Mind Space

Bubbles

Click the photo to see the image on Flickr. It's much better large.

I took this last week at the Science Museum, who for one night only opened their interactive science exhibit Launchpad to an adults-only crowd. This was from the bubble show.

Also, congratulations to Joel Baker aka cntrst, who won the first heat of the open dex competition for DJs at the Big Chill Bar. He goes through to the final in July, and the overall winner gets to DJ a set at the Big Chill festival in the summer.

Technorati tags: bubble, Science Museum, Launchpad, Big Chill Bar, cntrst

Buy Less Live More

This is the name of an interesting new resource for Lent developed by the Methodist Church. You can sign up to get daily emails with challenges to become less consumerist and more generous and fulfilled.

They have also produced a dummy credit card reminding you to think about what you purchase. Appropriately they are free, with a small charge for postage.

www.buylesslivemore.org.uk

Technorati tags: Lent, consumerism, Methodist Church

Less is more

...is the title of an article on the blog of John Voos who works for Reuters in London. In it he talks about minimalism in photography, and how focussing on one of two details can convey the detail of a story effectively. It's fired me up to go out and put his ideas into practice!

He illustrates the article with some great photos. I particularly love the photos of the dancer and the shadow of the soldier.

Technorati tags: John Voos, blog, photography, minimalism

Nazir-Ali's view of Britain

Over the weekend I struggled to write something on the shortcomings I see in Bishop Michael Nazir-Ali's article in the Sunday telegraph about the demise of Christian Britain and the rise of Islamic fundamentalist no-go areas. In particular I wanted to argue that Christians should celebrate and nurture the presence of all major faiths in this country, and suggest that Nazir-Ali's views seem grounded more in the persecuted churches of his native Pakistan than in Britain today.

Then I saw that the Church Times leader column has beaten me to it, and argued more cogently and concisely than I was able to. The link is free to access this week, but may require subscription afterwards.

Technorati tags: Nazir-Ali, no-go areas, fundamentalism multifaith

The Coventry Litany of Reconciliation

In searching the web for something else, I stumbled upon this litany of reconciliation from Coventry, whose city and cathedral (above) were devastated by bombs in the second world war. I love its simplicity and its unsettling quality. It may be just the thing for Grace on Saturday, suitable inclusivised, of course.

UPDATE: I've replaced the original text of the litany below with the version on the Coventry Cathedral website, which is in inclusive language. The litany is said every Friday lunchtime in the Cathedral.

All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.
The hatred which divides nation from nation, race from race, class from class,
Father Forgive.
The covetous desires of people and nations to possess what is not their own,
Father Forgive.
The greed which exploits the work of human hands and lays waste the earth,
Father Forgive.
Our envy of the welfare and happiness of others,
Father Forgive.
Our indifference to the plight of the imprisoned, the homeless, the refugee,
Father Forgive.
The lust which dishonours the bodies of men, women and children,
Father Forgive.
The pride which leads us to trust in ourselves and not in God,
Father Forgive.
Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

Technorati tags: Coventry litany confession reconciliation worship liturgy