Send in the Clowns Transition and Hope Imagination and Resistance in Action CONTENTS
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The magazine of Christian Ecology Link Summer 2013 Issue 75 Price £3.50 Send in the Clowns Transition and Hope Imagination and Resistance in Action CONTENTS Green Christian Published by Christian Ecology Link Contents Editor Chris Walton, Ringsfield EcoCentre, Beccles, Suffolk NR34 8JR Welcome to Green Christian Issue 75 Summer 2013 T: 07881 941296 E: [email protected] FEATURES Editorial Committee Deborah Tomkins, Deidra Munro, Ashley Ralston, Paul Bodenham, Barbara Echlin, 4 Transition and Hope – from head, to Westley Ingram. heart, to hand Book Review Editor Miriam Pepper John Whitehead reminds us that ‘we are the Submissions prophetic presence of the living risen Jesus Christ’ Contributions should ideally be made by e-mail as attached files. Alternatively P14 clear typescript is acceptable when 6 Not Screechers but Believers negotiated with the editor. Accompanying Edward Echlin and Ruth Jarman reply to Sam photos and drawings are encouraged. An Norton early phone call to the editor to indicate an intention to write is very helpful. 8 The Stream of Life rolls on Editorial Policy Green Christian is intended as a forum Reflections on CEL’s annual conference 2013 for Christians of all traditions to reflect P19 on, and contribute to, current thinking 9 Democracy needs Prophets too and action in the Green Movement. The opinions expressed by guest authors do not necessarily reflect the views of the 10 Cosmic Justice editors but are welcome for their Mark Bredin insists that social justice without sincerity and insight. Items mailed with Green Christian reflect the views of their ecological justice is no justice at all authors or publishers and not necessarily those of Christian Ecology Link. 13 - 16 Centre pullout A Storm of Hope Paper Stock call to Non Violent Direct Action This issue of Green Christian is printed Cover: This image of the clown was given to me by a young Christian artist on Revive 100 Silk, paper made from back in the 1980s when as minister of The Church of the Redeemer (a radical 100% recycled de-inked post consumer Baptist Church in Birmingham) I declared that in order to preach the gospel waste silk paper. It is fully biodegradable. and live as a disciple we need to become clowns. I was just 30 something Further details from the editor. then. Now 35 years later, I believe it all the more passionately (for Send in the Clowns, see p.20). P1 Magazine Distribution REGULARS Duncan Miller, 4 Over Mill Drive, Birmingham, B29 7JL 3 EDITORIAL 19 LOCAL GROUPS Design [email protected] Send in the Clowns Isobel Murdoch sees the shades and the shadows Printed by 12 FINDING THE STILL POINT EAM Printers, 11 The Sterling Complex, Ross Ashley continues her 21 RESOURCE REVIEWS Farthing Road, Ipswich, Suffolk IP11 5AP series on directions MAIL BAG Next Issue 26 Copy Deadline 31 August 2013 17 CEL NEWS Publication date November 2013 27 PRAYERSCRIPT Paul Bodenham Chairman Press office and If you do not wish to be Paul Bodenham, Corner requests for speakers included, please notify the Cottage, Main Street, Jo Abbess, CEL Information Membership Secretary. Langar, Nottingham Officer, 10 Beech Hall Road, NG13 9HE London E4 9NX. Basis of Faith T: 01949 861516 T: 0845 459 8460 We affirm our belief in God E: paul@christian- E: info@christian- as Creator of all things and www.greenchristian.org.uk ecology.org.uk ecology.org.uk in Jesus Christ as Lord, looking to the Holy Spirit Christian Ecology Link (CEL) Treasurer Resource Materials for guidance through the is an interdenominational Eleanor Orr, 35 Kitto Road, Jill Vogler, 40 The Avenue, Scriptures, and seeking to UK Christian organisation London SE14 5TW. Roundhay, Leeds, West hear Him in the challenges for people concerned about T: 020 7732 6550 Yorkshire LS8 1JG of the present time. the environment. It offers E:eleanoro@howzatt. insights into ecology and demon.co.uk Privacy Patrons the environment to Members have occasionally Rt Rev James Jones, Christian people and Membership Secretary asked for the addresses of Fr Sean McDonagh, Churches and offers Richard and Nicky Kierton, other members who live Sir Jonathon Porritt, Christian insights to the Flat 1, 31 St James Terrace, near them, and we have Prof Sir Ghillean Prance, Green Movement. Buxton SK17 6HS sent out a county list. Dr Elaine Storkey 2 Green Christian – Issue 75 – Summer 2013 EDITORIAL Send in the Clowns Prophets and Clowns – imagination and resistance in action Chris Walton and Ross Ashley introduce the clown Why the image of a clown? Understanding the contemporary context Hope and offering that up to the story of the Send in the Clowns* Have this mind among yourselves, Bible produced a powerful hermeneutic, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who which opened up space for members of CEL member, Ross Ashley articulates the though he was in the form of God, did my Churches to imagine-against-the- Storm of Hope as wild foolishness. As it not count equality with God a thing to stream. My preaching did not provide a sees and grieves hope acts as though be grasped but emptied himself, taking restful, inner sense of peace, a way of stories can be changed, and it is we who the form of a servant, being born in the moving closer to God’s ‘still waters’ must change them. It is the living out of likeness of humans. And being found in (Psalm 23:2), despite what is going on in what one envisages as though the story human form he humbled himself and the world but rather, an honest has changed, believing it can change. became obedient unto death, even assessment of a situation and the poetry Hope will believe in a determined, death on a cross. to inspire ‘a shared willingness to imaginative way, and can work as a Philippians 2.5-8 engage in gestures of resistance and powerful, peaceful underground – a acts of deep hope’. resistance. This will mean action – This is the role of the clown: not the fighting for change, exposing the areas circus clown, more the court jester. Grieve where fear rules quietly, and perhaps Not the slapstick artist, more the fool on Where are the clowns?* most importantly working on the edge, the edge of things, willing to be clown being prepared to be judged a fool, enough to seek the kingdom of God Prophetic consciousness knows that making sacrifices, making noises, without any expectation of any reward or there is no newness without grief. The insisting on being heard, regardless of blessing. appalling plight of the suffering earth, whether it is seen to win or be proved the statistics of death and destruction of right. Jesus was made into a clown. The all species can only bring us on our prophet is a clown. You make yourself knees with grief. Acknowledgement of Send in the Clowns nobody, empty yourself, to be filled by our own weaknesses and failures Don’t bother, they’re here!* the earth’s agenda. We are a community comprehensively results in tears. If we of prophets and clowns, anonymous but never shed a tear, it’s like saying there’s This issue indicates that the CEL not defeated; in the minority but not nothing wrong; we are in denial. community’s prophets and clowns are hopeless; easily ridiculed but not ‘Weeping is a theologically-grounded act out and about. It does not mean destroyed; resilient but not dogmatic; of resistance’. acceptance, the world does not open-minded as a community but not immediately welcome us as we stagger giving up easily. Prophets and clowns belatedly into the arena. Some will ask are willing to be vulnerable, laying Act where we’ve been all this time, some themselves open by acting as servants There ought to be clowns* castigate us for our ‘politics’. Others will in a world which despises weakness, cling to their private God, others stare lack of ambition and difference. Jesus demanded not only that we love and laugh at our servanthood, others our friends but our enemies too; not only simply ignore us. In the Summer of 2008 Paul Bodenham, that we preach and pray, but that we Chair of CEL (see GC65) invited us to feed the hungry, visit those in prison, engage the heart in our eco-praxis. His clothe the naked, care for the whole ‘Liberation Cycle’ has sustained us over earth community. It is in our actions the years – See, grieve, hope, act. We offering the poor hospitality, resisting the take another look at this cycle of tide of injustice and poverty which the intentional vulnerability for clowns and powers that rule the earth use to destroy prophets. the earth itself that we learn what it really means to be clowns (fools) for See Christ’s sake. Only then will the bruised Where are the clowns?* and bleeding community of Christ pour out fresh healing and hope in an age of Photo: Brian Homer Many years ago in my early years in devastating despair. pastoral ministry I developed the We’ll just continue on the journey of process of working from experience to becoming ordinary clowns, like Jesus, in the Bible, rather than the other way extraordinary times. n round. * see p.20 www.greenchristian.org.uk 3 FEATURE Transition and Hope - from Head, to Heart, to Hand John Whitehead reminds us that ‘we are the prophetic presence of the living and risen Jesus Christ’ Introduction incarnate as “being with”, that is, as the The Transition movement’s experience of having entered into The purpose of this article on Transition evangelical purpose is to move from mutually-affirming relationships with is to set this world’s present day global dependence to local resilience.