Corpus et sanguis Christi

Ned played Jesus in a school assembly today, with the class thinking about the Body and Blood of Christ (as above in Latin), and how it came about from the Last Supper.

Ned was great - he spoke slowly and clearly, audible even when he had turned his back to the audience while he 'distributed' bread and wine, though he did fumble the glass at one point and nearly drop it - fortunately, it was empty! He also looked radiant in his gown and tea towel, borrowed from Dylan who had played Jesus on the previous two occasions and was seriously in danger of being type cast!!

I wonder how Ned's faith journey will turn out ? I hope he is more consistent than I am.

I am so proud of him - at the weekend we were in the North East of England (Yarm) for a 40th birthday party - a 500 mile round trip just to party! J&S are great friends and I love them. Ned and a couple of similar aged pals ran the bar in the garden: arranging glasses, distributing beers, opening wine, pouring drinks, checking stock in the paddling pool, clearing up. They loved it and did a fab job - it's great when kids are involved in a family do. Ned's dad was fetching him burgers, when not DJing, and it strikes me that we shared bread and wine together on Saturday night - a different sacrament perhaps, but not without its own meaning and significance.

Face to Faith

A coming together of YMCA people who dare to talk about God, faith, religious practice & non religious lifestyles.

A session about understanding the journey of others through faith to non-faith, belief or unbelief, & different faiths…….

It will not be about pursuing any one religious faith – but grappling with some issues which are considered to be vital for our age, our society and our community, and maybe the biggest issue facing the world at the moment is their own journey.

Outcomes:
i. Opening the minds of all individuals present.
ii. Understanding and Empathy with others in relation to their past experiences.
iii. Refreshing our understanding rather than developing opinions.

I attended this short course this afternoon. Absolutely brilliant. Moving.

Stories of growing up in the Ukraine, Nigeria, India, the UK.

Many different and similar views and experiences of faith (often referred to as religion). Lots of surprises, even shocks.

For instance - an account of a female relative sent to Siberia, for 10 years hard labour, for practicing faith in a 1930's Communist regime; or another, a man having to convert from one faith to another in order to get an education; or the teenager forced to leave home because of a choice to practice his faith; others about the hardship of growing up in working class England; of all our daily successes and struggles to find meaning in life, and to practice our faith.

Thank God for the diversity of the rainbow.

Belonging...

"... is what it means to be a family. If parents have encouraged initiative and growth to freedom, if children have been listened to and helped to make their own decisions, to accept and respect others, and to be open to them, if they have been taught to live the to-and-fro of life with others, these children will later on be able to live other forms of belonging and grow to maturity with greater ease. They will be more open to others because they will have lived trust and communion of hearts. "

Jean Vanier, Becoming Human

Pip has (of course!) found a quote that states my post below far more simply and in a lot less words!! Check out Pip's blog at: http://www.pipwilson.com/