Greenbelt 2009 update
Greenbelt 2009. See my comments after-the-event here and here and here
This was my programme:
Saturday, 6pm in Hebron. "Feasting and Fasting" . My latest two books were written for Advent and Lent, so I'm full of ideas about what "fasting" means – not just giving up chocolate or going a day without food, but all kinds of other layers of meaning too. My talk is about how pursuing that idea changed my reading of a couple of Bible characters.
Sunday 3 pm I'm leading a conversation – in the style of the Late Review – on the Emerging Church and the Liturgical year – what does the ancient rhythm of the church feasts and holy days have to say to a post-modern church in a post-christian world? Three people who know what they are talking about will be joining me.
Sunday 6pm in Hebron I'm on a panel that will discuss whether you can still have faith even when you have doubts. Guess what I'm going to say…
Sunday 10pm in the Big Top. Along with Ben Edson and various other people I'm leading a vigil for Palestine – prayers for peaceful solutions to a seemingly insoluble problem. Various peopole are joining us who are passionately involved, on the ground, in pursuing peace. It will include snips of information, but it's a vigil, not a talk – prayers, silence, music, symbolic action.
Advance copies of my new book are released specially for Greenbelt.
I'm going to see Beyond's special event on "Light" at Midday 4pm on Saturday – a collaboration with light artist Chris Levine. (BTW, Chris is not a lighting director, but an artist who creates things with light. He's fantastic.) Martin and co. at Beyond are featuring a number of other creative events and installations at Greenbelt – see here for more gen.
It's almost always the case at Greenbelt that I end up doing an extra thing – someone drops out of a panel because they get ill or something and I get drafted in. But whenever I'm not doing things myself I shall be watching Duke Special, hanging out at the performance cafe, the tiny tea tent, the Hub. I love meeting blog readers in real life, so come and say hello
No Responses to “Greenbelt 2009 update”
Comments
Reply
-
author musician theologian
Maggi has kept a blog since September 2003, writing about theology and faith, the arts and literature, and a little about life and random nonsense...
In an increasingly secularised society few people have a good working knowledge of the Bible. Yet a great deal of our culture is built on stories or ideas that come from the Bible. Literature, art, music, language and even the fabric of our society - such as our justice system - are built on Christian concepts and biblical references. The Writing on the Wall provides a fascinating introduction to the Bible's best-known, and most influential, stories. Each chapter gives some background to the text of the Bible, and shows how the stories have become enmeshed in Western culture. Adam and Eve, the ten plagues of Egypt, The Prodigal Son and Mary Magdalene all feature - along with how the Bible has influenced everyone from Shakespeare to Monty Python, and Caravaggio to Banksy. 
Giving It Up explores the Lenten idea of 'giving up', taking it beyond the traditional idea of simply abstaining from something, and suggesting instead that what we need to give up is our existing ideas about God. With a daily readings for each day of Lent, from Ash Wednesday to Easter Sunday, it follows the heroes of the Bible who had to give up their own too-small ideas about God.
This is Maggi’s bestselling book of daily readings for each day of Advent, Christmas and Epiphany. Advent is the beginning of the Church year, and marks the anticipation of the coming Messiah. These readings explore how beginnings and endings in our own lives are illuminated by the different Gospel narratives of Christ's coming.
-
Search
-
-
1 Corinthians 1vs 20-27
Until I had experience of the Gift of tongues myself I would have written as Rachel Cooke did. The whole tongues thing may bring confusion . Canon John Gunstone in 1983(ish) spoke so well on this whole subject. The talk is called “An outward sign of an inmost grace”. I got a copy from Anchor Recordings a few weeks ago to try and explain to my 89 yr old mother the whole subject from Anglican perspective.
http://www.anchor-recordings.com/index.html
Sure the “here” was meant to be a link?
Without having any context I’d say there’s certainly nothing wrong with saying the same in other wording and I am also sure God will listen to anyone who is not able to produce proper wording. But I do not quite see why an adult would want to tell him anything that does not mean a thing at all. After all, prayer is meant to be communication?
Is there anything more likely to drive away unbelievers than the sight of grown men and women speaking in tongues?
I only hope and pray that I never convert and become like that.
Hey Maggi. But you have to look into these things. Translated it reads: “Alpha’s OK but you’d be better off reading Maggi Dawn’s new book. Get in there quick and preorder, dilly doodle …”
Some Christians are apparently so far gone in the Holy Spirit that I am pretty sure they not only speak in tongues, they also think in tongues.
Tongues on tele can only mean one thing – total lack of discernment from tose doing it and complete disregard for how stupid it looks to even the least skeptical bystander (ok that’s two things) – plus, it’s just downright wrong and Paul would have had no hesitation is saying so – yabba dabba doo!
Personally I feel that we need to be very cafeful here that er are not deriding people or alienating them due to their experience. I should also say that I have read everyones elses post on this issue and the following is only my opinion.
From the age of 6 to when I left at age 26 (only a mere 39 now) I spent my “church time” in charasmatic (happy clappy to some) churches all of which manifested all of the gifts of the Spirit. But, why did I leave? because they lacked the fundemental gift LOVE.
A very Pauline response, Lisa (i Cor 13:1: If I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.)
I’m inclined to agree with Hadge – there may be times and places where “tongues” is appropriate, but not on Telly. There’s a degree of spiritual intimacy that only makes sense in private, just like normal behaviour in the bedroom or bathroom is perfectly acceptable, but it’s private and not appropriate for TV.
Apostle Paul wrote that it was better for the gift of prophecy to be exercised when non Christiansn were present as they were more likely to be convicted by God speaking to them, whereas tongues would mean nothin to them…
On reflection I to am inclined to agree with Hadge, and I totally agree with your post (which also made me laugh out loud).
I have been in a number of churches where it really was like “noisy gongs and clanging cymbals” amd I am not talking about the Worship Team either!
Tongues for tv NO! I am sure there are a number of folk now walking around saying Shecome on ahonda etc.