Wake me up when September ends

The summer of covid

The summer of stillness , stay home , time to breathe , space to breathe , breathe .

I needed this space and time . Let’s lay the pandemic aside for a while . Let’s ignore the post truth mindset of world leaders .

What is it you want for humanities future ? What endings and beginnings , what life events .

Let me know what I can do with my skills of Art and creativity , Jesus inspired living and lives experience of complex disability .

I have a very small amount of availability left this autumn and I’m looking for unique , complex , creative – differently wired clients who want to have and enjoy life to the full and leave behind a beautiful legacy for the future generations .

I recently got a jacket ( new old stock ) from Boy London — Boy was established in 1976 and I’ve had my eye on this jacket since a fellow student arrived wearing one on my first day at drama school in 1988 .

The Boy moto was The strength of the country lies in its youth —- this was back up by a logo of a big eagle ( and reminds me of a passage in the psalms where David talks of God renewing our strength like the eagles .

That first day as a drama student was a slightly chilly end of September and I remember well moving from street to the theatre school cafe / from foggy autumn outside to smoke filled foggy green room cafe inside .

It was like the kids from fame and people did dance on tables and play spontaneous piano

The fog in my head slowly lifted as I found kind loving normal nurturing people . I was ( and still am ) recovering from a horrid abusive time at a grim boarding school .

Now I want to celebrate the end of September with you , help you help yourself wake up with renewed strength like the eagles into a beautiful October of hope .

U2 have a wonderful song in their back catalogue about October and the trees stripping . Let’s reflect on that in a future post .

Who’s out There

The post covid world is emerging and it’s time for me to shake off the dust and dream to life the future .

I need to find out who’s accessing this blog and why .

If you can see this let me know and we can brainstorm as I work out what creative and therapeutic things to thrive at in order to support my voluntary work and priestly ministry . It’s the art and the creative non verbal communication work that I enjoy the most and the disability consultant work that’s rewarding and empowers others .

Finally my creative mind that dreams big both in the story sense and the into reality sense . So perhaps time to get some of that down on paper . What next , help me watch and shape that space

This

Www.attitudetherapy.co.uk

Changing places

This / let the picture speak . Please can hospitals church buildings community venues install these .

Moto and weather spoon keep up the good work , but fit dead locks ( yes people have walked in on me and my carers and my naked bottom mid care activity .

Silent Witness

When no words come I Paint . This enables me to take a thought beyond my own mind into the public arena . Arts subjective and yes it dies cause problems with committee meetings and health care practitioners. Alternative communication seems to bother people as much as wheelchair or continence management . But in truth it’s no big deal . Recently I had a meeting with an asthma nurse , we communicated on paper / words / diagrams . It was a simple helpful meeting . My art is about beyond words . Just recently I’ve been wondering if I could solve Brexit using visual art ?

I’ve been dreaming of a silent House of Commons ( no not because they are shut ) of debates typed and read and responded top of paintings and photographs silently reflected on .

Sometimes voice is not possible but being listened to silently is . Of course the intersections of disability are a challenge and audio and typed description will frequently be needed .

But with headphones and minimal help we could have silent politics that speaks volumes , listens well and generates true change .

The picture of Diana called wreaths of empire from my 2017 exhibition will be once again available for sale next month . If you’d like to invest in this significant reflection of Brexit beyond words I can arrange a viewing for you . Also interested in a sale or long term museum collection loan arrangement .

Crippology a paradigm for disability missiology

Crippology exploring a wheely woke theology of disability from the margins .
I spend much of my time near the sea shore watching wind and storm , tide and time .
Fishing boats and fishing folk .
I am a priest / artist cripple .
Waiting to be told to leave my nets .
Waiting to have breakfast on the beach with Jesus .
I want to cross the sand .
I long to enter the water .
But wheels don’t like deep sand .
I’m interested that male able bodied church people
have never offered to carry me over the sand .
Carry me to the shore .
Lead me to the waters of baptism .
Each time I’m near a beach with my wife , she goes and gets some sea water
We splash this on each other’s foreheads in the name of the trinity .
From here my journey starts .
A large conference takes place this week , developing a missiology of disability .
It’s hosted by the supposedly able and few with any complex disability combined with theological training will be in attendance.
Christ’s great commission is to go to every people group / every ethnos with the gospel . To baptise people as Christ’s followers and give them dual citizenship of their ethnic identity and Gods eternal kingdom in the now and all eternity.
Disability is not a community it’s an intersectionality between many communities . It becomes a rut and an obsession because of the high price tags on treatment and equipment , access and attitude . I am a priest and artist . I am a person living on a small island in the Thames estuary .
I am spasticus autisticus but much more besides .
In the uk at the moment the identity of our ancestors can lead to the stripping of our citizenship.
How does that apply metaphorically to hereditary disability / acquired disability and a place in gods kingdom .
Even if we receive our daily bread via the Nhs as a fresubin shake our access to God’s kingdom / heaven in the now and in eternity must be equitable .
A missiology of disability must have disabled practitioners at its heart . It must not assume a perceived intellectual or physical difference as being less than and needing ministering to . It may well be more than , informing and need listening too .
Yes practically to arrange equipment / care etc etc at a conference is complex .
But not to receive the wedding invite is worse !

Greenbelt, dipping into the pool of spiritual direction .

some art for you to reflect on . Do post comments and ask questions .

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=XQyPU03nxL0

An introductory vlog

La Cage

My favourite piece of musical theatre for many years . Various U.K. Productions but this week sees the end of the first U.K. Tour ! Jonny partridge has been ace . It’s raw and honest !

when I left my last parish and embraced the future , art , freedom etc I had a final service !

at the end I lifted my hand to offer gods blessing but instead gave the peace that paseth all understanding. Honesty !

i sang the song I am what I am … then wheeled out of church ! The people who understood me and needed to hear that joined us in the pub afterwards !

words when their are no words ! The institution I love and that ordained me will one day catch up !

Lyrics
I am what I am
I don’t want praise, I don’t want pity
I bang my own drum
Some think it’s noise, I think it’s pretty
And so what if I love each sparkle and each bangle
Why not try to see things from a different angle
Your life is a sham
Till you can shout out
I am what I am
I am what I am
And what I am needs no excuses
I deal my own deck
Sometimes the aces sometimes the deuces
It’s one life and there’s no return and no deposit
One life so it’s time to open up your closet
Life’s not worth a damn till you can shout out
I am what I am
I am what I am
And what I am needs no excuses
I deal my own deck sometimes the aces sometimes the deuces
It’s one life and there’s no return and no deposit
One life so it’s time to open up your closet
Life’s not… Full lyrics on Google Play Music