new Home website

Home has a new website.

I think there's always a process that happens with a website where - unless it's a really dynamic, totally editable one - a gap opens up over time between what your website says about you and the reality on the ground. When that gap becomes a bit of a chasm you know it's time to change it.

So I built this one (using iWeb) which means the whole thing is totally editable by us. And it's a lot more reflective of where we're at now (rather than where we were at 3 years ago like the old one!).

If you're interested, check it out here.

Amplified Design is open for Business

My work for the Home Community has been full time for the last 5 years. This year - with reduced financial support from the Diocese - I will be working part time for Home instead.

With the other half of my time I am starting to do some freelance graphic design work - under the business name 'Amplifed Design'.

I have a wee web site here (which I would appreciate any links to from you bloggers out there!) and if you, or anyone else you know, needs some design work doing then my rates are very competitive! Get in touch!!

StillPoint

In a couple of weeks' time Home is beginning a new venture - which we're calling StillPoint. This is an important part of our vision to share spiritual practices with spiritual seekers. So for the first 3 Monday nights in June we are piloting StillPoint - which is a spirituality and meditation group tailored for people who would see themselves as spiritual but would never darken the doors of church as we know it. And I'm pleased that we have been able to negotiate to use The Magic Cafe which is a very suitable venue for this clientele.
If you're in the Oxford area and you know of anyone who would find this helpful then please pass on the info.
StillPoint has it's own very basic website here and fliers (as above) are on their way back from the printer and should be available at Sunday's Home gathering.

Pentecost - The River

Last night was our Pentecost Service. This year we called it 'The River' as the lectionary gospel text was from John 7 where Jesus speaks of the those that come to him knowing the Spirit as a river of living water flowing from within them.

We focussed quite a lot of attention on thirst and thirstiness. The first section of the room was asking questions to enable us to get in touch with our thirstiness (while eating dry crackers). What are we thirsty for?

The second section was drawn from Jeremiah's prophecy where God tells Israel that they have abandoned him the fountain of living water and dug for themselves broken and dirty cisterns - in other words they have tried to satisfy their own thirstiness. I made new labels for small water bottles that I filled with dirty water to represent this:


Here's 3 of them - 'Be Popular', 'Work Harder', and 'Look Good' but there were others too.
So the idea was to think about the ways we try to satisfy our own thirstiness.

As we moved deeper into the theme text there was an opportunity to consider what it meant for us to 'come to Christ' - what does that mean, how do we connect with Christ, what helps us etc.

Then we moved to the river we had made out of material and relieved our cracker-driven thirst with cups of cool, clean water (with the words of Christ 'come to me and drink' on them).

The river flows out into the world - our intercessions and offering were focussed on WaterAid and the Burma cyclone - and then we finished with Communion and anointing those who wanted it with oil blessed at the Cathedral in Holy Week.

Home's Pentecost Service

As usual, if you live in Oxford you are more than welcome to join us for our Pentecost service this coming Sunday at 5pm.
Directions are on our website here.

mags

Couple of very decent mags out at the moment I thought I would bring to your attention.
Firstly, Time's annual '100 Most Influential People' edition is well worth a look. I got it for the first time last year and found it very interesting. There are some surprises this year - Peter Gabriel? Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie? Mariah Carey?!! But good to see Radiohead on there (and of course Steve Jobs). You can see the complete list here.
Secondly, Creative Review have their double issue Annual for 2008 out (can't figure out why they don't do it at the end of the year though). If you're interested in visual communication then it's a must -have really. Only just got it yesterday and haven't had a chance to have a proper look yet so can't do more than alert you to its availability! Enjoy.