Thanks to Simon Marsh for posting Sparkling Waters. As he says, “a little pure joy for the eyes and ears.” My own reflection, my play on the water, is filtered through questions of those who feel in the doldrums and those who can’t be still.

Stunningly beautiful,
fairly typical
reflecting water
reflecting life
never calm
playground
for light
sparkling, bubbling,
becoming.
Never still.
Only becalmed to the senseless, the dead.

Need Some Space?

A quiet place?

Space for
Reflection … Repose … Reposition … Respite … Release?
Space …
for Peace?

Expanse … Solitude… Space.
My soul needs to breathe.
What about yours?

With a world in turmoil, my soul needed some breathing and it came to my Inbox the other day. I just had to share it.
I am reblogging a post, with permission from the author, Simon Marsh, an Anglican parish priest from North Western England. The link is below, titled “SOME SPACE”.

Simon’s words washed over my soul with eloquence and elegance.
A message for a world o’ hurt.

Does your soul need a place to breathe?
There is a place … that always has space …
for you.
Thank you, Simon, for saying what I could not.

Peace,
Alexandria

http://simonmarsh.org/2012/09/13/some-space/
by Simon Marsh

© from Simon Marsh blog post “Some Space”

The three movements take the listener on a journey through a variety of moods. The first had a series of repetitive figures and patterns interrupted by big band riffs and more textural passages. The second, quieter movement provided the standout moments of the evening with a moody intro dissolving into an unaccompanied passage on vibes, Mark Whitlam making the most of the opportunity to improvise with the rythmn as well as the open single chord marked in the score before a rocky ballad emerged sounding for all the world like an orchestrated Pat Metheny tune complete with soaring solo from John Diver on electric guitar. The final movement had another dazzling improvisation, this time from Dale Hambridge on piano before an uproarious ending. This was a rousing performance. There were a few moments when the horns going full throttle overwhelmed the more delicate tones of the guitar, but the result was very affecting. That second movement provided the best moments, but as a piece of writing overall I wasn’t completely convinced by Paul Hart’s concerto. There were lots of attention grabbing ideas, riffs and figures. Perhaps there were too many without any being really developed and instead a few slack moments before the next idea kicked in.

MD Mike had chosen a great selection of tunes for the second set to complement the first with compositions and chart from Maria Schneider (Greenpiece), Quincy Jones (Quintessence) and Pat Metheny (A place in the world) as well as some more conventional if no less challenging fare including the overture from Ellington’s Nutcracker suite. These variously gave Nick Malcolm, Simon Marsh and Dale Hambridge particularly the chance to show why their respective reputations are continuing to grow as fluent and creative improvisers. And long may GBH with the prodding and tough love of Mike Daniels continue to challenge themselves and provide great evenings like this one.

I have been playing round with my new ArtSet app. Collapsing truth, as some people suggest is happening, I came up with a very different picture of truth. It is a picture which asks the question of whether my truth hurts – funny how we have that expression “truth hurts”. It’s a picture which raises the question about the quality of shelter, about whether there is hospitable space and about whether u r cared for.

It’s a picture which presents us with Ruth as well as truth. The book of Ruth is a story of loving-kindness. Ruth shows herself to be full of loving kindness to Naomi, her grief-stricken mother in law, and Ruth receives the loving kindness of Boaz who becomes her kinsman-redeemer. Ruth means compassion and pity. (Ruthlessness describes the absence of those qualities.) Boaz and Ruth are counted as sowing the seed of Jesus. Even though she was a Moabitess, and therefore foreigner, she is Jesus’ great (times many) grandmother – according to Matthew. It’s Ruth’s story which is often chosen by couples getting married. Ruth “plights her troth” to her mother in law:

Where you go, I will go; where you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God my God. Where you die, I will die …

Truth is questionable. Just like Saint Paul, “we now see, only dimly in a mirror. As yet, we only partially know.” (1 Corinthians 13:12). We have only one pair of eyes and limited perspective. That is something that is factually true. But the truth that ignores the perspective of others, that hurts, that welcomes no stranger, that cares for no-one, is blatantly false. Truth is measured by what we do.

Signed: Yours truly

It has been good to be involved in the development of an Arts & Faith Network (for the Diocese of Chester), and to be “breathing space” at Stephen Broadbent’s studio yesterday with textile artists, stained glass artists, wordsmiths, dancers, painters, sculptors, actors, authors, poets, cooks, singers, preachers and “makers of pretty things”. Until yesterday the Network hadn’t been much more than an idea shared by a few people and it was difficult to put into words what it was about and what could happen. Now it has got legs, is on the road, and has its own story – “the day we met at Stephen and Lorraine’s, when our exploration of the interaction of arts and faith was facilitated by Simon Marsh with background percussion of water overflowing into a pond…..”

The (overflowing) River of Life sculpture by Stephen Broadbent at Warrington at the site of a terrorist bomb explosion which killed two children.

There were so many good things, including a wonderful rendition of The Rose by Simon (spoken, not sung), and, we discovered a “surplus of meaning” as we joined our own creative endeavours to those of others. Surplus of meaning doesn’t mean that there is too much – rather, there is so much. The meaning of our insulation block sculptures co-mingled with the meaning given to them by others, with meaning pinned to meaning. Of course, Ricoeur was right. There is a surplus meaning as one meaning gives itself to another, transforming itself in the giving. Nothing we can do, or create can provide an adequate container for our meaning. Meaning is so abundant it has to overflow. It overflows into convivial and meaningful community, good times, great company.

There are, though, those in whom there is no sense of meaning – including some in this emerging network who described the meaninglessness of past experiences. Is this where art and faith come together, making sense when we are oppressively or depressively crushed?

Simon Marsh and Sarah Anderson have both posted on the Arts and Faith launch.

Because we have the ‘luxury’ of being able to know the whole story of Jesus while he was here on earth, we know that Jesus rose again. Because we know, we often wonder why the disciples found it so hard to believe, why they couldn’t hear what Jesus was telling them, even though they recognised him as Messiah. And yet, we too often find it hard to believe and hear what God is telling us.

Simon Marsh his blog from today.. blogged today on the conversation between Mary & Jesus. Why do we have a tendency to cling to the ‘old’ instead of looking forward to the ‘new’? Maggi was blogging on waiting her blog from today.. and I recognise that the disciples needed to be healed and to rest after the traumatic activities of the previous few days. I am very aware that we need to reflect on many things and be healed from hurts and stuff from the past, but we do need to recognise how AMAZING the hope and joy that comes from knowing Jesus – the Archbishop of Canterbury said it much better than I could Easter day sermon from the Archbishop of Canterbury

The Hideous Milk Demon

What do you do when things go wrong – when you get egg all over your face and mis-manage situations? I know what I do – I blame everyone in the search for a scapegoat – except myself. The Hideous Milk Demon (thank you Joseph O’Hughes for the picture) reminds us of the dangers of upset emotion. It is, after all, no good crying over spilt milk. And it’s no good lashing out at those who left the milk out.

Faithful God, let your word be the treasure of our hearts, that we may delight in your truth and walk in the glorious liberty of your Son Jesus Christ.

By Oliver Farrimond

Hearts FC have signed a lucrative three-year contract with international sports giants Umbro.

The three-year deal will run through to the end of the 2011/12 season, and follows a hugely successful two year trial run.

Umbro will design and produce home and away kit s featuring their trademark moisture-management technology, as well as a variety of products for fans.

Simon Marsh, director of football for Umbro, said: “We are delighted to continue our working relationship that began two years ago.

“We can guarantee that we will supply the cutting edge of sportswear design, and are looking forward to produce innovative and fantastic looking products for both the club and for the fans.”

The new agreement is worth a ‘significant’ undisclosed sum, according to the Tynecastle club.

With Hearts having hit the headlines recently for financial troubles, the deal will come as good news to worried fans.

Campbell Ogilvie, Hearts managing director, said: “We are absolutely delighted to be making this announcement today. This takes our relationship with Umbro to five years and is a sign of exceptional commitment between both organisations.

“Umbro are true international market leaders and they have served us magnificently during the last two seasons.

“They bring real professionalism within the sports retail sector and offer tremendous quality in the garments they produce.