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SCM SUMMER
NATIONAL GATHERING
I
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I
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12-15 ]UNE 2015 CHIPELToWN, SHEFFIELD
I
TVyv
us for a long weekend of celebration with our guest
Join
speakers Chine Mbubaegbu & Dave Tomlinson
for apacked programme of workshops and much more!
Tickets just {50 if booked before 4th May!
For the fuIl line up and to book your ticket, visit www.movement.org.uk/summer
Discounts are ar,ailable for groups of 10 or more, contact Lizzv Seldon
(events@ movement. org. uk) for more in formation'
tssuE t50
PAfrE 2^7 EIIITI|RIAT. GI|MIIIG UP.
cn0uPs . llEtTs . GAMPAl0lls .
8 RESI|URGE I EIIUIRI|IIMEIIHL
STEWARII$HIP TITURGY
O.Itl REPI|RI FRtlM TTSGF
fl
OEIIERAI ASSEMBTY
ByClareWilkins
FAIIH AIIII PI|UIIGS
By Revd Dr Dick Rodgers
12-13 I'M U0illlG 0ll
By Ella Sibley, Ellie Peacock and Miriam Dobson
I{.I5 GETEBRAII]IO IIFE
ByRevd Swarup Bar
l6-lt lltIERUtEtT
With ChineMbubaegbu, authorof 'Am I Beautiful?'
I8.IO FAIIH IlI AGTI||II
ByJacque Hall and StephenAtkinson
20
2l
REUIETTS r FE$IIUAI $PEGIAL
ffRllOUEMElII
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ru**
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Welcorrrc to this very sPecial 15Oth eclitiorl of I'Io't'ement
nragazine!
Wc srru, this ris thc Pcrfbct oirPortunit-y to cclchrrttc rl11 tl-rc tl.rirlgs $'e
l.r,c rrbout SCN4. Revd Swnrup Ilnr l'ns \vrittL'rl Lrcrrtrtifirllv irbottt
thc importrncc of- cclcbratiorr in the chulcl.r rtr-rcl in orrl Chfistilri
lif'c, clcscribing hor,v celebratior.r antl clrru.:c erc rrt the hetrt oir Gtltl
tl.re trility lncl shttulcl bc lt the hcrrrt rrf ()ttr c()ttlt'Iltlllitics too. Ar-rti
rve hrr'c rr l.t to cclebrrrte ubout onL SCN{ corurlr.rrtitl'l Our hist
I
UMMER ilAIItITAt
OAIHERITG
We're really excited about our Summer National Gathering
inJune, and we hope that you can join us!
We har.e sotne itmazing liuest spcirkers lined up, ir-rcluclir.rg Chine XlbubircsbLr
from the Evrrngclical Alliirncc, and Dirve Tornlinson, author of Hr.,"c to he a
Btd Christittn (and a Btttcr Htrnun Being). Chine rvill be explorinr tl'rc
theme of voc:rtion, and Dirve rvill speakin.q irbout being rr Christian irr rr post-
Christendon-r societt'. As alwavs, rve hrlve rr rvhole host of interesting and
interactive rvorkshops on thc programlne, irlongside praver and rv
I
Here\ a short round up of uhat some of our
Iocal groups have been uP to ouer the last
term. For more grouPs news, check out the
SCM blog at movementorS'uUblog
ffi
BIRMIIIGHAM
MEIHOIIISI SI|GIEIY
This academ\c year, MethSoc at the
University of Birmingham has seen a huge
growth in members which is wonderfril to
see. We have a number of exciting things
on the horizon including fun&aising,
leading a service in a local church and
maybe even a trip to Switzerland. Over
the past few months we have eaten lots of
cake, but we have also enjoyed a Coptic
Christmas, worshipping together and
hosting an open mic night. MethSoc has
given me the oppornrnity to delve deeper
into my faith and enjoy various styles of
worship. With the support of the group,
I have felt a stronger Presence of God in
my life which is a brilliant feeling and
I'm looking forward to what the next few
months have in store for us. Zoe McLemon
SGM IIURHAM
The Durham SCM group was launched
this year, and so far our meetings have
been focussed .on &scussions about
intefaith relations. The overwhelming
theme that's been drawn from this is that
it's impossible not to be irtterested in other
faiths, because as Christians we should be
wanting to know people better, and faith
is such an integral part of people's lives'
John D'Siloa
$GM WIIRCE$IER
Worcester SCN{ is still grou'ing .rnd rve're doing ltits oievellts ttl ritisc lllolle\-
..d ,tu,,rreness firr difi'erellt ciluses. In l)ecember vve helcl ir btke srtle irncl
rrrisecl o.r'er .{.200 in cionirrions fbr Christiln Aid, ilrld rve itlstl scree'red the
iurri-collsumelisnr film \A/hat \Voulcl Jesus llur'? Lrrst selllester rve hclcl ir
cirr.rcllelit Taizd sen,ice in thc crvpt rit \\trrcester Catheclr'.rl tl're n'recl rrrotttlcl
Pirlm Suncltr., itncl rrfler Eirster r'r'e rvill be rirising lllolle\- tbr otrr loc'rl tbocl
brrnk.,llai/.r.'/ P i t t tt tt-' o l'
SGM AI HllIY IRIIIITY
ABERYSIUINH
Our year began with a visit from Jacque
andL\zzie,and after sharing a wonderfi;l
meal, Jacque led us in a mental health
workshop based on her enPerience
with Mind. We all left with manY
pre-conceptions shattered and a new
sensitivity towards mental health issues'
Alongside regular Bible study and dropin
prayer meetings at the campus chapel,
we continue to cooperate very closely with
fellow SCM affiliates, the Methodist and
Catholic societies in Aberystwyth. On
a personal note, I feel blessed to have
shared and grown in my faithwith such a
lively Christian community. 20L4-2075 is
movingfar too quicklY! FtzdTill
SGM TEICESIER
SCM Leicester attracts members ofboth
universities to its regular meetings. The
group usually involves discussions on a
variety of topics, which have included
counselling, peace, education and the
environment, as well as occasional fiLm
nights showing Christian themed movies.
We actively engage in work with other
religious groups, recendy taking part in
an interfaith evening and also organising
a faith trail, where some of our members
visited significant places ofworship for six
different religions in Leicester.
Dan ComicA
SCM supports student groups on ctftUuses
and in churches across Britain. You can
fnd afull list of groups at rnottement.org'
uUfnd-scrn-grouP'
PAGE I
T||TETETI - ISSUE |5ll
H||YEHIIII ISSUT I5O SUMMEfl 2lt|5
lilr0tAilll$
REGIllIIAT
GAIHEBIIIG
Srudents from universities across the
Midlands, including Birmingham,
Leicester, Walsall College and
Worcester, came together for a day
event in Birmingham on 8 February.
We were delighted to have writer and
teacher Annie Heppenstall with us to
lead a workshop on the Celtic cross,
which explored different ways to reflect
on the cross and apply it to everyday
life.
III|BIH WESI
REGIllIIAI
GAIHERIIIG
Revd Raj Bharath Patta was our guest
speaker at the North West gathering
in Manchester, where we were joined
by students from Manchester, Leeds,
Liverpool and Sheffield. Over the
weekend we also visited a local food
bank, and heard from Stephen, one of
SCM's Faith in Action interns, who
spoke about his project tackling food
waste.
On the Saturday evening we were
joined by SCM Friends for a lovely
meal. Thanks to everyone that came
along!
UIIIUERSAT DAY
tlF PRAVER FtlR
$IUIlEIIIS
On 15 February SCM took part in the
Universal Day of Prayer for Students
(UDPS). We visited students at Keele
Universiryholding a service that marked
the UDPS and enabled sfudents to pra:y
for situations ofinjustice and solidarity
around the world. SCM Edinburgh
also held a prayil lunch on the day
itself, while members of the Methodist
church in York marked the day with a
fuIl service.
_;Ir,tt Hrt.,!
:,.. ,.\. ttr.tll-,e
SI|URGEII GAIIPAIGII SUCI;ES$I
-Ilte sourccd campaign - irn initiative run bv Christian Aid with the support
of partners includins SCIVI - sarv its first victor,\' in N{:rrch. Students frorn
Progressive Christians, an SCN,I group irt the Universitv of Essex, org:u.rised
a petition that led to the Universin"s procurerrtent depirrtment chirngir-re its
polic't, on tiui cornplii.rnce for companies it does business rvith.
Elservlrere, other SCN{ groups have kick-started the Sourced cirmprrign irt their
universities. At the end of last l'elrl snldents frorn SCN{ Shelfield i-rnd rnembers
of the local SPEAK Nerwork joi'ed together ro rvrite leters and pressure the
fJniversitv to change its polio'.
In Februarl,, SCN4 trdinburgh held I discussion on ta-\ justice during their
weeldl' meeting, giving an opportultiq' fbr students to learn more abor.rt the
cirmpaign and ho'rv to get involved. Bristol Christian Connexions also held
a stall raising awareness iurlollg students about the cirmp:rign at the end of
February.
Are you taking part in the campaign?
Let us know by emailing sccm@movement.org.uk!
The theme for this yeart UDPS was
'We Are Many, We Are One'- thank
you to everyone, including churches
and student groups, that took part!
MIIYEMETI - ISSUE Islt PAGE 5
M0UEtEllI iii::iii r',r SUMMER 20115
llllERllAIl0llAt F[!GUS
ElB
place in Milan and we are hoPing for
even greater numbers.
l) t t i, i, /'1)i 1 1 1 t4o t t i, FGEI E x Co A'l L t t t 1'; r
tT0nul $ullElll GHRISIIAII tE.lE!$l0ll
tlfil'0pE-$ilrF Ailll 0F FIGERS MEEIIIIG
SCM Britain rvas one of eleven rnovements across Europe rePresented at the
wscFEuropeStaffandOfficersMeetingirrFebruary.Or'erfourdaysof
networking and training, participants explored how to develop communication
skills and grow their *o*'ot'-"'' The meeting included workshops looking at
publicatiorrs,onlinecotnmunic:ttionsandsocialrnedia,andusingdatabasesand
content management systems'
There were 24 differer-rt languages represented at the rneeting, and each Participant
shared different aspects of in.it culrure during an'Intercr'rltural Evening', giving a
sense of the rich diversity of the student moverlent in Europe'
SGM IIATY
The Federazione Giovanile Evangelica
in Italia (Evangelical Youth Federation
in ltaly) is the Italian member of
WSCF. The movement is commonlY
known as FGEI and was born in 1969
from the union of Baptist, Methodist
and Waldesian youth organizations'
In recent times, FGEI has faced
multiple changes within society and
the protestant church in Italy' The
rise of intercultural communities and
new spiritualities has challenged old
ways of thinking about hospitality and
citizenship. Increasingly, young people
come to FGEI from African, Asian and
South American families transplanted
in Italy.
A big meeting has been conceived to
involve people from different cultural
contexts to share spiritual experiences
and to begin to build the Federation and
the church of tomorrow. This activity is
called the 'Youth HaPPening' and, in
its first edition, brought together more
than 300 young people in Bologna last
year.This year the second event will take
SGM AUSINN
In January 2015, students from SCM
Austria, together with our Senior
Friends, celebrated the New Year with a
traditional'New Year's Heuriger''
A 'Heuriger' is what we call an
Eastern-Austrian wine-tavern in which
you can experience Gemiitlichkeit
irough translation: cheerful coziness)'
TiaditionaliY the wine and food is
accompanied by live music, in our case a
'Wienerlieder',which explores the power
of God's will over human life (as well as
the consequences ofdrinking too much
wine!). Our singer was the honourable
Karl Schiefeffna1r, a member of the
Superior Church Council'
At a Heuriger' everyone is equal' We
saw students, universiry professors
and members of the Church Council
chatting comfortablY with each
other, forgetting that they are usually
separated by age, status and power, just
experiencing Gemiitlichkeit together'
1\'l i r i, t t i t l\'l L i t t, / l, ( ) /-t' r i r
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Christians make
for bighly motiwated acti,uists and aoters! When eoery face we see is the image oJ' GorI and
zue're urged to serve the least of tbese as though s)e,uere serving our saoiour; uhen creation itself is cntrustetl
into our care and creatise stewardsbip; qt)ben the outworlcing of our faith is judged on how ,tDc trcat tbe
widoa4 the orpltan and tbe refugee... it's no wonder that ue rccognise tbe importance of potitics anrl the
pouer of elections.
-<
SHllTT UP
Christians in Politics (with support from
many other organisations) startccl the ,\hozt
Up campaign to 'cncouragc pr.rsitivc Christian
cngagcment in thc run up to, and bcvond, thc
201,5 gencral clection'.'Ihc idca is that Christians
can do morc than just cr.rrnment on politics -
wc can shapc politics by voting, campaigning,
running frrr officc, .joining political partics,
organising hustings, c()ntacting clcctcd officials,
and praying.
V.,u can watch a ,{reat vidco on thc campaign
wcbsitc that dcscribcs horv wc're frrllowing thc
Iliblical cxamplcs of Joscph, Itlsthcr and I)anicl
whcn rvc lct r.,ur ftrith lcad our actions, n()t.iust
in church, but in rvidcr soc:ict,r, irnrl govcrnmcnt.
'llrcrc arc alsr., rcsourccs onlinc tlrat conncct
thc rlots bctwccn Christianitv irnrl polities,
cxplain thc historv rrf thc main partics, ancl givc
irrstructions on how to plan a hustings. With all
of tlris hclpful infirrmation gathcrcd togcthcr for
)rou to rrsc, tlrc onlt, clucstion lclt is: arc you griing
to Show LJp?
To find out more about the Show Up campaign,
visit www.christiansinpolitics.org.uk/showup
HtlPE FtlB IHE FUIURE
As part of thc ltoVc ./'or thc F'uture cirmpai;4rr,
churchcs and grotrps across thc country havc
bccn lobb.ying their VII)s ancl J)arliamcntary
c:rndidatcs to makc firmcr commitmcnts to
tacklc climatc chan;4c in thc lcad up to thc
gcncral clcction.
Now that thc clcctions arc up()n Lls, thc campaii4n
will bc turning its attcntion to uri4ing thc ncwly
clcctcd MPs to commit to action on climatc
changc durini4 thcir ncxt fivc ,r,cars in post. Wc
rvill bc cncoLrraging cr()ss-partv c()nscns'.ls ()n
thc issuc, ancl 'uvill also bc looking to lobbv MI)s
and Ml:l)s (Mcmbcrs of liuropcan l)arliamcnt)
to makc str()ng commitrncnts at thc l)aris [JN
Clirnatc -l'ulks tlris l)cccrnbcr. With thc clcction
,rf a ncrv g()\'crntrrcnt inrrnincnt, an
ENVIR(INMENTAL
StEuidhu$Til p tltu RGY BX *frffi W ffi *
(IPENING PRAYER
Lord, hetp us lookforuard tofuture generations,
n heQ tbem to see the importance in preseroing
this wonderful creation giaen to us.
Thank youfor tle gtfts
that the environment has giaen us:
Food, wster, shelter,fuel and u:ildlife.
Help us to see the destruction tbat zae are causing
and to make cbanges so thatfuture generations
Amen
can see the true beauty of creation.
READING
'But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the
birds of the air, and they will tell you; or speak to
the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish of the
sea inform you. Which of all these does not know
that the hand of the LORD has done this? In his
hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all
mankind.'Jobl2:7-10
srtEltcE
HYMN
For the Beauty of the Earth or All Things Bright
and Beautifirl
MESSAGE
Take a moment to look to the privileges of modern
day life and thank God for the things he has given
us. It's important to appreciate the world in all its
wonder and it's easy to thank God for creation, but
we also need to take a step back and look how we
treat this planet that has been given to us as a gift.
Environmental stewardship is something that
is often prayed about and then overlooked; the
environment is something that needs not just Prayer,
but action! There are many simple ways that we can all
participate in environmental stewardship - whether it
be recycling, or walking instead of driving - that are
small but have a massive effect on the environment.
In the World Day of Peace message in 2010, Pope
Benedict XVI said,'The environment must be seen
as God's gift to all'people, and the use we make of
it entails a shared responsibility for all humaniry
especially the poor and future generations.'
The environment was given to us by God to treasure
and look after, but we are doing the exact oPposite:
'The existence of extreme poverty and environmental
destruction in our world are not natural forces, nor
acts of God, but result from human behavlour.' We
need to look forward to future generations and help
preserve this wonderful creation that God entrusted
to us.The environment has given us food, shelter, fuel
and livelihoods... so why should we now be abusing
that and causing damage to the resources that helped
us create the wodd we live in today?
HYMil
For the Fruit ofAll Creation or I, the Lord of Sea
and Sky
FIiIAL PRAYER
Tlte Lord bless us and uatch over us;
Tlte Lord make bisface shine u?on us
and be gracious to us;
The Lord look kindly on us and ghte us ?eace.
Arnen
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MOI,EMEIIT ISSUT |5ll SUMMER 2015
Hind, 0rthodox Youth Fellowship (0Vfl Jordan
My SCM... is involved in outreach work to Arab Christii'tns in Israel. Jordrrniirus irud
Egvptians are the only Arabs lvho can enter Israel, so we f-cel tl-rat this is pzrrticulrrrlv
i-port"nt r,vork. At the moment we are approaching church leaders in the Orthodox,
Ariglic,in ald Lutheran denominirtions through the OYF Jordan President, Bishop Qilis
Sadiq. Work is starting ro get I'ourh groups in churches, and rve irre also begir-rning to look
irt horv to do comuunin'organising in refugee camPs to help people to deirl rvith the rnlln't'
issues thirt are endemic here including sexu'.rl harassment and unemploYmetlt'
My hope for the GA... I would like there to be a buzz about how to solve the manv issues
trrcing the Fedcration: let's do sorne people organisingl
-[jrc (]r\ i: ttt irttltort:lllt \\'rtv t() cllsttre
the tlcrn,>e rrtcr' ,ti thc \\/SCli rrllorving
PcoPlc ti-,rrrr rtll rtrorttttl the u'orltl ttr
sr: t \trittcqi( tlir'ectiorl lttl.l ltqrec oll thc
Positirrr tlrirt tlrc ljr:dclrttion slrt,rrltl titkc
on lt t ltrictt'of is:ttcs.
[)cle,3-:rte
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lr,tvt' tlre cle itirrg privilellc oi
rrll,,rving lrc\\' rrt()\'cltlcllts t() lrtlili:rtc.
'ilri. tinrc rvc :tllilirttt'tl SC\ Is:ttlcl rcl:rtctl
orlitrtir:tliott. irt ciqlrt eorllttries. I lrrvirlg
rrtiili:rtcrl tlre l)rrlc'tirti:tll tll()\'tll)cllt' \\'c
]r.,tr-l.1 rt l)il\ri()ll:ttc rcPort Itrrltt tlrcir
rlclcil:ttc :lrliirlg- \\'SCli to ptrbliclr
\lll\l)r)ll :t l)rtl.'-tirti:ttt p1 1'.p11 ti11.
.\lie r' ,r rli.t rtr:iott to tottlirltl thrrt tlre
i.l.',t rr it\ :ll)()ttt riqlrt. ti,r' l)rllcttirrirttts
r':rtlrr'r- Ilt:ttt ltlt\ rrtlti St'rrritie vit'rr'' tltc
( i.\ rt.ttItt',1 tlli' rvitlr ,r ltttgc tttrtj,rritr:
tlrt' l:t',lcr''tri,rrr ',:rlll'l t,, ..'rt..l tlrc illcg:rl
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PAGT IO
M0vEMEllI - lssuE 150
tl
Our Father, lour
Kingdom come,
your tuill be done, on earth as it is in
heaven...
I sit and think about our land and
its shared life... and so I founded a
tiny political party of me and two
elderly friends called the Common
Good (i.e. seeking the good of the
community as a whole - including all
in our nation and every other one). I
stand in elections, mosdy losing to
the Monster Raving Loony Party. I
feel the rejection but I m doing my
job.
I want our country to be a team and
a famtly.I want it to be a really lovely,
secure place to live and workr to rear
children and to retire satisfied that
you have contributed to the success
of something you deeply believe in. I
want us to get on well together doing
stuff that makes the wodd a better
place. People all over the world would
hear about how we organise ourselves
and what inspires us. They would
love it - excePt possibly the tyrants!
Our vision would spread. People in
trouble throughout the world would
know that they have a friend in us.
But that's not where we are now. We
need an inspiring sense ofvision and
purpose as a nation - a sense ofdoing
a job together that everyone can feel
proud and h"ppy to be part of - the
Big Picture.
WeVe become individualistic. 'Me
fust!' But people are uneasy about
it. We've privatised too much. We
wrongly think money is the only
way to motivate people. We are too
unequal a society. Some get Paid
ridiculous sums, even from the public
pursel others get a piftance and
struggle with debt.
Let's have the teamwork and public
service that inspired
-y parents,
heroic wartime generation to self_
sacrifice for the good of others,
even at risk of their own survival.
Let's be led by humble leaders on
modest pay who appreciate the
contribution of all and who inspire
the best from team members. We
need vision and camaraderie. fhen
there's room for everybody and, a
h"ppy atmosphere in which to work.
That's the inclusiveness we should
aspire to instead of accepting the
current dangerous selfishness that
drives people to misery or violence.
fhe world needs us, but we can only
do good if we get our own house in
order.
Im in favour of praying, of course,
but Jesus in his Matthew 25 story of
sheef and the goats
1fe
had u pirrry
dim view of those who just did the
religious stuff and didnt get their
hands dirty. To get to the heart of
the systems and attitudes that cause
pain in our society and in the world,
you've got to be politically active. So
certainlyvote, but alsojoin a political
pary - and ifyou cant find one that
you agree with, try mine since I
founded it because I couldnt agree
with any of the others! God bless you
and make you a blessing to others.
EllaSibleY llHS
I'm here to sing the praises of the NHS; a system I dearly love for many reasons'
I rove the NHS for ideorogicar reasons. Free healthcare for arl is morally right'To *y follows naturally from
tltd'it
roving my neighbou, urrd-dor',g unto others J", r wourd t u,r. tn.* di' .rnto -". t,r- been a poor student and
not having to worry about hearthcare costs meant that I actuaty *..,-r" ,." a doctor when I needed it rather than
ignoring problems. Now that I'm out ," iu;it *o'ta' t'* t'ont"ty delighted to Pay my taxes to ensure that
'nt
everyone has the same oPPorturuty'
reasons. I took a degree in Maths and Economics at universiry and
The NHS also makes sense to me for economlc
final year. The figures seriously stack uP when You do even the
took specialist modules in health economics in mY
healthcare is the cheaPest option for the nation, bY far' I see
most basic analYsis; do Your
research: PubliclY Provided
every bit as valid and worthwhile as the calling to ministrY -
medicine as a true vocation - n qalling from God that is
making game?
so why on earth would we want to turn this into a Profitthe
NHS for reasons' MY sister was criticallY illa couPle of Years
Finally,I choose
Personal
a few brief chats with those who worked on the (absolutelY fantastic)
ago and, through
at Bristol Royal Infirmary, it quickly became clear to me that the medical
intenstve care ward
care she received might have been beyond my family's means' I cant imagine anYthing worse
and cons ofvarious treatments for their children
than Parents
having to weigh uP the Pros
can afford it.
when theY also have to factor in whether theY
I'm voting to defend the NHS' I pray you'll never need it' but will fight to make sure it's
there if You
do'
ElliePeacoclt
European Union ltlemberchiP
2015 will be my first chance to vote in a General Election and, though I have always looked forward to doing so, the issue making
it all the more significant for me this year is that of protecting our position within the European Union' Like hundreds of other
foreign ranguage students in the uK, I have a vested interest.in the work of the EU, such as the ERASMUS programme that
supported my residence abroad in Germany rast year. I also know that my living and working on the continent after graduating
will rely heavily on the freedoms and benefits which I have come to take for granted as a citizen of the EU'
These personal inconveniences would be nothing, however, compared to what our country could
potentially stand to lose if we were to exit Europe. on a practical level, an unprecedented amount
of UK-based business and investment would b. p,rt in jeopardy, with huge numbers of jobs and
livelihoods consequently at risk' It is on a much deeper ideological level that I so support our
involvement in the European community and participation in its evolving democratic bodies'
especially when it .o.n., to the reform th"y ,rndeniably require. As an equally British and
Errrop.* citizen,lfeel that we have a responsibility to cooperate with our closest neighbours' to
celebrate both our unity and &versity, u.ri ro harness our combined power as a force for good'
I
I
I
I
Revd Swarup Bar is ordained in the Church of North lndra (CNl). He is currentty studying for
his phD in Systematic Theotogy, with an interest in ecumenism and interfaith reLations, at the
University of Edinburgh. He and his wife SonaIi have a beautifuI daughter, Ayanna.
Abraham Joshua Heschel, one of the foremost Jewish
theologians of the 20th century hit the nail on the
head when he said,'People of our time are losing the
power of celebration. Instead of celebrating we seek
to be amused or entertained. [...] Celebration is a
confrontation, giving attention to the transcendent
meaning of one's actions.' This points to both the
crisis of today's human life - the lack of meaningful
celebration - and to an important truth: that celebration
links us to the transcendent, the divine and with each
other. We shall see that our Scriptures, our traditions
and our deepest notions of God uphold such a truth.
Both the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament
record events of celebration. The Hebrew word
chagag (pronounced khaw-gag, usually translated
as 'celebrate') and other derivatives mostly refer to
observance of a feast or festival, including rejoicing
and dancing (or to move in a circle). InJewish society,
religious festivals centred on God or the Temple, or
were an event of remembering God's gracious acts
for the people. But there are some significant aspects
about these festivals: first, these festivals had a cohesive
factor to bind the whole community together; second,
the celebration of these festivals included involvement
not only of one's faith and mind but one's body as well.
The Cfuistian festivals of Christmas, Easter and others,
though commercialised nowadays, remain occasions
where all are involved in rejoicing. That the senses and
body are involved in singing, dancing and rejoicing is
an important aspect of celebration itself. The Psalms
give ampie examples of such rejoicing and celebration
involving literally our whole being.
Focussing on the aspect of dance, I think God the
Trinity is involved in an eternal dance. In the Eastern
Christian thought, the Greek term perichoresis
signifies circular movement and interpenetration of
the three persons of the Godhead. The basic idea here
is that there is perfect communion among the persons
of the Triniry as their essence, will and actions operate
together. The Tlinity seems to dance in perfect rhythm
even though the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit are
three distinct persons, yet one. We can say therefore
that celebration is at the heart of the very being of God.
And if we realise this, it can make all the difference in
our lives. Three principles can be derived from this:
First, celebration is to be a continuous part of our
lives and not limited to aspects that are somehow set
apart. As I believe it is in the very nature of God to
celebrate, we must always find occasions in our lives
to do so. This makes us celebrate life itself! To treat
life as a sacred gift of God and to be able to love
life in all its different shapes, forms and colours is a
worthy endeavour. This also leads us into the notion
that life should be celebrated not in isolated entities
but in interrelationships.This earth, human beings and
the whole of creation in their interrelationships and
interdependence should be upheld and celebrated. As
we depend on the earth, the earth also depends on us.
We celebrate that, in recognising this interdependence,
some universities in the UK have agreed to divest
from fossil fuel industries out of concern for the
environment.
Second, we must learn to celebrate our differences and
live in unity just as the three persons of the Tiinity,
though distinct, cooperate in unity. Celebrating our
different creeds, colours, religions and nationalities
is one of the most urgent needs of our time. Our
diversities have the potential to bring us together rather
than separate us. In the context ofracial discrimination
and violence between faith communities witnessed in
Ferguson or Paris, in Syria or Iraq, it is of the utmost
necessity for us to nurture an attitude ofaccepting the
'other'and of rejoicing in our diversities. We celebrate
that SCM groups in different parts of the world have
the potential to bring together students irrespective
of their gender, nationality or class as a responsible
community oriented towards justice and peace.
Third,we must celebrate our bodies and our sexualities.
In a wodd where the duality of the spirit in contrast
to the body is stressed - and often the goodness of
the former is endorsed - we must celebrate God's
creation of our bodies and our sexuality. This aspect
of celebrating our bodies and sexuality challenges the
stereotyped notions of gender, disabiliry disease and
sexual orientation. Here, we celebrate the fact that we
are women or men or persons of a different gender
identiry but all made in the image of God and unique
persons ofworth. We take this opportunity to celebrate
with women who have been recently consecrated
Bishops after a long struggle. The Church of South
India (CSI) consecrated its first woman Bishop, the Rt.
Revd. Pushpa Lalitha, on 23 September 2073 and the
Church of England consecrated the Rt. Revd. Libby
Lane as Bishop on 26 January 2075. We congrarulate
them, and the whole church
celebrates with them for this
historic breakthrough.
I end with a quote fromJoanne
Harris: 'Life is what you
celebrate, all ofit, even its end.'
H||UETEII tSSUr r50 SUttE[ 2015
AN INTERVIEW WITH
CHINE MBUBAEGBU
Cltine Mbubaegbu is Director of Comrnunications at tlte Evangelical Alliance.
a book exploring body image andfaitlt
Slte is the autltor ofAm I Beautiful? -
- and a trustee of cltarities tlte Bible Society, tlte Cltristian Enguiry Agency, tlte
Clturclt U Media Netzpork and tlte Sopltia Network. Slte studied Theology U
Religious Studies at Cambridge University before becoming a journalist.
i
When &d you first speak about your beliefs outside
of a church setting? Do you have any tips for people
who are trying to be more outspoken about their
convictions?
My faith has always been an integral part of my life,
so I think I've always been open about it. There are,
of course, times when this has been easier to do than
others. I remember being at school and being petrified
of even sayrng that I go to church on Sundays. But I
think that's part ofthe insecuriry ofbeing a pre-teen and
trying to carve out your identity yet, ironically, not doing
anything that might be seen as standing out from the
crowd. I think having a job in a Christian organisation
makes it easier for me to speak about my faith because
it's also my day job. I have lots of non-Christian friends
who I'm happy to talk about the God thing with. I'm
not ashamed of it. But I am sometimes ashamed of the
way that some Christians behave and am worried that
myfriendswill associate mewith them! Ifyou're hoping
to be more outspoken about your convictions, try doing
what I did and attend a National Secular Society
event - it was amazingly liberating, being in a room
full of people who saw religion as the enemy. (Not all
secularists do, ofcourse, but these ones certainly did.) If
you're trying to speak up about your faith, then do your
research. Think deeply about your faith. Dont let it be
a shallow one that can be dismissed in an instant. Our
faith makes total sense. And remember that there are
plenty of other woddviews that dont. Have confidence
in the Gospel. Dont be afraid to challenge people's
assumptions about Christianity.
The church seems to have much more to say about.
growing romantic relationships than it does about
investing in friendships. What message do you think
young Christians need to hear about being good
friendsl
It could be said that the Church absolutely does idolise
romantic relationships and marriage to the detriment
of nurturing good friends and healthy friendships.
PASE IO
t0rEtEfi - tssut t50
HIIUETEII IS$UE |5ll SUilIEN 20fi
Our society is increasingly transient. We have short
attention spans.Ifwe dont like aTV show or a product,
we can change the channel or trade it in for something
different. It's against this backdrop that nurturing,
enduring friendships that stand the test of time become
rare. Friendships in the Bible are described as those
special bonds that remain through the hardships of life.
Proverbs 18:24 describes a friend who sticks'closer than
a brother', while the story of David and Jonathan is a
great model ofwhat friendship should be. Having good
friends - both inside and outside the Church - helps
us through all that life throws at us. Itt nor just about
having good friends, but the Church needs to do better
at encouraging all people - not just young Christians -
to be the kind of friend they would hope to be. I'm not
sure I've ever heard a sermon on friendship, and thatt
telling.
Your book, Am I Beautiful?, confronts the beauty
myth with the truth that we are created in God's
image. Is it significirnt that the tide is a question
rather than a bold statement?
IVe never been asked this question before! But yes, I
suppose it is. The title reflects the fact that so many of
us question whether we are beautiful even though we
have grown up in churches in which we've heard things
like how God looks at the inside and not the outside
and how we are all made in the image of God. We ask
the question because this doesnt seem to be what we
see when we look in the mirror. How can I be beautiful
when I feel so inadequate when compared to images of
supposed outstandingly beautiful women in magazines
and even my own friends? The book tries to answer this
by exploring some of the questions that I have about
my own body image. But it comes to the conclusion
that the answer is always yes. And that's regardless
of what we actually look like. Because the images we
compare ourselves to are not only unrealistic, but they
point to an arbitrary societal beauty standard that is a
distortion of what true beauty - God's beaury - is.
Who has been arole model orinspiration foryou?
I'm blessed to be surrounded by so many amazing rcle
models who inspire me. Theologians and Christian
leaders like Elaine Storkey and Maggi Dawn are
brilliant. They are strong, wise, dazzhnely clever and
courageous. There are some amazing women in my
own family: my mum was the first black woman to be
a principal and chief executive of a further education
college in the UK, and she now has a CBE from the
Qreen. There are also the dedicated, hard-working
and creative women I'm honoured to work with every
day. And ihen there are my friends: mighty women of
valour who strive for excellence, who laugh with me,
cry with me, cheer me on and hold me to account. I'm
so honoured to know so many inspiring women.
Should young women who are thinking about
vocations in the church be encouraged by the progress
ofwomen into leadership positions or discouragedby
how bittedy contentious the issue remains?
I dont think there's any point in being bitter about it, as
that will just stop us from fulfilling all that we're meant
'to be. It's about looking ahead to the future: once we
achieve leadership positions, how can we strive to lead
well and also to encourage those women coming up
after us?
There are so many terrible things in the news -
sexism, racism, persecution, economic e4ploitation
- that are regularly described as being'unforgivable'.
We are led by our faith to condemn these things and
fight for social justice, but also to bring forgiveness
and redemption into the conversation. How can we
do both?
This is such a difficult thing to balance. As Christians,
I believe wete called to play our part in seeing God's
kingdom on earth - that means the end of all the bad
stuff. So yes, we should absolutely stand up against any
kind of injustice, wrongdoing, violence or exploitation.
Doing this doesnt mean we have not forgiven the
perpetrators. But sometimes it's not our place to do
the forgiving. There are times when us chiming in to
forgive, when we are not the ones who have been hurt,
can seem insensitive. But some of the most amazing
stories I ve heard - those that make me think'that can
only be God'- are when you hear ofpeople whose loved
ones have been brutally murdered and yet they say,'We
forgive.'. Its things like this - forgiving when it just
seems humanly impossible - that are a great witness to
the unfathomable grace of God.
If you could go back and speak to yourself as a fresher
at university, what advice would you give?
I d tell myself not to worry so much - to enjoy life. I'd
tell myself to stand up straight - to not try to make
myself smaller. To have a deeper faith at an eadier age.
To write down all the boofts I've read. To not despair
when doors are shut, but to have hope in the other
amazing ones that'll open.
t0urttil - tssut t50
Pt0E It
mftrilI r$suE 150 suxxEn 2015
FAITH IN AOTI (lN
SCM'S Faith in Action Project with Proj ect Bonhoeffer is now in i-ts thi-rd
year. The Project seeks to apply Dietri ch Bonhoeffer's thinking about the
roIe of faith in a secular societY bY givrng interns the oPPortunitY to
gain f irst-hand experlence of injustice, to refl-ect on and share those
experiences' and to insPrre arrd, equiP PeoPle
to take action'
JACQUE
Dear SCM,
I hope this edition of ltovement finds
you weII!
Last tine f wrote I was running the
We77 Horkshops as part of ny
placement at Northanpton ffjnd. These
workshops fit into the .educatj,onal,
sphere of Mind,s work, and ain to heLp
service users through learning new
skills and developiag self-arar€ness.
At the alnost halfway point of ny
internship f lras keen to learn nore
about the other work that lfind d.oes.
So, for the past couple of nonths I've
been running a Wool and Fabric qrouD on
Monday afternoons, which fits into the
(therapeutic, sphere.
Each week we work on a new craft
project, so ny bank of easy to do, one
hour long, take-sone-tine-out crafts is
growing, and is being tried and tested.
by people whorve never done then before.
ff you're looking for a snall project to
help deal with the stress of upconing
deadl-ines and exanns, check out ny top
three easy crafts on ny blog at
www . noveneat . ore . uk/bLoes,/ j acque .
I hope to see you soon
at the SCM NationaL
Gathering !
Huch love,
Jacque
Xx
S(IME
THAT
Here are some things I've learned from the
Faith in Action Project:
. A calling or vocation doesrft necessarily imply a Christian occupation'
. There is an immense value in reflecting together with someone else'
. Some reflective activities work much better in&vidually'
. I'm learning to let go of the prerequisite that the majority of my friends
shouldbe in mY age range'
. As President of an SCti *ffii"t"d group I learned how awkrrard it can
feel if there's a low turnout when an intern visits'
. As an intern I learned that those visits are veryworthwhile and are
sometimes the most imPortant'
. Suitcases with four wheels make train aisles much easier to navigate'
' PeoPle appreciate a wide variety ofthings about SCM'
often really good at catering for a range ofdietary
' SCM gtoop, -"
requirements.
' RevisitinB theological refleaions can be difrcult' but it's worthwhile'
. Churches working together is the most sustainable way to c-hange our
communities.
' Ecumenism works better looking outwards than inwards'
. SCM Friends have so muc-h to offer and students love meeting them'
. You'llwantto fixmorethanyou can'
'
. It is super er
STEPHEN
--*'*
'F-
'g'
#;F
As a Faith in Action
fntern, f have beeu
investigating the i.ssues
of food waste and food
poverty ip Britain. Around
20 nillion tonnes of food
is thrown away each year
in the UK, while around S
nil-lion people are i.n food
poverty. fn the shadow of
such concerning data, what
does it nean to bel_ieve
in a God of provision
and conpassion? How can
Christians play a role in
reversing this injustice
a-n'd enbody the nessage of
love we preach?
ft has been a privilege
to tour the SCM groups
and pose these questions
to students. f have
been inviting students
to inagine what a nore
just food systen would
look li.ker atrd how they
can take practical steps
towards establishing
justice on earth, as j.t
is in Heaven. One idea
has been the creation of
food recycling schenes,
which have since kicked
off in two Sheffield
universlties. For nore
t"t".r"tt"", "n.8 "
blog on the SCM Lrebsite _
www. novenent . orA. uk/bloAs/
stephen.
When the Pharaohs ruled and the sun
shone mercilessly, the Israelites were
enslaved by the Egyptians. Oppressive
slave drivers worked the Israelites into
the ground, fuelled by pride and fear.
But God had a plan. God wa, to lead
them out, to free them. And God was to
choose someone to be their leader.
There were two candidates for the
job. One was the pharaoh,s adopted
grandson. Accordingly, he had status
and wealth in the land beyond compiue.
He was well-educated and thougitfrrl.
By virtue of his position he couljquite
easily get a forum with pharaoh; he
already had a foot in the door.
The other was a criminal, a fugitive,
and a refugee. He lived in th. o,rt-ba.k.
and held the lowest of o..up^tionrf
shepherding. He had no stals, no
wealth, no privilege. He was miles from
the- Pharaoh's court, geographically and
socially.
WHICH M(ISES
One is Moses in chapter two ofExodus.
The other is Moses in chapter three.
To whom does God go in search for a
leader? God doesnt decide to show up
in the palace. Instead God shows up in
the wilderness, in a burning bush.
ARE Y(lU?
understand the position of his people
oppressed by the Egyptians, and bette,
respond to their suffering. When he
the plight
f1t.d1l3vered of f,i, f"_ity,
his initial reaction was to lash out in
blind anger. He witnessed an Egyptian
beating up a Hebrew, and he kfi hi_.
Granted, he did free that individual
Hebrew, but did he gain his peoplet
respectl Verse 14 answers that. Blind
rage isnt what God wants from us
when we witness the oppression of our
fellow humans.
Instead, God strips Moses of his
s.tatus and helps him to understand
the sufferings of his famiy for himself
Similarly, he wants us not to lash out in
anger, but to understand for ourselves
the pain of the poor and oppressed
around us.
f am Moses. perhaps you are too. I, like
Moses, was born into relative comfort
and privilege. But I am starting to
realise that the comfort and privil[e I
t1*.h^": been bought at the .*pJ.r.
of the freedom and lives of ,irt.r,
and brothers across the planet, and
the expense of global equaliry. I can
be tempted to react in anger to this
realisation, but instead God calls me to
I find this story about Moses very
interesting. Why doesnt God give
Moses his commission while het in"the
Egyptian palace? What makes Moses
in chapter three a better candidate to
lead the Israelites to freedom?
It is the very fact that he had lost
everything - lost all his status, wealth
and privilege. From a position of
destitution and pain, he could better
share in the sufferings of the poor.
Jesus_ is the quintessential example
of this. He came down to earth
deliberately to suffer in order to save
the suffering. He was despised, in order
to save the despised. If we want to see
liberation for those who suffer, iashing
out in anger is not the answer. B. mor.
like Moses of chapter three, lose status,
and share in sufferings.
StephenAtkinson
I
ESIIUATS $PEGIAI
The summer features a number of
Christian festivals - and you can find
SCM stalls at several ofthem! - so enjoy
some perspectives on a few of these
seasonal celebrations.
SOTAS FESIIUAT
b tt1> ://zozutu. s o la sfe s ti v a L co. u k
The Solas Festival is like a little sister to
Greenbelt Festival, and is partnered with
a number of church and justice groups
to ensure that issues ofsocialjustice and
responsibility feature strongly in their
programming, which also includes a
huge variety of music, literature, debate,
art, all-age activities and much more.
Between the Lines, the 2015 Solas
Festival, will focus on cultural identities
in their many forms and how these are
expressed through the arts. Solas is an
arts, music and culturq festival (founded
in 2011) that aims to create a generous,
hospitable space in Scotland where the
arts can be performed and enjoyed by all.
Having attended the festival for the
past few years, I can say it is one ofthe
highlights of my summer (especially
when the weather holds up!) and is
always an enjoyable and thoughtprovoking
experience. Solas 2015 will
take place in the Bield, Blackruthven,
Perth from 19-21, June. Details of the
line-up and ticket prices are available on
the website at www.solasfestival.co.uk
(although you can attend for free ifyou
volunteer and this is always great fun, so
it's well worth considering!).
Robert Kimmitt
MOMEIIIUM
lt t t p :,/h n o m e rt t u rn. o rg. u k
There is something about retreating
into the wilderness with not much more
than a tent, a Bible and a notebook that
evocatively harks back to our religious
ancestry.There are few opportunities that
grant us the freedom to leave behind our
fast-paced, consumerist technocentric
lifestyles and seek God like the Israelites
did. Momentum comes quite close.
Momentum offers five jam-packed days
of worship, teaching and ministry out in
the sticks of Somerset, and attracts some
of the church's most prolific thinkers
and preachers. Attendees camp together,
sharing land, food and the occasional
overly-competitive game of rounders.
It provides a unique opportunity to
exercise the great values of generosity
and hospitality in a safe and temporary
space.
Sadly, in places, consumerism has
followed the church into the wilderness.
Expect to find large banners of Christian
celebrities and tables stacked with
farx-ecclesial tat - tables which would
have been overturned in first-century
Jerusalem.
It is foolish to think Momentum can
provide a taste of heaven any more than
your local homeless shelter can, but for a
few days of rest, teaching and fellowship,
I recommend it.
Stepben Atkinson
OREEIIBETI
ltttl>s:,//tototo.gree n btlt.org. u k
. Sitting in the Jesus Arms catching
up with old friends over a pint of
organic ale.
' Listening to a cool folk music with
lyrics about justice and redemption,
surrounded by people of all ages in
wellies, woolly hats and rainbow
stripe umbrellas.
' Vicky Beeching receiving a standing
ovation for coming out as gay.
' Taiz6. worship with 600 people in the
BigTop.
' Talks on everything from ethical
investment to homelessness, new
monasticism to vocation.
' A chance to meet other students.
If you read this list and think'Oh wow,
that sounds amazing!'then Greenbelt is
probably for you.
On a practical note, food is a bit
expensive, so try and bring some of your
own or befriend someone with a car who
can do a food run. There is a small shop
on site that sells basic supplies. It can
take a while to get to the campsite, so
pack as light as you can, but still take lots
of warm things. There are toilets, and
showers that can be booked in advance.
Greenbelt are working to improve
disabled access, and there are tracks
around most of the site and an access
team to help you.
Hilary Tbpp
ItE ltEt0
SCII rrrc alr.r,in-s Iooking fbr
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cveltts alt(l \,\4tclt r,vc c_rhibit
fcstiyals ar
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YllUI
Pr$E 20
t0IEtEtI - r$$uE t50
I
I I I I .*-
1. see 1la
8. Hairyman trapped in unsafe sauna (4)
9. To speak idly, he's a card and a toad (10)
10. BBQfood for sexy beast (3,3)
ll,l2,22,l6arl7 ,1a. Qrote by 23 is a motto for recycling
(5131915r4r4,5,10,3)
12. see lla
15. see4d
16. see lla
17. see lla
21. Unstable - sounds like Spock in charge? (8)
23. Ancient Roman seen out and about (7)
25. Signaller, say, to rant at bloke next to street (10)
26. I'mto make adjustments? Leave it out! (4)
27 . Eg. Sinatra sang in sryle, i.e. b adly (4,91
lt0tllr
1. Specially made robes poked inside (7)
2. Stuckwith good left-wing university education (5)
3. Geometrical shape cast by horse in middle of day (7)
4, 15. She went in, wrongly, for current affairs (2r3r4)
5. Cockney man finds unknown drug in clothing, say (6)
6. EnigmaticJennymetwith love and happiness (9)
7. Noble tide from French board game (7)
13. Two equal sides, so less ice melting (9)
14. Film hero is tortured one (3)
ITI
ln
16. Film shot alongtime after Imperial measure (7)
18. Core extract (7)
19. Beautifrrl female goes missing from drawing (7)
20. Ultimate goal behind everything (3-3)
22. seella
23. I moan about a girl (5)
Dontknowwhere to start? Try solving-cryptics.com or the
Guardian'Cryptic crosswords for beginners' blog
THE CHRISTIAN FESTilVAL
DICIDING WHETHFR h/E WILI BE GOING OR NOT
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17. Windsor
20. Blowhole
21. Gods
22. Azores
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3. Psalter
4.Taizt
5. Shedload
6. Prayer
12, Eastward
14. Silence
l6.Ablaze
18. OldAge
19. Horse
21. Glen
CartoonChurch,com
This CartoonChurch.com cartoon by Dnve Walker
originally appeared as part of "fhe Dave Walker
Guide to Youth Work'in Youthwork magrzine.
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