enjoy…..

Ben quotes “ This months St Max’s is all about looking for Christ, as the wise men arrived they found Jesus as a child and then went on their way telling everyone about him… but who is he to you today, is he someone you think about and if you do how do you see him? we will be exploring Jesus as a man, freedom fighter, hero, loner, freak and many more ways.”
Its very sad to say, but our western society has been trying to removing Jesus’ deity, and trying to make him a man, a prophet, and not the son of God.
I am still on my journey into faith and, whilst nowhere near an agnostic, I am yet to get anywhere near the unshakeable faith of many people I know. However, the statement above does cause me concern over how Jesus is viewed in today’s society.
These are my thoughts on Ben’s initial statement about today’s Saint Max’s.

Have you ever wondered where Jesus would fit in society if He were on earth today in the flesh? From discussions I have had, He was not the kind of a man that is portrayed by our artists today. They picture Him in a long, flowing, clean robe with almost perfectly groomed hair and beard. I recall the Alpha course I attended with quite a few of you present here this evening, we discussed the traditional view of Jesus as I have just mentioned but, where Jesus was born and raised he would, most likely have been of Arab descent with darker skin and shorter hair. The traditional view is, perhaps, a romanticised, western view of Jesus and this view can be prohibitive in our perception of his actions where we lend a ‘western’ trait to this.
The Jesus in the scriptures was a man among men. He travelled on foot and scavenged off of the land and generosity of the people, not having a place to retire at night, unless provided by some hospitable family. He was a fugitive of the system, hunted by political and religious leaders, who sought to imprison or kill Him. When He did “go to church,” He was usually shunned or asked to leave! I can associate with this statement as, to me, it gives the impression that Jesus was all about bringing people to God to help them and for their sakes, it was selfless, which cannot be said for all men of religion in today’s society and, whilst I still struggle with the idea of a single deity who created the universe and our earth and a lot of scripture, I can identify with this man as I feel he would have a place in today’s society. The closest thing we have in modern society is the person who goes against an authoritarian regime, the old saying goes” One man’s hero is another man’s freedom fighter” so, would Jesus be viewed as an enemy to some regimes in today’s society?
I agree with the tract printed by the Christian Motorcyclists Association titled, “HE WOULD HAVE RIDDEN A HARLEY!” It says: “Jesus the Biker … He was a lot like you and me. The government didn’t like him. The church thought He was weird. His friends were few. What friends He had denied Him. He was persecuted by hypocrites. He hung around people like you and me, not the goody-two-shoes Pharisees. Yes, if Jesus were on this earth in the flesh He would be next to you on His Harley telling you He loved you … enough to die for you.”
Jesus told His disciples, “…If you love me, the things that I do will you do also (John 15: 14). If we would truly be like Jesus, most of us would have to make some radical changes. I don’t see Jesus laying out His Sunday clothes on Saturday night, getting up on Sunday morning, going to church, returning home to Sunday dinner, and calling it a week. That was not His conception of spirituality.
It coincides with my , some might say, suspicion or distrust of major, organized religious events and my recent experience of a foaming-mouthed Jehovah’s Witness preaching to me on my doorstep.
I carry on my spiritual journey because I am associating with how I would see Jesus in today’s society, not necessarily pushing us all to attend church services on a regular basis but to find God, peace and our own place in his family in our own way. We are all unique as human beings so why should we all find God or Christianity in the same way??
I don’t see a man who spent His formative years in a Seminary and then went out to become chief priest or head-honcho of the Pharisees so He could speak at conventions and direct tours to the Holy Land.
I see a man among men, a rebel with a cause. I see Him riding a motorcycle into the circle at a motorcycle rally, shaking hands and offering the peace that passes all understanding to those who are floundering in a world of evil and sickness. I see Him on the highways and byways giving a cup of cool water to the thirsty. I see Him in the ghettos, the prisons, the rest homes. I see Him on the street-corners, spending the night in a homeless village spending His days in the hospital waiting rooms and in the witness rooms at the courthouse. I see Him in the centres for the homeless, offering Himself in service and ministering.
I see him as a person who would appeal to the disenchanted youth of the world, who could, hopefully, turn many of them back from the lives they lead now, involved in crime and having no future, an endless downward spiral.
Unfortunately, the establishment today is viewed, rightly or wrongly, with suspicion and not only by the young!
Hopefully this ‘freedom fighter’ and ‘man of the people’ could appeal to those who feel wronged or undermined and instil some belief into them, whether it be belief in god or just belief in themselves.

There was once a famous preacher who felt convicted to preach the Gospel to everyone who would listen and even those who wouldn’t.  Over time this preacher become world famous, many listened to his every word, many bought t-shirts with his strap lines on them, read the books he endorsed and sang the songs he told them to.

But one day seeing that he seemed to be the only one doing this he thought to himself, what God has asked me to do is so important that surely i must not just be the only one to undertake this vital work for God.  So he began to speak to other preachers.  He realised that these other preachers where not doing the same things as him and therefore they where not as good and they where not saving as many souls as he was.  So the famous preacher began to curse the lesser known preachers for the way in which they went about their work, that they were not saying the right things or being manly enough.  This caused much uproar, with many people being offended and spitting back words of hate and venom about this arrogant preacher from a far off land.

But one old man who had worked, all his life as a preacher in a small village that not many people knew about heard the comments of the famous preacher and decided to he needed to respond to the challenge he had laid down.

He wrote a very unusual letter to the famous preacher asking him if he would come and fight him. If he would step in to a boxing ring and go three rounds with him.  This seemed very strange as the old man was well past his prime and even used aides to help him walk, where as the famous preacher was a well built man in his prime, and although the use of violence was not something he would have been used to this mismatch in this context was of biblical proportions. The letter concluded by stating the only condition to this contest is that the looser must step down from their position in their churches and they must never preach or speak of Christ ever again.

The letter arrived on the desk of the famous preacher and at first he was shocked by the proposal, but then after some thought he realised that it would be great publicity and that he could use this event to further his message and back up his original out cry that preachers need to be much more manly.

The date and event was arranged and much uproar was debated, blogged and tweeted about.  On the day of the event the opponents met for the first time in the ring the large famous preach seeing the small frame of the old man knew that there was another narrative at work here.  The bravado, and arrogance of the famous preacher dissolved like an ice cube on a hot plate.  Amongst the cheering crowds the famous preacher walked over to the old man and asked.  ‘Why would you agree to doing this when the odds are so stacked against you?’ ‘Don’t you love Christ?’

The old man looked up in to the famous preachers eyes and said in a small soft voice “Yes i love Christ, and that is why i propose to loose this contest, for I would rather have faith and loose it in the battle of preaching than walk into heaven without any spiritual scars.’

I have been asked and have taken a pioneer minsters job in Middlesbrough.

This means that after 5 ½ years in Bridlington we are all moving up north.  We leave Brid on 2nd April and I will begin my new job on 26th April.  The role is an interesting one, I will be working with a great Vicar called Mike Proctor who runs St Cuthbert’s church in Marton, which is on the south side of the city.  My role is really still a blank sheet of paper, I will be working in the community, mainly with those who do not go to church or really consider their own faith journey.  I will also be working ¼ time with young people, which was a surprise when I was officially offered the job and this hadn’t featured in the conversations we had, but it is a pleasant surprise as working with young people has always been something I missed doing whilst in Brid.  I will be working in the local church and supporting and continuing to learn and understand the inherited church.

For me personally, this all feels very strange.  I have never been in this sort of place before, by that I mean the all the jobs that I have ever taken before I have felt at this point that “there is no way that I can do that!” whether it was getting my first job as a hairdresser being a youth minster at a huge church or becoming ordained.  But in many ways I don’t feel that apprehensive about this new role, I feel that I do have a fair idea about my own abilities and I will be able to make something of it.  The apprehension I guess is that I want my working relationships to work well.  I will reflect on my time in Bridlington at a later time, but one of the things that I wish had been better is the working relationships with those around me.  I think I have learnt that with the type of ministry I am involved with, sometimes the horizon lines move so often that there are times when it is hard to make sense of anything that I am doing, and to have the support from the inherited institution, of which I am apart is vital if anything is going to work and thrive.

It will be a big move for us as a family, as it will mean that we step out of the area in which we both have our parents at hand.  It will also mean Becky giving up her job and looking for something for September.

We are sad to be leaving Brid and some of the really great friends that we have made.  But I know that those friendships although will change, will also last.  And the communities of XY and St Maxs will also continue to grow and develop, maybe not in the same way in which they have done.  But again I will save that for another post.

So here’s to the new year, here’s to fresh starts and new beginnings and here’s to blank sheets of paper and to painting great new master pieces of God’s Kingdom on them!

Back when i dirst started this blog i though i would call it bluesoul. mainly because i wanted something that was open ended and didn’t give the blog a particular slant in any one direction that would either entice or dissuade other s from visiting. i thought in some ways it summer me up as someone who through the word blue means open sky, adventurous, and always seeking and soul with the spiritual side of me that will not be pinned down by dogma but open to seeking relationship and community with God and others.

So it was a nice surprise that when i actually googled the meaning of ‘bluesoul’ this was the definition of what i found,

Bluesoul , bluesoul meaning , definition of bluesoul , what is bluesoul – A humanist, politically very much to the left, very liberal on most (social) issues. A bluesoul dislikes hypocrisy, racism, homophobia and any kind of intolerance towards minorities or any other marginal groups/people solely for what they are (or were born as).Considers him/herself a complex person by nature, open-minded, very friendly and polite.
Some examples : Famous bluesouls include Noam Chomsky, Slavoj Zizek, Edward Said.

not a bad description as it happens !!!

For some it may have been difficult financially, for others it may have been for more personal reasons, maybe due to illness or losing a loved one.

When hard times come they often bring lots of questions, usually more questions then answers!

Questions of why, when and how, questions many times that cannot be answered.

So with 2012 approaching and the forecasters telling us that it is going to be another hard year, how are we supposed to celebrate on New Year’s Eve if it means that we are going to face much more anxiety in the coming 12 months?

I have heard a few people quote from the Batman film ‘The Dark Knight’ when it says “The night is always darkest just before the dawn”, which roughly means that hope is just around the corner.

This might be great if hope is right around the corner, but what if it doesn’t look likely?

For me, trusting in God in times of pain is not about finding a crutch to try and get through it but rather accepting what is happening and finding peace in the middle of the chaos.

As I read on Twitter the other day, “With God, it is in the darkness that we find that we are loved.”

Sometimes hope doesn’t always look the way we expect it to.

The big story of God is about how he loves to surprise us, that even in the darkest times he promises never to leave us.

So whatever this new year brings you, I pray that you will come to know that whatever you face you will know that you never have to face it alone!

Looking back over this year, I have to admit that creatively it has not been a good one.  Having just read the review for my blog I have only had 18 posts in total this year! And when it comes to writing this reflection some of the topics such as films almost having to be left blank as I have not had or made the time to to watch anything.  In all 2011 has been a very grey year.  There has been some amazing highlights, moments, and achievements, but I have to say that it has been a safe year, and for those of you who know me safe is not something that I eagerly seek out! But then I guess it is good to have years like that, Becky has been the focus, in her completing her degree and getting a new full time job in teaching.  But enough waffle!!!

THE YEARS BEST…
Film – see above….
Book –The God Father by Mario Puzo. I watched the film years ago and as always the book is much better ! Although I wished he would have left the stuff out about Luca Brasi that was just sick!  I also discovered Martina Cole, having read The Take, I loved the grittiness of her style!
Television – Has to be Boardwalk Empire.  I have always loved Steve Buscemi and this has given him the role he has always deserved.  Great Era as well set in the 1930’s a time of great suits and tashes !
Album –Noel Gallagher’s High Flying birds has been a particular highlight and on repeat play, but I have also found Ben Harper and Bon Iver as well this year who have also featured highly on the playlist.

St Max’s –  Seeing the new growth within the community as well as seeing others warm to new people coming along , it is certainly a place I would love to go to if I had the choice. although the Angels we found were very good fun!
XY – Many great nights, but our retreat to holy island, and swimming with the seals in Brandam bay! Stunning!
Personal Sporting moment –Football – playing two nights a week now, Thursday being the best night as the lads have so much passion.  This season beating the champions 2-1 a really great performance which was made all the more delightful by the way the opposition moaned all night!
Most inspiring person – Ben Walker – Gallerino Photo studio – Ben has been a real inspiration to me this year though his photography and friendship. Needless to say he has taken loads of photos of us which can be seen here.
Photo I have taken – having spent time talking With Ben Walker  and as a result finding lightroom3 I think this photo of my little brother was the one I have enjoyed most
Work moment – I think seeing the the amazing people I have had chance to journey in faith and life with over the past year, for those who have faced very difficult situations and have come though them finding God in the process.  Also the Beach hut advent calendar, although hard work brought some really magical moments
Joshua moment – Our tour of the KC stadium with my dad was awesome, Taking joshua round the changing rooms and sitting the the dugout.  Knowing that the next time we went to see the Tigers he would know where all his heroes have been sat and preparing.
Caleb moment – Teaching him to ride his bike, he got a balance bike earlier on this year that when he got it he loved it so much he had to take it to bed with him, which was fine until he decided that we would then ride it down stairs the next morning!!!! He is now riding a proper bike….. On solid ground
Martha moment -Swimming on a Friday morning is one of the highlights of my week, and without a shadow of a doubt is one of martha’s!
Becky Moment – celebrating 10 years of marriage !!! we had a photo shoot done to celebrate so Bex got back in her wedding dress and we headed down to the beach to get some shots ! Taking her to see the Queen at the Buckingham Palace Garden Party.  What an amazing day, followed by seeing Matt Lucas in in Les Miserables and then getting up and heading to the Town House in Soho for Breakfast. Stuff memories are made of. And seeing her 1940’s pin up photo shoot !

New web experience – The fancy http://www.thefancy.com/

Moments never to forget:  I had a great time down in London with my mate Joe for my 31st and a tour around the hallowed turf that is Stamford Bridge (home of Chelsea football club).  Also finding out when we got to our mates who was putting us up that he was in Morocco, so we ha to ask twitter if anyone had a bed for two nights !!! a result within 15 mins!!! gotta love social media and @revjoannecox !!

So big news coming soon about this year ! stay tuned and all will be reviled on Monday.  But for now Grace and Peace, and May God’s blessings knock you speechless this new year!

B

We Started the project 2 years ago and it has been a great success, the concept is we take a beach at on the Southside in Bridlington and every night from the first to 24 December between 6 PM and 7 PM we create a giant life-size Advent calendar using the gifts and talents of local people and organisations to retell the famous story in a new, fun and fresh way.

The details of this year’s events can be found below, we want to allow people to celebrate Advent and to hear and interact with the story in a way that they have never done before,  during last year’s events it was amazing to see a real community spirit emerge and evolve during the darkest coldest nights of the year.

So here is the 1st nights extravaganza for the beach huts

We are going to have a local rapper and MC to announce the start of this great story, we will be recalling the fun we have had in the past as we begin to turn to look towards our new journey to a spectacular Christmas eve

With some added free and fun stuff as well!

Thanks,

Ben

Here are the rest of the events

Friday the second-

The Romans are coming! The chaps from Electric angel studio in Scarborough are leading the theme of thinking about oppression and peace with a huge interactive art display 

Saturday the third-

It’s all about Mary, making a giant mosaic of Mary and thinking about who Mary might have been if she was alive today. thinking about issues of teen pregnancies and responciblities of young people today.

Sunday the fourth-

Mary and Joseph get engaged, a local joiner and carpenter, will be turning the beach hut into his own workshop.  helping us think about the role the Joseph a normal working man had to play in this awesome story

Monday the fifth-

The angel appears to Mary.  Ever seen an angel?  well tonight is your chance ! you will also have the chance to become one yourself with a little twist on some cameras and a few lights!

Tuesday  the sixth-

Joseph’s dream, angels and dreams theme, if you could dream a dream this Advent what would it be? Come and add to our dream cloud with your creations.

Wednesday the seventh-

The journey begins, a time to reflect on our own journeys and how they intertwine with other, come and join in on the dusty road !

Thursday the eighth-

The journey to Bethlehem, Emmanuel church invite us to look for Bethlehem.

Friday the ninth-

They travelled on a donkey, Big Me, a local band will be treating us to a festive feast of music and singing.

Saturday the 10th-

A star appeared in the sky, Local professional photographer Ben Walker will be taking portrait photos in our beach hut / photo booth… with some fun props and a chance to be snapped in our competition for best nativity character!

Sunday the 11th-

Some wise men appeared in the East, come and eat like a King taste some exotic food from the ancient near East. with our resident chef Rich Hines, an amazing feast on a cold night !

Monday the 12th-

They brought gold frankincense and myrrh, the young people form Beverley Minster will be showing and raising the themes of commercialism and Christmas

Tuesday the 13th-

The wise men met cruel King Herod, A puppet show allowing us time to think about the dark times and lots of singing and dancing, with a chance for little ones to take part in the show!

Wednesday the 14th-

Herod sent the Kings to Bethlehem, Bridlington Boys brigade lead drama, singing interactive arts and crafts on the theme with hot chocolate and mince pies.

Thursday the 15th-

Finding somewhere to stay, local teacher Andrea Jones tell us the story of ‘Little robin red vest.  on the theme of thinking about others with arts and crafts…

Firday the 16th-

Mary and Joseph found a stable, our world famous KNITIVITY!!!!! with the whole crib scene having being knitted for this night! including a life-sized knitted donkey !

Saturday the 17th-

They slept rough in a stable,with only a manger that would become a crib.  Mary Fawsett leads a craft night making manger cribs from bits of paper.

Sunday the 18th-

In a dream the kings were told not to go back to Herod, a digital visual presentation on the theme of freedom and peace.

Monday the 19th-

The wise men spread the good news, face painting and art work from local artist Val Norton!

Tuesday the 20th-

In the hills nearby were some shepherds who were shocked at the sight and sound of the Angels, Emmanuel Play group fill our beach hut with real life shepherds and angels

Wednesday the 21st-

The Angels Sung! local singer song writer Laura Bancroft, sings like an angel, as she treats us to an amazing performance!

Thursday the 22nd-

Glory to God in the highest and peace to all men on earth, we think about our Armed Forces who will not be home for Christmas with full Scottish bagpipe band, and the making of our digital Christmas card which we will post on-line to our service men and woman who will not be home this Christmas.

Friday the 23rd-

The shepherds went to see the baby, making the star! as the star settles above the stable we create the light the tells a much bigger story!

Saturday the 24th-Christmas Eve-the last night!

We celebrate Christmas, with an amazing extravaganza of a finale with local classic Christmas pop singers leading the celebrations, as well as  hot food and drink, magicians, artists, the full cast of the Nativity and much more still to be confirmed, there’s no better way to head into Christmas night!

Grace and Peace, and see you down there! 

Ben x