but I do have to spend some time digesting their comments and working out what my response will be in terms of the work. It shouldn't take me too long to sort it out but at the moment I am not sure where the time will come from. Some reflection and careful prayer about time management, stress and workloads will also need to be done.

Anyway, I hope you are enjoying advent and that your Christmas preparations are bringing you joy. Remember Jesus isn't just for Christmas and that when the heavens and the earth are reunited there will be salvation from xfactor and all bad things. Until then it is up to us to make this world a better place and fight against injustice (wherever we find it) and seek the Lord in all things good and worthy. Lets get to it.

banana skins

We are starting to develop new routines since the arrival of Jacob in our lives. It hasn't been easy and there have been a few compromises (getting up in the night and early in the morning, picking up poo in little bags, chewed furniture, and lots of farting) but he is a lovely dog and he is very funny. One of the great things we are doing is going on lots of walks around the parish. Jacobs isn't all that keen really but I am hoping he will start to enjoy walking the streets of Everton with me. It seems the best bit (for Jacob) of wondering around are the tasty banana skins left by those who eat fruit and discard the inedible bits behind. Today I went out for an hour and saw 6 banana skins, the peelings of what seemed like 3 tangerines and a couple of apple cores. I am impressed by the quantity of fruit eating but disappointed by the litter bugging. I try to steer Jacob round the peelings but he does sometimes manage to get a bite - he is very cunning when it comes to eating pavement peelings. Other things he has managed to eat before I got to him include:
bubblegum
newspapers
lots of toilet roll
2 wicker baskets
the corner of the grandfather clock
the leg of the antique hall table
the foot of the rocking chair
the red rug (has two big holes in it now)
quite a lot of cat food
dishwasher scum
his own poo
my nibbles (on two occasions)
toast crust
Eva's dinner (once)
Isiah 26
the lectionary for year C

Carl Sagan - 'A Glorious Dawn' ft Stephen Hawking (Cosmos Remixed)

big thinking on a day off

bridlington beach huts

I am often jealous of people who live by the seaside (though to be honest I am a city dweller so perhaps it's best for it to continue as a holiday romance)...but, I am particularly impressed by this take on the advent calendar. Farli will know the answer to this - Is it possible that Bridlington Rocks!?

Jesus and Robbie Williams

I posted this on the re:jesus site a week or so ago...forgot to direct you to it from here.

international toilet day

everyday I get an email from Tear Fund with a daily prayer request. This was today's:

MAKE LIFE FLOW: 15 - 21 NOVEMBER

THURSDAY 19 NOVEMBER
Today is World Toilet Day. As you use the toilet today,
imagine not having any privacy. Having to go in the open,
getting up early to avoid being seen, fearing attack in
isolated locations. Pray for all those who will face this
humiliation today. Pray for the work of Tearfund partners
as they help people to build pit-latrine toilets.

john pilger

in a speech to mark his award of Australia's human rights prize, the Sydney Peace Prize, John Pilger describes the "unique features" of a political silence in Australia. In it he said:

I believe the key to our self respect - and our legacy to the next generation - is the inclusion and reparation of the First Australians. In other words, justice. There is no mystery about what has to be done. The first step is a treaty that guarantees universal land rights and a proper share of the resources of this country.

Only then can we solve, together, issues of health, poverty, housing, education, employment. Only then can we feel a pride that comes not from flags and war. Only then can we become a truly independent nation able to speak out for sanity and justice in the world, and be heard.

If you would like to read the whole of this moving and compelling speech click here.

they shall beat their swords into ploughshares

He shall judge between the nations,
and shall arbitrate for many peoples;
they shall beat their swords into ploughshares,
and their spears into pruning-hooks;
nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
neither shall they learn war any more.

Isaiah 2.4

Each Wednesday we share morning prayer at St John Chrysostom Church together at 10am. Those who are able to get there take it in turns to share a thought, read from the bible and pray together. The reading for Wednesday's morning prayer was from Isaiah 2.1-11. I was leading and shared a story that was mentioned in my reflections for daily prayer. It is a story of great hope and contains the vision that Isaiah creates for us i this reading - of people beating their weapons into ploughshares and spears into pruning-hooks. This is the Tree of Life (see picture) project - where the people of Mozambique can swop their weapons for farm machinery and tools. The weapons are then decommissioned and made into amazing pieces of art.

In the words of the curators at the British Museum:

The Tree of Life was made by four Mozambican artists: Cristovao Canhavato (Kester), Hilario Nhatugueja, Fiel dos Santos and Adelino Serafim Maté. It is a product of the Transforming Arms into Tools (TAE) project and is made from decommissioned weapons.

TAE was set up by Bishop Dom Dinis Sengulane in 1995 and is supported by Christian Aid. During Mozambique's civil war, which lasted from 1976 to 1992, millions of guns and other weapons poured into the country and most of them remain hidden or buried in the bush. The project is an attempt to eliminate the threat presented by the hidden weapons. Mozambicans are encouraged to hand them over in exchange for items like ploughs, bicycles and sewing machines. In one case a whole village gave up its weapons in exchange for a tractor.

Once the weapons are decommissioned, they are cut up and turned into sculptures by the artists in Maputo. This process has produced the Tree of Life and the Throne of Weapons, also created by Kester.

This is a vision worth holding onto as we come to our Remembrance Sunday services tomorrow. In the midst of the horror of war we should also cling on to the hope of transformation.

back blogging

Hello dear reader. Thanks for your patience whilst I have been away finishing off my PhD thesis - you'll be pleased to know it has been submitted to The University of Liverpool and I am now waiting for a viva date. So, I hope to be back here blogging on a regular basis. I am thinking about a re-brand (again) but I suspect that is a while off but in the meantime I will let you know about a few things that have been happening:
- Eva has started walking to school on her own
- We have adopted a puppy from Freshfields - his name is Jacob and he's very cute (as you can see above)
- Eva, mark and I have been to Belfast for a little jolly - which was great...lots of sitting about, chilling out, catching up with family and friends.
- I have had a cold - I feel much better now, though I am still very tired.
- I am at last feeling like I can get stuck in to parish life. I just hope nothing else comes along to get in the way of being able to be in the parish full time (apart from my more formal curacy training commitments of course).

So, with that in mind I had batter get back to parish life...

something has to give

I am in the later stages of preparing my PhD thesis for submission and am under quite a lot of pressure so something has to give. I am having a little sabbatical from my re:jesus blogging and unfortunately dear reader I also feel that I need to take a little break here too. I am still twittering and using facebook - there are links to those updates on here. I hope to be back blogging by the middle of October (after submission). In the meantime I would appreciate your prayers, positive vibes, cake and love. The final push in on...

would you adam and eve it?

I saw this on the BBC website and wondered if we might be able to have a scouse one here in the pool?

eternal earth bound pets

thanks to notbovvered for this link:

"You've committed your life to Jesus. You know you're saved. But when the Rapture comes what's to become of your loving pets who are left behind? Eternal Earth-Bound Pets takes that burden off your mind."

draft thesis to the proof reader

I have deposited a copy of the latest draft of my thesis with the proof reader today...and feel quite pleased with myself. I celebrated with a little visit to Waitrose and the hardware store in Formby and am considering a drink of nice white wine. But, just so you can enjoy the music hall moment with me I will post (again) this little film of Gus Elen singing 'It's a Great Big Shame'...enjoy (and don't forget to join in the chorus).

making mischief with the daily mail

...well they do ask for it don't they!!!?? If you have a few bored moments do have a go at today's stupid poll (scroll down to the bottom to find the poll) and mess up their statistics...

Don't worry they have one everyday so you'll never get bored countering their reactionary tripe.