Whoever has an ear to hear...

For those with family members, friends and senses that understand, an excellent mini TED talk...

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The Voice Project with Peter Gabriel

Using music as a tool for social change is one description of this brilliant video of Peter Gabriel covering Tom Waits song 'In the Neigbourhood' for The Voice Project, a strategic alliance with Oxfam America:

The Voice Project is a song-driven movement inspired by the women of Uganda who are using their voices as vehicles for change in the war-ravaged region of Northern Uganda, Southern Sudan, and Eastern Congo, an area that has been marred by violence for the last 24 years. The Voice Project is an attempt to support these incredible women and the peace movement in the region, and an effort to see how far a voice can carry.

It transpires, on reading more about this project on the Gabriel website, that one of the The Voice Project's founders is Peter's daughter Anna:

"Music has always been a part of my life and I believe it's one of the most powerful and effective tools to bring about change. My father has inspired me with his humanitarian work and has always been supportive of my work as a film maker so shooting this video bought together all aspects of my life in an amazing way."

P h/t @martinwroe

The Anglican Matrix

Some of the things I'm beginning to learn about the Church of England with help from various sages:

clergy	jews
laity	gentiles
choirmaster	god
choir	trying
robes	robes
flower guild	see above
psalter	rare book
book of common prayer	red book
common worship	read book
hymn book	new book
sunday school	lambs
baptised (C of E only)	sheep
the rest of us	goats
administrator	donkey
treasurer	bankrupt
PCC	deluded
eastenders	never watch it
cleaners	angels
wardens	heroes

With respect to the lamented Beaker Folk of Husborne Crawley

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From Candleford with Love...

From the ASBOJesus Blog, inspired by the very wonderful latest BBC series of Lark Rise to Candleford. Last night's edition was quite emotionally draining yet remaining uplifting. The demonstration of the folk from socially and economically upmarket Candleford showing compassion to their neighbours and family in the adjacent hamlet of Lark Rise is a challenging example of what the church should be doing for the relative poor. It means getting our hands dirty and moving outside our comfort zones... even outside our churches, perhaps?

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Mumford and Sons - Music to mend...

Sometimes I hear something that can change me forever:

It seems that all my bridges have been burnt,
But you say that’s exactly how this grace thing works
It’s not the long walk home that will change this heart,
But the welcome I receive with the restart

From the song 'Roll away your stone' 4th track on the amazing album 'Sigh no more' from Mumford & Sons. Passionate songs to restore the spirit - vitally energetic, acoustic, anthemic, imaginative, intelligent, poetic genius...

From the title track 'Sigh no more':

Love that will not betray you
Dismay or enslave you and will set you free
Be more like the man you were made to be.
There is a design an alignment to cry,
of my heart to see,
The beauty of love as it was made to be

Wonderful!

We remember them...

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In 1944 Major John Pott was shot on the battlefield in woods near Arnhem. Struggling to write what he imagined was a final letter to his new wife he was discovered nearly 20 hours later by German troops and subsequently incarcerated for the rest of World War Two in a Prisoner of War camp until released by American in 1945. His grandson, Joel Pott, lead singer of rock band Athlete has penned Black Swan Song which the band will be performing at the Royal British Legion Silence in the Square event on the 11th Nov 2009.

I saw Athlete perform at this year's Greenbelt Festival 2009 and when they performed this song it was one of those special moments when, despite the conflict of emotions the song deals with, you are lifted up to another place. This morning I read the lyrics as a form of Intercession in our Family Service which preceded our main Remembrance Day service.

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And on that Sunday...

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This Sunday, just after hearing the sad news about Stephen Gately's untimely and unexpected death, was driving off to a busy day at church and turned the dial to Radio 2. Out came the dulcet tones of the very wonderful Martyn Joseph singing 'Cardiff Bay' on the Aled Jones morning programme. This is a highly moving and evocative song and it was so good to hear it unexpectedly on such a strange Sunday, especially as the song revolves around happenings and recollections on Sundays.

Most music journalists would class Martyn's songs in the folk and protest song genre, however, my view is that what sets him apart is whilst his songs do indeed 'protest' he does not abdicate or pass responsibility on to others like most of his songwriting peers.

Meanwhile for many their world this Sunday changed so abruptly and would never be the same again. Oh how I wish they could also have felt the peace that came over me as I listened on a Sunday...

Respect.

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Never underestimate kids...

Was asked to cover for the Prayer moment in church today - then when I arrived for an earlier service found I had not even noticed I was on the rota for Prayers there too. As I read the above and placed my own emphasis I was struck by how profound the notion of making 'us' the responsibility for the issues which we tend to expect others to sort out or expect God to sort.