The dullest (beta) post in the world

While the Christmas fairies are packing away their Santa dust, I wonder if we could take part in a bit of gratuitous housekeeping?

I've switched to the new version of Blogger (formerly known as Blogger Beta), and it might be a good idea to move this whole blog onto the new version before they eventually get round to deleting the old version.

The only thing is, it would make sense for Laura, Myn & Rob, Ben and the rest of the Sanctus1 bloggers to move their own accounts to the new Blogger before we move the Sanctus blog across. If that's what you want to do.

This is the blogging equivalent of dusting the top of door frames or clearing out that back shelf in the shed. Entirely uninteresting, but something you have to do once in a while. I'm now going back to my usual exciting life of clubbing, inventing, and spinning round and round with my forehead on a broom handle.

Merry Christmas everybody.

Merry Christmas everybody!

I've been so disorganised this year I haven't sent any cards. Which, although pathetic, I might be able to get away with it if I pretend it was all due to protecting trees, or perhaps I should say I have such distaste for the consumerism around Christmas I decided not to take part in it this year by buying and sending cards (and perhaps pretending I sent a contribution to charity instead).

Whatever reason I choose I'm trying to make up for this by posting a Christmas message here for all the people I dearly love at Sanctus1.

3 years on, and Sanctus1 is still, quite honestly, the best church I've ever been to. Not only is the theology mega-mega, but also the people who populate it are splendid people who all deserve two mince pies this year. Thanks for being such ace friends, I feel ever so privileged to have met you all.

Also, a special “big up” must go to the person who started all this, no, not Ben, but Jesus! Who celebrates his 2007th birthday this year. Well done matey – you’ve done very well. Most people you’re age are starting to look a bit de-composed, but you haven’t aged at all! When are you next round these parts? Please do pop over to Manchester if you have the chance – I’m sure we’d give you a fantastic welcome. You’d love Sanctus1, make sure you drop in to say hi. I’ll even buy you a pint after Church – for old times sake.

May the force be with you (if you believe in that sort of thing)

…Lev x

Sanctus1 Service - Midnight

Come and join Sanctus1 for 'Midnight'.

Our service to celebrate Christams!

Sunday 24th December
11:30 pm
Sacred Trinity, Salford

Sanctus1 at Christmas

There will be a couple of Sanctus1 events this week that you're invited to:

Firstly we have Carols and Ale at the New Oxford Pub just up from Sacred Trinity. We'll meet at Sacred Trinity at 6:30 and walk up. If you can't make it for 6:30 then i suggest you meet us there. Here is a map.

On Christmas Eve at 11:30 we'll be having a midnight service with the congregation of Sacred Trinity. The service will fuse together the ancient and the modern as we celebrate the birth of Christ.

Babies

A bit of news for you all - Ruth is pregnant and the baby is due towards the end of June! All is going well so far and we had our first scan a few weeks ago and everything is going to plan!

btw. this is not Ruth!!

Technorati Tags: Babies, Pregnant

"It's our task to make music with what remains."

Forgot to mention that I caught Thought for the Day this morning on BBC Radio4 - the ever excellent Chief Rabbi Dr Jonathan Sacks. Read his transcript or listen again.


technorati tag: thought for the day, BBC Radio4, jonathan sacks

'Daily Torygraph' in global conflict shocker!!!

The Daily Telegraph is the leading UK national title for reporting global conflicts, according to the British Red Cross

Surprising? Scary? Worrying? Unbelievable? Obvious? Spun?


technorati tag: daily telegraph, british red cross, newspaper reporting

To fly or not to fly?

Great post by Gareth of Moot.

Technorati Tags: Moot, Justice

...based on Drummond's street-walking...

Inspired by Bill Drummond’s idea of walking out the letters of his name using a London A-Z to map his route (mentioned in, amongst other places, his book 45), I’ve been thinking that a similar “trick” might be to create and walk a city streets' labyrinth.

What would you put at the centre? Which city would be best to do it (Ed. - Manchester obviously!)? Should we actually do it?…

I’ve haven’t got the technical wizardry to produce a mock-up here and now but hopefully you get the idea…


technorati tag: labyrinth, bill drummond

(not) welcome

Armed with camera phones and a tape recorder, the Salford Star team sent a group of lads to the Lowry centre. "We won't last two minutes," was the teens' prediction.

"They've got to let you in - it's a public building, paid for by your parents ... of course they'll let you in," responded the Star. "They're talking all the time about how they want to reach out to 'young people in the community'..."

Here's what happened...

An inevitable stich up? A genuine fear of the other? A set of reactions based on previously bad experiences? Welcoming, open? Food for thought.


technorati tag: salford star, the guardian, the lowry, hoodies

Christmas Message

This is cute. And an inspiration to us all.

One year on

We remember the Buncefield explosion, esp because my brother's a vicar in Leverstock Green just right next to where the fire was. The BBC has a couple of good legacy and review pieces online today.


technorati tag: buncefield

Advent Labyrinth

This week at Sacred Trinity there will be an Advent Labyrinth. Sacred Trinity will be open from 12-2 each day so if you're in town and want some peace and quiet then I suggest you walk the Labyrinth.

Technorati Tags: Labyrinth, Sacred Trinity

Ning opens!

Andy and Norman's new restaurant Ning has just opened up in the Northern Quarter. So if you've not booked your Christmas do yet, then I recommend that you go to Ning!

Technorati Tags: puppy, Manchester, Ning

Sanctus on tv

This Sunday is your chance to see the midweek group at Nexus doing their thing! Well at least for a few minutes...

Sunday BBC1 10am

Crickets and the milk way

Last week Ben and Cris had us eating thai gren curry flavoured crickets in an effort to get us to understand John the Baptist. So this week's session on the characters in the nativity story could only be better right? Wrong.

We were given boxes to open with an object to represent the charcter and then a meditiation/ video/ image/ poem/ reading to help us reflect. So far so good.

Joseph was first out the box - a simple wooden carved figure. Then a mini Bounty bar, which Ben said represented the hospitality of the innkeeper. No, really. But we all got to eat a chocolate so we tried to overlook this weird advent twist...

Then we pulled out a wooden Mary, and some shepherds, and the wise men. By the time we got to them, the three dudes from the east were following a chain of Milk Ways through the Galaxy (yep!) passing by Mars(es) across the floor...



Baby Jesus turned up early by nearly three weeks, and the angel was actually a star - but by that point we were all rolling about on the floor laughing so hard that none of us cared...

Surreal and memorable in equal measure.




technorati tag: advent, nativity, sanctus1

Erm...

sanctus2nds

sanctus2nds presents

Advent – waiting and wanting…

Sunday 10th December, 4pm – 5pm
Sacred Trinity Church, Chapel Street, Salford


Open to people of all ages, Sanctus2nds is a sanctuary for creativity, reflection and socialising.

Sanctus2nds will feature a cafe space to refresh your body, a creative space to inspire your mind, and a prayer space to nurture your soul; building an environment to encounter Christ. It also has an under 5s play space.


technorati tag: sanctus2nds

Eric Prydz Vs Floyd 'Proper Education'

There something in the Bible about being stewards of the world. It's in that book near the beginning, in that bit about the naked people, the book named after a band. Yeah, that one.

Anyhoo, here is the new single from Eric Prydz, the chappie who did Call On Me with all the women in leotards. Now we really can hug a hoodie.

Online Advent Calender

Ben posted the other day that I'm on an Online Advent calender. Well it launches tomorrow at York Minster. The Archbishop of York, Dr John Semantu, will officially launch the calender and I'm going along for the carols, mince pies and mulled wine in the Minster. We're hoping to actually meet the Archbishop but it should be a good even if we don't. Anyway, I was told that the media will be there to take our picture again with the Archbishop so whether that'll be national/regional news or "Crux", I don't know but keep your eyes open.....

:)

It's an advent(ure)

In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary.

The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favoured! The Lord is with you." Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favour with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end."

"Sorry, you lost me at the 'highly favoured' bit," Mary said.

The angel repeated, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favour with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end."

"No hold on," said Mary. "What happens first? I get pregnant. Then what?"

"You are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High--"

Mary replied, "You haven't got this in the Message version, have you? That's all a bit NIV to me, and that's so seventies, it's wack."

"Okay then," frowned Gabriel. "Ahem... Mary, you have nothing to fear. God has a surprise for you. You will become pregnant and give birth to a son and call his name Jesus. He will be great, be called 'Son of the Highest.' The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David; He will rule Jacob's house forever — no end, ever, to his kingdom."

"Nah, I prefered the first one."

"Oh shut up and wear something blue, we need you to pose for a luminous statuette."

(Luke, chapter1) (Thanks to Laura's post for the idea)