Creative Food

Well we have eaten small dried fish, fish eyes, caterpillars but this weekend was the worst – we ate cow hooves. There is no meaty inner bit, it is literally the outside hard bit boiled and boiled and boiled until it resembles tough rubber. It’s not like it’s got a terrible flavour, it’s just the thought of what you are eating that makes your stomach churn.

It’s actually really great to see these healthy and creative village recipes being kept alive in some homes. In most places in Zambia (as in the rest of the world) there is a rush towards highly processed convenience food. One drink, AppleMax, that is popular in schools because it is cheap, actually made my head spin when I drank it. I dread to think what it is doing to the kids. Whilst the convenience is food of choice across the world, I fear standards here are much lower as consumers don’t question the cheapness and governing consumer standards are weak. Consumers are choosing to westernise, and go for the cheapest (which is often the nastiest or weakest option). This is why cheap foreign imports, especially Chinese goods are doing so well here, despite the fact that they break frequently. It’s not that trade should not happen, but people need to build some reliance on local goods and foods for the sake of creativity, sustainability and health.

Black Gold Movie – action trick 5

A new documentary film about the impact of the coffee trade called Black Gold, is about to be released, so I am making it action trick 5.

The film exposes the injustices of the international coffee trade industry by following the journey of Tadesse Meskela, General Manager of the Oromia Coffee Farmers Co. in Ethiopia, as he travels around the world to find buyers willing to pay a fair price for his coffee.

The blurb says: Against the backdrop of Tadesse’s journey to London and Seattle, the enormous power of the multinational players that dominate the world’s coffee trade becomes apparent. New York commodity traders, the international coffee exchanges, and the double dealings of trade ministers at the World Trade Organisation reveal the many challenges Tadesse faces in his quest for a long term solution for his farmers.

You can watch the film trailer and find out more at the Black Gold Movie website. The film is to be released in the UK from 8th June.

Sea kayaking in Devon

This time 3 years ago Matt and I spent an amazing few days on Lundy Island off the North Devon Coast. It is a wonderful place to go and seek real solitude, and see a bit of the raw beauty of the British Isles. It feels like you are in another world – with seals, basking sharks and puffins to watch.

Rob and Anita, friends of ours who live in North Devon, have set up Sea Kayaking Southwest, and are running wildlife safaris by sea kayak to Lundy Island and elsewhere around the South West. So this is a shameless plug! If you fancy having an adventure and get away from it all this summer check out their website at www.seakayakingsouthwest.co.uk.

Believing without belonging

A new report from Tearfund on churchgoing in the UK has some interesting findings – especially finding more evidence for the need to grow new communities and fresh expressions of church. I have not read it all but the BBC website says the report finds that whilst people find “the church thing a little bit difficult, they are willing to recognise God.” These people are dubbed the “believing without belonging”.

It seems in a post-modern age the “me” generation often find church boring and irrelevant – and it has to be said that they do because often it is! In the foreword of the report Revd. Dr. Steven Croft says: “The research underlines very deeply the need to grow new communities: fresh expressions of church alongside traditional congregations. These fresh expressions of church are beginning in different places as Christians do as Jesus did: going to where people are, listening to their culture, offering loving service, forming new communities, making disciples and beginning church in a different way.”

Many of the issues raised are explored in more detail in a book we are currently reading, called Exiles: Living Missionally in a Post-Christian Culture, which we will blog about soon in more detail. In the past we’ve blogged about The Secret Message of Jesus and Colossians Remixed: Subverting the Empire, both of which cover similar ground.

If you want to find out more about the Tearfund research try: Tearfund press release / BBC Magazine article on the report / Download the full report

GodSpace by Christine Sine

I was pleased to see that Sacred Rhythms (which we’ve mentioned before) has been updated and revised, now reprinted as GodSpace: Time for Peace in the Rhythms of Life – and Christine Sine has started a blog called GodSpace.

GodSpace… looks at the natural rhythms God built into our world and how paying attention to them can strengthen every part of your life. God’s rhythm makes time for all the good things life offers… as well as the creative activity of work, the joy of relationships, and the soothing relaxation of rest. Follow the sacred rhythms and… discover a peaceful, Christlike pace that liberates you from the frenzy of a culture enslaved by time.

Stop Climate Chaos Rally – London

Just a reminder about the Stop Climate Chaos I count rally – it takes place in Trafalgar Square, London tomorrow – more details at the I count website and Tearfund website.If you go apparently you’ll be in the company of KT Tunstall, Rob Newman, Miranda Richardson, Simon Amstell, Rufus Hound, Rt. Rev. James Jones, Bishop of Liverpool and Adam Hart Davis – what better way to spend your Saturday!

*Update* Apparently 25,000 people turned out for the I Count Rally on Saturday – the largest-ever climate change event in the UK – which shows that, on the eve of the UN climate change talks in Nairobi, there is growing awareness and belief that governments need to take more action on climate change.

A Generous community

Thought you might like to know about the Generous project – which I first came across at the Greenbelt festival. It is a growing community of people who commit to making small changes in our everyday lives to look after our planet and its people. You can sign up as a household – and share wisdom and learn from others mistakes. At the beginning of each month new actions are highlighted, which you can then sign-up to doing.

LICC Imagine Project

If you haven’t come across the London Institute for Contemporary Christianity’s (LICC) Imagine Project then have a look at their website. The project is seeking to revitalise Christian disciple-making for the 21st century, and has a new DVD resource for individuals and churches who want to address the challenge of living as disciples – rather than just converts – in today’s rapidly changing culture. The project aims to help the church move on from an individualistic me centred faith and connect faith to all of life and understand why it has so often found it difficult to equip and resource followers of Jesus for life in today’s world.

Getting to this point

Some of you may be interested to know how we got to this point – well leaving the practicalities to one side… Over the last year or so we have been on a journey to discover what we believe as Christians God wants us to be doing with our lives. We wanted to see Gods Kingdom purposes leading and guiding our lives.

So, with the help of a book called Living on Purpose by Tom and Christine Sine, we entered upon a process to write a mission statement – or a summary of what we felt called to do with our lives. We soon rediscovered the words of Isaiah 61 – which summarised for us Gods Kingdom purposes – the practical and the spiritual.

Jesus sets out in his work through these prophectic words – reading them at his first sermon (recorded in Luke 4). The words call into being the Kingdom or Reign of God. They shape Jesus’ ministry, giving it expression as he proclaims God’s liberating love for all.

From this first sermon to the rest of Jesus’ life he challenged his hearers to live a life that trusted his Kingdom-agenda, and it is that which has helped lead and guide us as we have prepared to return to Africa.

We’ve ended up with a sentence that summarises for us what we believe God wants us to do with our lives – “To be trees of justice… in community, with the poor, speaking out and caring for the environment.” It was a hard process to go through, but it has been a really valuable process – and that is why we share it here.

Friends along the way…

Right we are off – the first blog post is here and as we prepare to leave for Zambia we have been saying our farewells. Leaving our community of friends in Devon. Visiting family and friends. It is a process that makes you reflective…

Saying goodbye is always hard – but is always a strengthening experience. You remember the good times, the fun and the laughter. You forget the petty arguments, the niggles and pains along the way. It teaches you to celebrate what God has given you and remember the lessons you’ve learnt.

And with a select few friends – often not the ones you expected – it helps you to go deeper in your friendship. It also helps you recognise Gods presence with you wherever you go – He is not confined to four walls or a region, and nor are His followers.

We leave excited about the road in front, thankful for the journey so far, and wiser than when we started out.

Godzone
This time of preparing to travel and saying goodbye has led me to re-read one of my favourite books, Godzone: A Traveller’s Guide by Mike Riddell, which has an apt chapter on the subject:

“Travellers of Godzone also find companions along the Way. They share the road with fellow drifters and desperados. These weird and woolly wanderers are gifts from God to you. They do not always appear that way at first. Sometimes they seem as useful as the silver serviette ring that Aunt Agnes sends to you care of Poste Restante. But when the time comes to part, you realise that this chance meeting was the right person at the right time, and that your life is all the fuller and richer for the meeting. We need these little reminders that we don’t travel alone, and that Godzone existed before we ever started to explore it”

Quote from the book Godzone by Mike Riddell