PRESENT PERFECT VS PAST SIMPLE = GENERAL OR SPECIFIC PAST

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Have you ever... present perfect
been to London
ridden a bike
cooked for friends
flown on a plane
visited Paris

Yes I have/ No I haven't When did you go Past Simple (specific time)
I went last Summer. I stayed in a holiday camp called …......
and I ate potatoes every day. that's because potatoes are better than pasta! And I ate lamb. That's because lamb is delicious! No it isn't, I hate it! But the hamburgers were very good. And in the evening I drank hot chocolate. And I ate McVities biscuits.

I have already been to London I have already gone to London He has already seen that film I have already done my homework have you already done your homework?
Yes I have / No I haven't I haven't done my homework yet.
I haven't seen that film yet. Have you done your homework yet?
(why) Haven't you done your homework yet?
JUST - appena I have just seen Michael. We have just finished. I have just opened the window. I have just arrived in R.



(GENERAL PAST, NON-SPECIFIC)
have you ever... present perfect
visited London
(ride) a horse ride rode ridden
(cook) for friends
(
Yes I have/ No I haven't
No, never.
SPECIFIC PAST - WHEN
-when did you ride a horse? Past simple
I rode a horse when I was 12
I rode a horse three days ago
I rode a horse last year How often – quanto spesso (present)
how many times – quante volte

How many times have you
-ridden a horse?
-been to London I've seen it once/twice/ ( senza times)
three times

When did you last eat Chinese food?
When was the last time you ate Chinese food?
I ate Chinese food one month ago.
Eat-ate-eaten When was the last time you went out?
for/since for-period of time
I have lived in R' for 5 months. Since- date /month year hour etc.
I have lived in R' since October.

ICAO TEST SAMPLE

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ICAO TEST SAMPLE

SCRIPT

CHECK COMMENTS FOR DOWNLOAD SITE FOR THIS CLIP

Now in this first part I'm going to ask you some questions about yourself

could you tell me about your job

I worked for (?)
(can you ) describe what you do when you're working

I have to check the flight plan, because it's very important to check it.



It's very important that if you do NOT understand something during the test that you tell me ok?


Now in this first part I want you to tell me something about yourself


tell me about yourself, what is your job?


-I work as a ..



can you describe what you have to do at work?


I have to

I'm responsible for..

I'm a search and rescue helicopter pilot


How long have you been in this position?


-I've been a pilot since 1974

-I used to work as a ..

-I have 5 years experience working as a ___



Do you like working in this position

Do you like your job?


-Yes I like it very much, I'm very happy with my job, I'm very satisfied.


2,


thank you,

we'll now move onto part 2, you're going to hear some recordings of international speakers, firstly you will hear pilots talking in an emergency situation,


listen to the recordings and tell me what is happening.


“? it's Dusseldorf, We won't have brakes on touch down, can we have the longest runway possible?”


what's happening?


Erm, The pilot is afraid that the brakes are out of service or the brakes will not operate during the erm.. actually after the touchdown. The pilot requested (for) a long final in order to have a safe landing.


Thank you


'number two'

“we've lost hydraulic pressure, (?) control of the aircraft”


what's happening?


Erm, the er hydraulic er system or the hydraulic systems , because as far as I know there are at least two or three hydraulic systems,,erm, seems to be out of service, and erm the aircraft is barely under (any) control. So it's very difficult to control an aircraft under such circumstances.



2,2,


you will now hear some recordings in more general situations


each recording has two parts,


for the first part you will hear a colleague talking and you need to ask questions about what is happening and you have twenty seconds for this


let's practice with an example


(example) hi, it's your colleague Ali,

there is a man shouting at me


can you ask the speaker questions about what is happening?


Ali, what's going on,

What's the reason for someone/somebody shouting at you.. do you have any guess about that?

Can I help in any way?


For the second part you will hear your colleague again

this time you need to give your colleague advice


again we'll practise with an example


hi it's your colleague Ali again


the problem is he's speaking a language I don't understand.


give your colleage some advice, you have twenty seconds


Hi Ali, it's quite strange to hear such a message from you, did you try to identify the language (your foreigner) he is speaking

did you try to get some help from your neighbours/ your colleagues

I'm afraid that I cannot help very much, what can I do for you.. what can i do for you Ali?


thank you


now we'll continue with more situations


(number one)


hi it's your Colleague Lydia here, a woman has just collapsed on the floor


ask questions


hi Lydia, how old is the woman who is lying /collapsed on the floor?

What is the reason for this? and is the woman hurt? Did anything (wrong ) happen to her?


Well the problem is that her friend says she's diabetic


(give advice)


erm, if .. if the woman is a diabetic (one) does she have any insulin with her? Have you tried to call an ambulance or a nurse /doctor to assist her?


Thank you


(number two)

hi it's your colleague Marian here,


there is liquid all over the floor


Hi Marian,


is there any flooding? Do you know the reason for this? What is the reason for the liquid being on the floor?


Well the problem is that the fuel tank is leaking


the fuel tank is leaking?


Well, you'll have to be very careful and please do not use any fire or (any lighter=incendino) In the vicinity of the liquid


thank you



now we'll move onto the final part and i'm going to show you a picture,

here we are

(now) can you describe this picture to me?



erm, it seems to be a fire brigade vehicle extinguishing a fire.

maybe it is a simple exercise, a training exercise, erm


i'm not sure about the meaning of the action (activity e corretto)

is this a practise or a real thing going on,


it's very difficult for me to identify the source of the fire, i don't know what's caused.. this fire

yeah I can see the tail of..erm, it seems to be a 727

erm


thank you, I'd like to discuss some more general questions related to the problems associated with fire, what can cause a fire on board an aircraft?


Erm, for example i think that erm electrical failure might produce a fire on board erm


i'm not sure if..these days passengers are allowed on board with lighters.. it's prohibited to smoke on board.. excuse me.. of the flight


can you describe what equipment or methods can be used to control fire?


I think that the aircraft are having (have e corretto) on board extinguishers,

the cabin crews are well trained to cope with such situations


i hardly can imagine a specific way of dealing with... this is also a very good question


why is fire so dangerous for humans?


because it's a very serious threat to lives

to the er..

as you know the amount of oxygen up there is quite limited

the fire is producing.. sorry..the fire is producing smoke and some materials on board used to produce, erm


i'm not sure about this word, i will try this one, noxis (noxious).. I mean very dangerous gases for.. to be in.. to be in... to breath

i think that the new aircraft avoid use (using e corretto) using materials that can produce such dangerous .. erm.. noxis? (noxious 'nok-shus)


thank you very much , that is the end of the test.



A fire extinguisher

GLEN GOULD INTERVIEWED CEA ADVANCED ENGLISH LISTENING

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youtube video link to follow, check comments



GG

I Believe that frankly the piano does offer a great many resources which are entirely appropriate vis-a-vis the music of Bach and that it also offers some that are entirely inappropriate so it .really. becomes a question of erm (i was going to say using those things that enhance the music, but that [enhance] is a bad [inapproapriate ]word )

of using those things/ adopting those things;that really work within the parameters that Music itself observes, I think that's the safer way of putting it

interviewer
well of course there are two really contrasting arguments which are put forward very frequently . One is that if Bach had had a piano he would certainly have used it

GG

Well I'm sure that he would have used it, he was a very practical man in most ways as we know, and a few years before he died when he saw a erm(what was it called.. a 'silverman'? Was that what he saw At Frederick the Great's court when he visited there and he seems to have very nice things to say about it so he probably would have used it but i think its not a terribly Relevant argument one way or the other because whatever he saw at Frederick's court was such a totally different beast to what we know today you know that it doesnt really stand comparison

interviewer

ok but the other argument of course is that he didnt really know the piano- notwithstanding his visit to Fredericks court and that erm

he didnt think ofin terms of its capabilities that he couldn't have imagined the kind of instrument that it would have become 2 centuries later and so consequently whenever one does play the music on something other than that it seems that he knew you know than the harpsichord the clavichord

one is erm in some ways i wouldnt say 'violating the music' but 'not allowing it to declare itself .. to speak within the limits of the sonority that Bach would have imagined'

gg

yeh i think that's the other argument

i think that's where the proposition goes off the rails if i may say so because if one really believes that then it surely follows that one also believes that Bach you know really cared deeply about the specifics of sonority and tambour composition of

in a matter of fact he was almost a slave i just dont think that s the way it was with Bach

Conditional

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conditional
A = IF + (condition) (THEN) (result)

B = (result) + IF (condition)

e.g.

A= if you study (then) you will get a good grade B= you will get a good grade if you study


0 if you win the lottery you become rich

1 if i win the lottery i will buy a car

2 if i won the lottery i would buy a car

3 if i had won the lottery i would have bought a car


0 present tense present tense

1 present tense will + infinitive

2 past simple would + infinitive

3 past perfect would have + participle (avrei..) could have + participle (potere, avrei potuto..)

would probably/definately=certainly have gone to... would have probably/definately/certainly gone to

eg. I would probably have stayed longer If I had known that it was so early

I could probably have bought that car if you had lent me the money.

I would probably have visited my friend when I was at university in Venice if I had known that he was living near me.


CONDITION RESULT

0 if you heat water it boils if you heat ice it melts when I'm happy I smile


First Conditional, IF + Condition WILL + Infinitive

1 if it rains I will take an umbrella

if it doesn't rain I won't take an umbrella
when I arrive I'll phone you
we'll cross that bridge when we come to it


2 if (past simple)

if you were poor, you wouldn't live in a five-star hotel
if you weren't rich, you wouldn't live in a five-star hotel
'I wouldn't do that if I were you' - non farei cosi se io fosse te


3 If we had invested more money in the business we would have expanded more.

If you had told me that before, I wouldn't have bothered to come. If you had listened more carefully, you wouldn't have made that mistake

If I had seen Pamela, I would have spoken with her
If Inter hadn't lost that game, they would have won You wouldn't have lost all that money if you had saved it in the bank. She would have had a great time if she had gone out with her friends

Passive Voice or Active Voice ?

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Here are examples of the active and passive voice:

Italian explanation : ecco active voice e poi passive voice

We form the passive with-

Subject/ correct form of verb to be/past participle/ *

PRESENT SIMPLE FORM: mark writes a book

the book is written by mark

mark threw a ball
the ball was thrown by mark

mark has thrown a ball
the ball has been thrown by mark


as you can see, the PARTICIPLE is always present in the passive, it's only the verb TO BE which changes to show the CORRECT TENSE.

In these examples you have the present simple, the past simple, the present perfect.



the infinitive form of threw is throw


throw - threw - thrown


threw is the past simple form for

past events, finished actions


e.g. I threw the ball yesterday

I threw the ball a few minutes ago (fa)



I wear, you wear, he wears

to wear


wear- wore - worn


Present Active From

Alessio wears glasses


Present Simple Passive Form

Glasses are worn by Alessio


Past Simple Active Form

Alessio wore glasses


Passive Past Simple Form

The Glasses were worn by Alessio


Active Present Perfect Form

Alessio has worn glasses


Passive present perfect form

Glasses have been worn by Alessio


Active Past continuous form

Alessio was wearing the glasses


Passive past continuous form

the glasses were being worn by Alessio


I was reading the book

the book was being read by me


Mark is teaching me

I am being taught by Mark

(questo tempo non esiste in italiano)



come vedi, c'é sempre il PARTICIPLE (3a colonna) per l'azione
é soltanto il verbo ESSERE che cambia per dimostrare che tempo é
(present simple, past simple, present perfect sono gli tempi in questi esempi)

Some more examples:

Passivo Present Simple: Attivo- Igor repairs a computer, Passivo- the computer is repaired by Igor

Mattia cooks some meat Some meat is cooked by Mattia

Past Simple Passive: Paolo bought some clothes Some clothes were bought by Paolo

Solo il verbo essere cambia, il participle rimane in ogni tempo

the past participle remains for every tense

Present Perfect:

Steven has forgotten the book The book has been forgotten by Steven

the dvd recorder hasn't been repaired by the mechanic

by (optional to show the object)

Gerund or Infinitive ?

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When should a verb be followed by an infinitive and when should it be followed by a gerund ?


There is no single specific rule, but there are several ways of trying to understand this.

Tip 1

We use the gerund to speak generally

eg.

I like shopping

I like asking questions.


We use the infinitive to speak about something we need to do

I need to shop for some new clothes

I need to ask you about this homework you gave us.


Tip 2

We use the gerund for the past or for the present moment / habit

I enjoyed going to Paris last year

I'm enjoying watching this film

I enjoy going to the cinema on Sundays.


We use the infinitive for the future

I want to go to Paris next year

You need to sleep more.

I hope to pass my exams this Summer

Say the Words by DC Talk, learn English with Christian Contemporary Rap

SAY THE WORDS, BY DC TALK, STARRING SNOWMAN AND PLANIT


not yet not yet, i'll tell you when ok..? ok yeh sure, hahahah.. nope, that's the ugly ear, this is the beautiful ear, this one, look at it.. mmmm! this ear's jealous of this ear 'ere. yeh, get a load of that ear, it's fantastic.. yup ! ok! I can't see the ear, get a clear shot on the ear.. just forget the ear man, ..this crew is costing me a fortune (cameraman etc.) ehem.. alright, I'm telling you.. it's not the best one !. say the words dc talk -style. psych psych (DC TALK say the words)



VERSE 1-Silence is golden

But these are the words that the world needs to hear

Terms of compassion will cause a reaction

As love draws them near

plan8 2 ore fa
RAP- The word love

Well, it was once over-used

Back in the '70s the word was abused

But I refuse to let love be diluted

We can't allow physical lust to intrude it

Or pollute it because there ain't no excuse

For the greatest gift of all ot be abused

So chose to lose the pride that may tug at you

Don't be afraid of the words "I love you"

plan8 2 ore fa
Pt 2/3 (after song) was that alright? Are you sure? Well I mean.. do you think, do you think i need instruments ? are you sure? Hmmm, I don’t know ! right, I’ll see you later, are you off back to the fridge? yeh, well, have fun, there's a snow-cone in there, you'll like it! Mmm, water-flavoured!

plan8 2 ore fa
Rispondi

plan8 2 ore fa

How to Make, Fry and Flip a Pancake ,Pt 3

HOW TO MAKE, FRY AND FLIP A PANCAKE PART 3

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Pt 1
Ok , so to make , erm , a good pancake, first you got the oil in the pan already –there’s the pan, the oil in the pan, then you..put the heat on, obviously, shhh,then - we know that – shhh! – it’s too high! – you’re the camera person, you can’t talk,- erm , then you heat up the oil –and you get ready to drain the excess oil, can you show the people what’s happening here please, - you heat up the oil - that’s good olive oil , extra virgin ! – you’re not allowed to talk.. you’re the camera person ! – ok !- then you, once that’s hot enough, ..you drain that off, which is very important, because that means that you don’t have too much oil, – then you get yer mixture that you prepared and left to settle the day before, can we have a close –up please – yeh yeh yeh, we’ve got a close up –can you not speak please –sorry-

Pt 2
then you get that in there, then while it’s, then while it’s fizzing away, you gently twist it ‘round the edge, not too far ‘round the edge but just far enough,right?- yeh yeh yeh.. ahhh!- so that’s not too bad, so, just keep filming that, so .. yeh ,-there he is.. that’s him there, look look ! back to pancake ..ok- you’ll make people feel ill if you do that- will i ? – yeh – oh! - so you wait until that starts to erm.., you see that bit in the middle,it’s kinda white, and that bit’s kinda brownish, you want to wait till that whiteness has all gone, then you see the edge is starting to lift up slightly ?- yes, yes, - then go slightly brown? – yeh, hmm - that is what you need -

pt 3
then you start to jiggle it like this, you just start to give it a little.. a little jiggle, and see if it will start to come up off the pan - you don’t wanna .... look at the wrist action there- , you don’t want to do this too strong because if you do, then could take it off a bit too soon.. now once you see, that’s wiggling away, let me see.. you , I don’t want to lift that really , I’m just trying to get it off the pan.. i need to flick it to the right, now you see we’ve got movement that’s what you kinda want , now that we’ve got movement this is where you need to start to be a little bit bold, edge it towards the front of the pan and now, can you step back so I can catch this ?

Pt 4
now I’m gonna flip this, you’ve got to be confident, you’ve got to put everything into it, and you’ve got to drop with it as it comes down, because that helps you catch it at the right stage, so ok so i went up (with it) a little bit in order to catch it before it came down,
- that was wonderful- so that’s not too bad , ok just sort it out a little bit.. now yes I could have used a spatula, but that’s really not as much fun, - and it’s not as hot - and half the fun should be, i think flipping the pancake , erm yeh,
so this side of it should brown a lot quicker than the other, we’ll leave it there for a few seconds, erm, and ignore the size of the camera person in the background, - they can’t see me – can you see the pancake ?- yeh yeh yeh, they can see the pancake, they can hear it fizzing away nicely – right..
Pt 5
So, I don’t really need to flip this yet, but if you want to have some fun, why not? So it’s not quite as stiff as it could be which would make the flipping easier, but erm, that’s not too bad there, that’s a bit limp but i think we’ll go for that
So if we can Pan back, so back a bit, so lets just go for one, ok there’s one, lets go for a double,
I’m heating it up a little bit because that will help it move maybe, right lets go for a double, oh, that wasn’t brilliantly done, but it’s still intact, ok we’re about to go for a double then for a triple, ok, i don’t know how many that was, maybe that was a triple right there, .. how many points did I get for that on style? - 20, - 20 twenty out of six
Pt 6/6
Ok, now you see I brought it down, looking at it as it’s coming down and bending your knees and coming down with it helps you to catch it.
a lot of the mistakes that your rookie pancake – flipper will make is to just flip it and keep his pan at this level expecting it to flip down at the level at which the pan is. That’s never going to happen unless you’re Spiderman or another super-hero.
Oops , Ok that was just badly judged, but if you play around with that formula, soon you’ll be double – flipping, triple – flipping.. no problem! - and wearing it as a hat! Ok , end transmission!

The Cross And The Switchblade - [1/11]

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Security Guard Cat

 


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Link

scaircro

scaircro

nice

Have been feeling refreshed by Jesus and had the opportunity to witness on a couple of occasions which is nice...

Blog the Builder

you know what? I didn't read the content of my last blog which is remiss of me so please overlook it. From now on I will endeavour to be more accountable.

Charlie the Unicorn 2

charile the unicorn

Bella Hardy

some music online for those who have ears

with my friend Fabien from the lovely time I had in France before Winter.

ps fwd through 'rire' there is bad distortion T Y J

if you read this, i'll post you a mars hero

LETTER TO ARTISTS
Pope John Paul II

1999

To all who are passionately dedicated
to the search for new “epiphanies” of beauty
so that through their creative work as artists
they may offer these as gifts to the world.

“God saw all that he had made, and it was very good” (Gn 1:31)


The artist, image of God the Creator

1. None can sense more deeply than you artists, ingenious creators of beauty that you are, something of the pathos with which God at the dawn of creation looked upon the work of his hands. A glimmer of that feeling has shone so often in your eyes when—like the artists of every age—captivated by the hidden power of sounds and words, colours and shapes, you have admired the work of your inspiration, sensing in it some echo of the mystery of creation with which God, the sole creator of all things, has wished in some way to associate you.

That is why it seems to me that there are no better words than the text of Genesis with which to begin my Letter to you, to whom I feel closely linked by experiences reaching far back in time and which have indelibly marked my life. In writing this Letter, I intend to follow the path of the fruitful dialogue between the Church and artists which has gone on unbroken through two thousand years of history, and which still, at the threshold of the Third Millennium, offers rich promise for the future.

In fact, this dialogue is not dictated merely by historical accident or practical need, but is rooted in the very essence of both religious experience and artistic creativity. The opening page of the Bible presents God as a kind of exemplar of everyone who produces a work: the human craftsman mirrors the image of God as Creator. This relationship is particularly clear in the Polish language because of the lexical link between the words stwórca (creator) and twórca (craftsman).

What is the difference between “creator” and “craftsman”? The one who creates bestows being itself, he brings something out of nothing—ex nihilo sui et subiecti, as the Latin puts it—and this, in the strict sense, is a mode of operation which belongs to the Almighty alone. The craftsman, by contrast, uses something that already exists, to which he gives form and meaning. This is the mode of operation peculiar to man as made in the image of God. In fact, after saying that God created man and woman “in his image” (cf. Gn 1:27), the Bible adds that he entrusted to them the task of dominating the earth (cf. Gn 1:28). This was the last day of creation (cf. Gn 1:28-31). On the previous days, marking as it were the rhythm of the birth of the cosmos, Yahweh had created the universe. Finally he created the human being, the noblest fruit of his design, to whom he subjected the visible world as a vast field in which human inventiveness might assert itself.

God therefore called man into existence, committing to him the craftsman's task. Through his “artistic creativity” man appears more than ever “in the image of God”, and he accomplishes this task above all in shaping the wondrous “material” of his own humanity and then exercising creative dominion over the universe which surrounds him. With loving regard, the divine Artist passes on to the human artist a spark of his own surpassing wisdom, calling him to share in his creative power. Obviously, this is a sharing which leaves intact the infinite distance between the Creator and the creature, as Cardinal Nicholas of Cusa made clear: “Creative art, which it is the soul's good fortune to entertain, is not to be identified with that essential art which is God himself, but is only a communication of it and a share in it”.(1)

That is why artists, the more conscious they are of their “gift”, are led all the more to see themselves and the whole of creation with eyes able to contemplate and give thanks, and to raise to God a hymn of praise. This is the only way for them to come to a full understanding of themselves, their vocation and their mission.

The special vocation of the artist

2. Not all are called to be artists in the specific sense of the term. Yet, as Genesis has it, all men and women are entrusted with the task of crafting their own life: in a certain sense, they are to make of it a work of art, a masterpiece.

It is important to recognize the distinction, but also the connection, between these two aspects of human activity. The distinction is clear. It is one thing for human beings to be the authors of their own acts, with responsibility for their moral value; it is another to be an artist, able, that is, to respond to the demands of art and faithfully to accept art's specific dictates.(2) This is what makes the artist capable of producing objects, but it says nothing as yet of his moral character. We are speaking not of moulding oneself, of forming one's own personality, but simply of actualizing one's productive capacities, giving aesthetic form to ideas conceived in the mind.

The distinction between the moral and artistic aspects is fundamental, but no less important is the connection between them. Each conditions the other in a profound way. In producing a work, artists express themselves to the point where their work becomes a unique disclosure of their own being, of what they are and of how they are what they are. And there are endless examples of this in human history. In shaping a masterpiece, the artist not only summons his work into being, but also in some way reveals his own personality by means of it. For him art offers both a new dimension and an exceptional mode of expression for his spiritual growth. Through his works, the artist speaks to others and communicates with them. The history of art, therefore, is not only a story of works produced but also a story of men and women. Works of art speak of their authors; they enable us to know their inner life, and they reveal the original contribution which artists offer to the history of culture.

The artistic vocation in the service of beauty

3. A noted Polish poet, Cyprian Norwid, wrote that “beauty is to enthuse us for work, and work is to raise us up”.(3)

The theme of beauty is decisive for a discourse on art. It was already present when I stressed God's delighted gaze upon creation. In perceiving that all he had created was good, God saw that it was beautiful as well.(4) The link between good and beautiful stirs fruitful reflection. In a certain sense, beauty is the visible form of the good, just as the good is the metaphysical condition of beauty. This was well understood by the Greeks who, by fusing the two concepts, coined a term which embraces both: kalokagathía, or beauty-goodness. On this point Plato writes: “The power of the Good has taken refuge in the nature of the Beautiful”.(5)

It is in living and acting that man establishes his relationship with being, with the truth and with the good. The artist has a special relationship to beauty. In a very true sense it can be said that beauty is the vocation bestowed on him by the Creator in the gift of “artistic talent”. And, certainly, this too is a talent which ought to be made to bear fruit, in keeping with the sense of the Gospel parable of the talents (cf. Mt 25:14-30).

Here we touch on an essential point. Those who perceive in themselves this kind of divine spark which is the artistic vocation—as poet, writer, sculptor, architect, musician, actor and so on—feel at the same time the obligation not to waste this talent but to develop it, in order to put it at the service of their neighbour and of humanity as a whole.

The artist and the common good

4. Society needs artists, just as it needs scientists, technicians, workers, professional people, witnesses of the faith, teachers, fathers and mothers, who ensure the growth of the person and the development of the community by means of that supreme art form which is “the art of education”. Within the vast cultural panorama of each nation, artists have their unique place. Obedient to their inspiration in creating works both worthwhile and beautiful, they not only enrich the cultural heritage of each nation and of all humanity, but they also render an exceptional social service in favour of the common good.

The particular vocation of individual artists decides the arena in which they serve and points as well to the tasks they must assume, the hard work they must endure and the responsibility they must accept. Artists who are conscious of all this know too that they must labour without allowing themselves to be driven by the search for empty glory or the craving for cheap popularity, and still less by the calculation of some possible profit for themselves. There is therefore an ethic, even a “spirituality” of artistic service, which contributes in its way to the life and renewal of a people. It is precisely this to which Cyprian Norwid seems to allude in declaring that “beauty is to enthuse us for work, and work is to raise us up”.

Art and the mystery of the Word made flesh

5. The Law of the Old Testament explicitly forbids representation of the invisible and ineffable God by means of “graven or molten image” (Dt 27:15), because God transcends every material representation: “I am who I am” (Ex 3:14). Yet in the mystery of the Incarnation, the Son of God becomes visible in person: “When the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son born of woman” (Gal 4:4). God became man in Jesus Christ, who thus becomes “the central point of reference for an understanding of the enigma of human existence, the created world and God himself”.(6)

This prime epiphany of “God who is Mystery” is both an encouragement and a challenge to Christians, also at the level of artistic creativity. From it has come a flowering of beauty which has drawn its sap precisely from the mystery of the Incarnation. In becoming man, the Son of God has introduced into human history all the evangelical wealth of the true and the good, and with this he has also unveiled a new dimension of beauty, of which the Gospel message is filled to the brim.

Sacred Scripture has thus become a sort of “immense vocabulary” (Paul Claudel) and “iconographic atlas” (Marc Chagall), from which both Christian culture and art have drawn. The Old Testament, read in the light of the New, has provided endless streams of inspiration. From the stories of the Creation and sin, the Flood, the cycle of the Patriarchs, the events of the Exodus to so many other episodes and characters in the history of salvation, the biblical text has fired the imagination of painters, poets, musicians, playwrights and film-makers. A figure like Job, to take but one example, with his searing and ever relevant question of suffering, still arouses an interest which is not just philosophical but literary and artistic as well. And what should we say of the New Testament? From the Nativity to Golgotha, from the Transfiguration to the Resurrection, from the miracles to the teachings of Christ, and on to the events recounted in the Acts of the Apostles or foreseen by the Apocalypse in an eschatological key, on countless occasions the biblical word has become image, music and poetry, evoking the mystery of “the Word made flesh” in the language of art.

In the history of human culture, all of this is a rich chapter of faith and beauty. Believers above all have gained from it in their experience of prayer and Christian living. Indeed for many of them, in times when few could read or write, representations of the Bible were a concrete mode of catechesis.(7) But for everyone, believers or not, the works of art inspired by Scripture remain a reflection of the unfathomable mystery which engulfs and inhabits the world.

A fruitful alliance between the Gospel and art

6. Every genuine artistic intuition goes beyond what the senses perceive and, reaching beneath reality's surface, strives to interpret its hidden mystery. The intuition itself springs from the depths of the human soul, where the desire to give meaning to one's own life is joined by the fleeting vision of beauty and of the mysterious unity of things. All artists experience the unbridgeable gap which lies between the work of their hands, however successful it may be, and the dazzling perfection of the beauty glimpsed in the ardour of the creative moment: what they manage to express in their painting, their sculpting, their creating is no more than a glimmer of the splendour which flared for a moment before the eyes of their spirit.

Believers find nothing strange in this: they know that they have had a momentary glimpse of the abyss of light which has its original wellspring in God. Is it in any way surprising that this leaves the spirit overwhelmed as it were, so that it can only stammer in reply? True artists above all are ready to acknowledge their limits and to make their own the words of the Apostle Paul, according to whom “God does not dwell in shrines made by human hands” so that “we ought not to think that the Deity is like gold or silver or stone, a representation by human art and imagination” (Acts 17:24, 29). If the intimate reality of things is always “beyond” the powers of human perception, how much more so is God in the depths of his unfathomable mystery!

The knowledge conferred by faith is of a different kind: it presupposes a personal encounter with God in Jesus Christ. Yet this knowledge too can be enriched by artistic intuition. An eloquent example of aesthetic contemplation sublimated in faith are, for example, the works of Fra Angelico. No less notable in this regard is the ecstatic lauda, which Saint Francis of Assisi twice repeats in the chartula which he composed after receiving the stigmata of Christ on the mountain of La Verna: “You are beauty... You are beauty!”.(8) Saint Bonaventure comments: “In things of beauty, he contemplated the One who is supremely beautiful, and, led by the footprints he found in creatures, he followed the Beloved everywhere”.(9)

A corresponding approach is found in Eastern spirituality where Christ is described as “the supremely Beautiful, possessed of a beauty above all the children of earth”.(10) Macarius the Great speaks of the transfiguring and liberating beauty of the Risen Lord in these terms: “The soul which has been fully illumined by the unspeakable beauty of the glory shining on the countenance of Christ overflows with the Holy Spirit... it is all eye, all light, all countenance”.(11)

Every genuine art form in its own way is a path to the inmost reality of man and of the world. It is therefore a wholly valid approach to the realm of faith, which gives human experience its ultimate meaning. That is why the Gospel fullness of truth was bound from the beginning to stir the interest of artists, who by their very nature are alert to every “epiphany” of the inner beauty of things.

The origins

7. The art which Christianity encountered in its early days was the ripe fruit of the classical world, articulating its aesthetic canons and embodying its values. Not only in their way of living and thinking, but also in the field of art, faith obliged Christians to a discernment which did not allow an uncritical acceptance of this heritage. Art of Christian inspiration began therefore in a minor key, strictly tied to the need for believers to contrive Scripture-based signs to express both the mysteries of faith and a “symbolic code” by which they could distinguish and identify themselves, especially in the difficult times of persecution. Who does not recall the symbols which marked the first appearance of an art both pictorial and plastic? The fish, the loaves, the shepherd: in evoking the mystery, they became almost imperceptibly the first traces of a new art.

When the Edict of Constantine allowed Christians to declare themselves in full freedom, art became a privileged means for the expression of faith. Majestic basilicas began to appear, and in them the architectural canons of the pagan world were reproduced and at the same time modified to meet the demands of the new form of worship. How can we fail to recall at least the old Saint Peter's Basilica and the Basilica of Saint John Lateran, both funded by Constantine himself? Or Constantinople's Hagia Sophia built by Justinian, with its splendours of Byzantine art?

While architecture designed the space for worship, gradually the need to contemplate the mystery and to present it explicitly to the simple people led to the early forms of painting and sculpture. There appeared as well the first elements of art in word and sound. Among the many themes treated by Augustine we find De Musica; and Hilary of Poitiers, Ambrose, Prudentius, Ephrem the Syrian, Gregory of Nazianzus and Paulinus of Nola, to mention but a few, promoted a Christian poetry which was often of high quality not just as theology but also as literature. Their poetic work valued forms inherited from the classical authors, but was nourished by the pure sap of the Gospel, as Paulinus of Nola put it succinctly: “Our only art is faith and our music Christ”.(12) A little later, Gregory the Great compiled the Antiphonarium and thus laid the ground for the organic development of that most original sacred music which takes its name from him. Gregorian chant, with its inspired modulations, was to become down the centuries the music of the Church's faith in the liturgical celebration of the sacred mysteries. The “beautiful” was thus wedded to the “true”, so that through art too souls might be lifted up from the world of the senses to the eternal.

Along this path there were troubled moments. Precisely on the issue of depicting the Christian mystery, there arose in the early centuries a bitter controversy known to history as “the iconoclast crisis”. Sacred images, which were already widely used in Christian devotion, became the object of violent contention. The Council held at Nicaea in 787, which decreed the legitimacy of images and their veneration, was a historic event not just for the faith but for culture itself. The decisive argument to which the Bishops appealed in order to settle the controversy was the mystery of the Incarnation: if the Son of God had come into the world of visible realities—his humanity building a bridge between the visible and the invisible— then, by analogy, a representation of the mystery could be used, within the logic of signs, as a sensory evocation of the mystery. The icon is venerated not for its own sake, but points beyond to the subject which it represents.(13)

The Middle Ages

8. The succeeding centuries saw a great development of Christian art. In the East, the art of the icon continued to flourish, obeying theological and aesthetic norms charged with meaning and sustained by the conviction that, in a sense, the icon is a sacrament. By analogy with what occurs in the sacraments, the icon makes present the mystery of the Incarnation in one or other of its aspects. That is why the beauty of the icon can be best appreciated in a church where in the shadows burning lamps stir infinite flickerings of light. As Pavel Florensky has written: “By the flat light of day, gold is crude, heavy, useless, but by the tremulous light of a lamp or candle it springs to life and glitters in sparks beyond counting—now here, now there, evoking the sense of other lights, not of this earth, which fill the space of heaven”.(14)

In the West, artists start from the most varied viewpoints, depending also on the underlying convictions of the cultural world of their time. The artistic heritage built up over the centuries includes a vast array of sacred works of great inspiration, which still today leave the observer full of admiration. In the first place, there are the great buildings for worship, in which the functional is always wedded to the creative impulse inspired by a sense of the beautiful and an intuition of the mystery. From here came the various styles well known in the history of art. The strength and simplicity of the Romanesque, expressed in cathedrals and abbeys, slowly evolved into the soaring splendours of the Gothic. These forms portray not only the genius of an artist but the soul of a people. In the play of light and shadow, in forms at times massive, at times delicate, structural considerations certainly come into play, but so too do the tensions peculiar to the experience of God, the mystery both “awesome” and “alluring”. How is one to summarize with a few brief references to each of the many different art forms, the creative power of the centuries of the Christian Middle Ages? An entire culture, albeit with the inescapable limits of all that is human, had become imbued with the Gospel; and where theology produced the Summa of Saint Thomas, church art moulded matter in a way which led to adoration of the mystery, and a wonderful poet like Dante Alighieri could compose “the sacred poem, to which both heaven and earth have turned their hand”,(15) as he himself described the Divine Comedy.

Humanism and the Renaissance

9. The favourable cultural climate that produced the extraordinary artistic flowering of Humanism and the Renaissance also had a significant impact on the way in which the artists of the period approached the religious theme. Naturally, their inspiration, like their style, varied greatly, at least among the best of them. But I do not intend to repeat things which you, as artists, know well. Writing from this Apostolic Palace, which is a mine of masterpieces perhaps unique in the world, I would rather give voice to the supreme artists who in this place lavished the wealth of their genius, often charged with great spiritual depth. From here can be heard the voice of Michelangelo who in the Sistine Chapel has presented the drama and mystery of the world from the Creation to the Last Judgement, giving a face to God the Father, to Christ the Judge, and to man on his arduous journey from the dawn to the consummation of history. Here speaks the delicate and profound genius of Raphael, highlighting in the array of his paintings, and especially in the “Dispute” in the Room of the Signatura, the mystery of the revelation of the Triune God, who in the Eucharist befriends man and sheds light on the questions and expectations of human intelligence. From this place, from the majestic Basilica dedicated to the Prince of the Apostles, from the Colonnade which spreads out from it like two arms open to welcome the whole human family, we still hear Bramante, Bernini, Borromini, Maderno, to name only the more important artists, all rendering visible the perception of the mystery which makes of the Church a universally hospitable community, mother and travelling companion to all men and women in their search for God.

This extraordinary complex is a remarkably powerful expression of sacred art, rising to heights of imperishable aesthetic and religious excellence. What has characterized sacred art more and more, under the impulse of Humanism and the Renaissance, and then of successive cultural and scientific trends, is a growing interest in everything human, in the world, and in the reality of history. In itself, such a concern is not at all a danger for Christian faith, centred on the mystery of the Incarnation and therefore on God's valuing of the human being. The great artists mentioned above are a demonstration of this. Suffice it to think of the way in which Michelangelo represents the beauty of the human body in his painting and sculpture.(16)

Even in the changed climate of more recent centuries, when a part of society seems to have become indifferent to faith, religious art has continued on its way. This can be more widely appreciated if we look beyond the figurative arts to the great development of sacred music through this same period, either composed for the liturgy or simply treating religious themes. Apart from the many artists who made sacred music their chief concern—how can we forget Pier Luigi da Palestrina, Orlando di Lasso, Tomás Luis de Victoria?—it is also true that many of the great composers—from Handel to Bach, from Mozart to Schubert, from Beethoven to Berlioz, from Liszt to Verdi—have given us works of the highest inspiration in this field.

Towards a renewed dialogue

10. It is true nevertheless that, in the modern era, alongside this Christian humanism which has continued to produce important works of culture and art, another kind of humanism, marked by the absence of God and often by opposition to God, has gradually asserted itself. Such an atmosphere has sometimes led to a separation of the world of art and the world of faith, at least in the sense that many artists have a diminished interest in religious themes.

You know, however, that the Church has not ceased to nurture great appreciation for the value of art as such. Even beyond its typically religious expressions, true art has a close affinity with the world of faith, so that, even in situations where culture and the Church are far apart, art remains a kind of bridge to religious experience. In so far as it seeks the beautiful, fruit of an imagination which rises above the everyday, art is by its nature a kind of appeal to the mystery. Even when they explore the darkest depths of the soul or the most unsettling aspects of evil, artists give voice in a way to the universal desire for redemption.

It is clear, therefore, why the Church is especially concerned for the dialogue with art and is keen that in our own time there be a new alliance with artists, as called for by my revered predecessor Paul VI in his vibrant speech to artists during a special meeting he had with them in the Sistine Chapel on 7 May 1964.(17) From such cooperation the Church hopes for a renewed “epiphany” of beauty in our time and apt responses to the particular needs of the Christian community.

In the spirit of the Second Vatican Council

11. The Second Vatican Council laid the foundation for a renewed relationship between the Church and culture, with immediate implications for the world of art. This is a relationship offered in friendship, openness and dialogue. In the Pastoral Constitution Gaudium et Spes, the Fathers of the Council stressed “the great importance” of literature and the arts in human life: “They seek to probe the true nature of man, his problems and experiences, as he strives to know and perfect himself and the world, to discover his place in history and the universe, to portray his miseries and joys, his needs and strengths, with a view to a better future”.(18)

On this basis, at the end of the Council the Fathers addressed a greeting and an appeal to artists: “This world—they said—in which we live needs beauty in order not to sink into despair. Beauty, like truth, brings joy to the human heart and is that precious fruit which resists the erosion of time, which unites generations and enables them to be one in admiration!”.(19) In this spirit of profound respect for beauty, the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy Sacrosanctum Concilium recalled the historic friendliness of the Church towards art and, referring more specifically to sacred art, the “summit” of religious art, did not hesitate to consider artists as having “a noble ministry” when their works reflect in some way the infinite beauty of God and raise people's minds to him.(20) Thanks also to the help of artists “the knowledge of God can be better revealed and the preaching of the Gospel can become clearer to the human mind”.(21) In this light, it comes as no surprise when Father Marie Dominique Chenu claims that the work of the historian of theology would be incomplete if he failed to give due attention to works of art, both literary and figurative, which are in their own way “not only aesthetic representations, but genuine 'sources' of theology”.(22)

The Church needs art

12. In order to communicate the message entrusted to her by Christ, the Church needs art. Art must make perceptible, and as far as possible attractive, the world of the spirit, of the invisible, of God. It must therefore translate into meaningful terms that which is in itself ineffable. Art has a unique capacity to take one or other facet of the message and translate it into colours, shapes and sounds which nourish the intuition of those who look or listen. It does so without emptying the message itself of its transcendent value and its aura of mystery.

The Church has need especially of those who can do this on the literary and figurative level, using the endless possibilities of images and their symbolic force. Christ himself made extensive use of images in his preaching, fully in keeping with his willingness to become, in the Incarnation, the icon of the unseen God.

The Church also needs musicians. How many sacred works have been composed through the centuries by people deeply imbued with the sense of the mystery! The faith of countless believers has been nourished by melodies flowing from the hearts of other believers, either introduced into the liturgy or used as an aid to dignified worship. In song, faith is experienced as vibrant joy, love, and confident expectation of the saving intervention of God.

The Church needs architects, because she needs spaces to bring the Christian people together and celebrate the mysteries of salvation. After the terrible destruction of the last World War and the growth of great cities, a new generation of architects showed themselves adept at responding to the exigencies of Christian worship, confirming that the religious theme can still inspire architectural design in our own day. Not infrequently these architects have constructed churches which are both places of prayer and true works of art.

Does art need the Church?

13. The Church therefore needs art. But can it also be said that art needs the Church? The question may seem like a provocation. Yet, rightly understood, it is both legitimate and profound. Artists are constantly in search of the hidden meaning of things, and their torment is to succeed in expressing the world of the ineffable. How then can we fail to see what a great source of inspiration is offered by that kind of homeland of the soul that is religion? Is it not perhaps within the realm of religion that the most vital personal questions are posed, and answers both concrete and definitive are sought?

In fact, the religious theme has been among those most frequently treated by artists in every age. The Church has always appealed to their creative powers in interpreting the Gospel message and discerning its precise application in the life of the Christian community. This partnership has been a source of mutual spiritual enrichment. Ultimately, it has been a great boon for an understanding of man, of the authentic image and truth of the person. The special bond between art and Christian revelation has also become evident. This does not mean that human genius has not found inspiration in other religious contexts. It is enough to recall the art of the ancient world, especially Greek and Roman art, or the art which still flourishes in the very ancient civilizations of the East. It remains true, however, that because of its central doctrine of the Incarnation of the Word of God, Christianity offers artists a horizon especially rich in inspiration. What an impoverishment it would be for art to abandon the inexhaustible mine of the Gospel!

An appeal to artists

14. With this Letter, I turn to you, the artists of the world, to assure you of my esteem and to help consolidate a more constructive partnership between art and the Church. Mine is an invitation to rediscover the depth of the spiritual and religious dimension which has been typical of art in its noblest forms in every age. It is with this in mind that I appeal to you, artists of the written and spoken word, of the theatre and music, of the plastic arts and the most recent technologies in the field of communication. I appeal especially to you, Christian artists: I wish to remind each of you that, beyond functional considerations, the close alliance that has always existed between the Gospel and art means that you are invited to use your creative intuition to enter into the heart of the mystery of the Incarnate God and at the same time into the mystery of man.

Human beings, in a certain sense, are unknown to themselves. Jesus Christ not only reveals God, but “fully reveals man to man”.(23) In Christ, God has reconciled the world to himself. All believers are called to bear witness to this; but it is up to you, men and women who have given your lives to art, to declare with all the wealth of your ingenuity that in Christ the world is redeemed: the human person is redeemed, the human body is redeemed, and the whole creation which, according to Saint Paul, “awaits impatiently the revelation of the children of God” (Rom 8:19), is redeemed. The creation awaits the revelation of the children of God also through art and in art. This is your task. Humanity in every age, and even today, looks to works of art to shed light upon its path and its destiny.

The Creator Spirit and artistic inspiration

15. Often in the Church there resounds the invocation to the Holy Spirit: Veni, Creator Spiritus... – “Come, O Creator Spirit, visit our minds, fill with your grace the hearts you have created”.(24)

The Holy Spirit, “the Breath” (ruah), is the One referred to already in the Book of Genesis: “The earth was without form and void, and darkness was on the face of the deep; and the Spirit of God was moving over the face of the waters” (1:2). What affinity between the words “breath - breathing” and “inspiration”! The Spirit is the mysterious Artist of the universe. Looking to the Third Millennium, I would hope that all artists might receive in abundance the gift of that creative inspiration which is the starting-point of every true work of art.

Dear artists, you well know that there are many impulses which, either from within or from without, can inspire your talent. Every genuine inspiration, however, contains some tremor of that “breath” with which the Creator Spirit suffused the work of creation from the very beginning. Overseeing the mysterious laws governing the universe, the divine breath of the Creator Spirit reaches out to human genius and stirs its creative power. He touches it with a kind of inner illumination which brings together the sense of the good and the beautiful, and he awakens energies of mind and heart which enable it to conceive an idea and give it form in a work of art. It is right then to speak, even if only analogically, of “moments of grace”, because the human being is able to experience in some way the Absolute who is utterly beyond.

The “Beauty” that saves

16. On the threshold of the Third Millennium, my hope for all of you who are artists is that you will have an especially intense experience of creative inspiration. May the beauty which you pass on to generations still to come be such that it will stir them to wonder! Faced with the sacredness of life and of the human person, and before the marvels of the universe, wonder is the only appropriate attitude.

From this wonder there can come that enthusiasm of which Norwid spoke in the poem to which I referred earlier. People of today and tomorrow need this enthusiasm if they are to meet and master the crucial challenges which stand before us. Thanks to this enthusiasm, humanity, every time it loses its way, will be able to lift itself up and set out again on the right path. In this sense it has been said with profound insight that “beauty will save the world”.(25)

Beauty is a key to the mystery and a call to transcendence. It is an invitation to savour life and to dream of the future. That is why the beauty of created things can never fully satisfy. It stirs that hidden nostalgia for God which a lover of beauty like Saint Augustine could express in incomparable terms: “Late have I loved you, beauty so old and so new: late have I loved you!”.(26)

Artists of the world, may your many different paths all lead to that infinite Ocean of beauty where wonder becomes awe, exhilaration, unspeakable joy.

May you be guided and inspired by the mystery of the Risen Christ, whom the Church in these days contemplates with joy.

May the Blessed Virgin Mary be with you always: she is the “tota pulchra” portrayed by countless artists, whom Dante contemplates among the splendours of Paradise as “beauty that was joy in the eyes of all the other saints”.(27)

“From chaos there rises the world of the spirit”. These words of Adam Mickiewicz, written at a time of great hardship for his Polish homeland,(28) prompt my hope for you: may your art help to affirm that true beauty which, as a glimmer of the Spirit of God, will transfigure matter, opening the human soul to the sense of the eternal.

With my heartfelt good wishes!

From the Vatican, 4 April 1999, Easter Sunday.

(1) Dialogus de Ludo Globi, lib. II: Philosophisch-Theologische Schriften, Vienna 1967, III, p. 332.

(2) The moral virtues, and among them prudence in particular, allow the subject to act in harmony with the criterion of moral good and evil: according to recta ratio agibilium (the right criterion of action). Art, however, is defined by philosophy as recta ratio factibilium (the right criterion of production).

(3) Promethidion, Bogumil, vv. 185-186: Pisma wybrane, Warsaw 1968, vol. 2, p. 216.

(4) The Greek translation of the Septuagint expresses this well in rendering the Hebrew term t(o-)b (good) as kalón (beautiful).

(5) Philebus, 65 A.

(6) JOHN PAUL II, Encyclical Letter Fides et Ratio (14 September 1998), 80: AAS 91 (1999), 67.

(7) This pedagogical principle was given authoritative formulation by Saint Gregory the Great in a letter of 599 to Serenus, Bishop of Marseilles: “Painting is employed in churches so that those who cannot read or write may at least read on the walls what they cannot decipher on the page”, Epistulae, IX, 209: CCL 140A, 1714.

(8) Lodi di Dio Altissimo, vv. 7 and 10: Fonti Francescane, No. 261, Padua 1982, p. 177.

(9) Legenda Maior, IX, 1: Fonti Francesane, No. 1162, loc. cit., p. 911.

(10) Enkomia of the Orthós of the Holy and Great Saturday.

(11) Homily I, 2: PG 34, 451.

(12) “At nobis ars una fides et musica Christus”: Carmen 20, 31: CCL 203, 144.

(13) Cf. JOHN PAUL II, Apostolic Letter Duodecimum Saeculum (4 December 1987), 8-9: AAS 80 (1988), pp. 247-249.

(14) La prospettiva rovesciata ed altri scritti, Rome 1984, p. 63.

(15) Paradiso XXV, 1-2.

(16) Cf. JOHN PAUL II, Homily at the Mass for the Conclusion of the Restoration of Michelangelo's Frescoes in the Sistine Chapel, 8 April 1994: Insegnamenti, XVII, 1 (1994), 899-904.

(17) Cf. AAS 56 (1964), 438-444.

(18) No. 62.

(19) Message to Artists, 8 December 1965: AAS 58 (1966), 13.

(20) Cf. No. 122.

(21) SECOND VATICAN ECUMENICAL COUNCIL, Pastoral Constitution Gaudium et Spes, 62.

(22) La teologia nel XII secolo, Milan 1992, p. 9.

(23) SECOND VATICAN ECUMENICAL COUNCIL, Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World Gaudium et Spes, 22.

(24) Hymn at Vespers on Pentecost.

(25) F. DOSTOYEVSKY, The Idiot, Part III, chap. 5.

(26) Sero te amavi! Pulchritudo tam antiqua et tam nova, sero te amavi!: Confessions, 10, 27: CCL 27, 251.

(27) Paradiso XXXI, 134-135.

(28) Oda do mlodosci, v. 69: Wybór poezji, Wroclaw 1986, vol. 1, p. 63.

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wearing out

How to Save a Life..

R L S S

am trying to get a summer job as a lifeguard, according to my student (lifeguard) I can use my expired lifeguard qualification to get a job in Italy as it is still valid, and just do a refresher course.


interested? see R L S S wiki or R L S S official website

contact

Quietly Jon

hmm, well nuthin much.

i guess i am evaluating more than anything else, trying to 'suit up' and tackle things, kinda 'get lost and then get found' i think thats what i am hoping for from this season.

i am finding that life is not as easy to move through as one might think, but i reckon thats cos of the way i am tackling it..

are we all clear now?

musically i did kick start up again, and then podge back to a hiatus (eek, i hope that's the right word, it sounds japanese)

i kinda feel like i am losing alot of friends.

people seem to all want money or help or something, but again i think that's just the way I am looking at things at the moment.

i am trying not to think or look at others, think about my own path, and not wallow in mourning or despair or bitterness or regret.

a few things i think God was and is saying recently kinda add up to what i already know, and what most people who know me could tell you, that's how God usually talks. Or at least it seems that way.

oo, I am thinking of going to the UK to work this Summer, and avoid a repeat of buying stuff when I am losing money.

still my heart, and hold my tongue

blast from the past

chatted with Ricky Lau on msn

we used to share a halls of residence back in uni

Gesu Libera Podcast

Gesu Libera Podcast 002 Paolo Brance se aveste fede quanto un granello di senape

Gesu Libera podcast

le brace di moise



FedeQuantoUnGranelloDiSenape

matrix ping pong

Watch More Bebo Tv Uploaded by niceonecheersthanks.bebo.com

Father's Day

was yesterday in italy

so...

oh but i reeeeeeally like it...dont buy it

so how am I , better that pete gabriel.. hmm, who knows, God knows.

but seriously, what about phil collins..

Genesis are playing at the colleseum in Rome, ho hum.

at the moment I am feeling peacefulish, slept well for the first time for quite a while.

alfa *italian Alpha, , hehe, Alfa Romeo huh, starts soon.

pray for the guys I ask , pray that just that one who will come and be infected with antivirus will be the one i ask, no fretting, no running around, no labouring in vain.

spring has sprung

dont buy it*this link is on every post

spring has sprung

da grass has riz

oi wonda where da boidies is

dey say da boid is on da wing

but dats absoid..

da wing is on da boid!

global woimin

forgive us our debts

some of my debt has been paid thanks to my ever loving progenitor.

now i have to deal with the rest.

falling down

fell over like three times, once onto my already broken arm, and now i need physio on my big toe, ankle, knee, and elbow.

the most important are... hey what do i know i amm not a doctor,

find it hard (cos i am an EFNP?) to organise apointments and motivate myself to keep on top of that stuff, which just means it may get worse.

not exactly employed enough to pay for it , but then again it may not cost too much.

just pray for wisdom, and that the reasons this is happening will be resolved b4 God,

amen, Mark

broken arm

i am assuming people have heard that i broke my arm on thirteenth december, was it a friday, i dont remember. hmm, that rhymes.

christmas was really tough emotionally, and there is so much potential change it makes my mind boggle,

funds are ridiculously low in a country where it is difficult to eradicate debt in the uk, i think i overspent after my dad died to help offset the pain which spendaholics do, but i think that is undercontrol, now to cope with the debt.

just recently was able to play the guitar again which was really nice.

a friend of mine has written lots of songs about me, not sure if that makes me the object of worship or some kind of opposite of worship, kind of afraid to listen to them.

on a good note my uncle is on skype but i cant hear him...

he can hear me tho, anyone can think why then tell me ok

if you wanna send me a present, the latest vineyard album would be great.

requested one a few months ago but havent heard anything, they are busy guys must be talking about important stuff.

really out of touch with bv, but i know the chan is back, wonder if she can speak french yet.

please keep mum in your prayers, she has so much to do.

please pray i make the right decisions, i may abandon teaching english as it doesnt work financially, and take some normal job.

am making friends here, need to be more reliable which i think as an apparent EFNP means taking on less. i would say i am reliable but that others expect too much... hmm, need to pray about that one.

could also do better in relationships generally, could well be losing some friends if i am not careful.

2007

this is going to be a tough year and I would appreciate all the prayer support I can get, let me know likewise if you would like anything, Mark

Lyrics Style

Pillar
Frontline





It's not like I'm walking alone into the valley of the shadow of death
Stand beside one another, 'cause it ain't over yet
I'd be willing to bet that if we don't back down
You and I will be the ones that are holding the Crown in the end
When it's over, we can say, "Well done"
But not yet, 'cause it's only begun
So, pick up, and follow me, we're the only ones
To fight this thing, until we've won
We drive on and don't look back
It doesn't mean we can't learn from our past
All the things that we mighta done wrong
We could've been doing this all along

Everybody, with your fists raised high
Let me hear your battle cry tonight
Stand beside, or step aside
We're on the frontline

And we'll be carrying on, until the day it doesn't matter anymore
Step aside, you forgot what this is for
We fight to live, we live to fight
And tonight, you'll hear my battle cry
We live our lives on the frontlines
We're not afraid of the fast times
These days have opened up my eyes
And now, I see where the threat lies

We've got to lead the way

tough

going thru a tuff time but a lot of it is about decision making and not a real problem... i mean its not something like dying of thirst.. it's more a problem of settling down and getting on with life in a responsible way.

mum has been staying for a few days which has been nice.

we really should do something to get out more.

there have been some tough moments out here,.. hmm,

need to sort some things out.

recently back to work.

BT = Bite Thedust

I have bought Mum a phone which she can use to phone the states and canada for pnuts, eventually I may be able to add an american and canadian number so that it can cost pnuts both ways,

in the meantime setting up this phone has meant picking up the following two numbers.


-please email me for these at mark_pendered@yahoo.co.uk


as long as we have the internet, these numbers will work anywhere in the world and mum will be able to phone (her family above all) for pnuts which is great!

So if you can save these numbers to your phones, you'll know it's her calling you.

those with the same special phones can call eachother for free (given that they have broadband internet).

laters, Mark.

Videonino

or will ya fade away?

Halo

BTW,


my cousin in Canada, is looking for penpals.. any takers? she is a responsible fun 16-ish year old.

horror-scope

this really is a time of decision making, but its a time when i feel so incapable of making them.

one side doesnt need to think about how to do so, but the tendency of my life has been to be between two things, not that i believe in astrology, but it kinda matches up with my sign. (the bible mentions certain constellations, but dont worry, i never read my horror-scope.

had a nice walk and chat with my flatmate and friend today, we have been through thick and thin as far as house stuff goes. one hopes we will do more creative christian stuff at some point.. we have played a coupla things together.

this summer as usual has been very unfulfilled with the exception of the mission which deserves a blog in itself. there are so many photos i dont think the net can handle them, so i wont post any..

but if any of you check out orkut from time to time, or want to become a member, let me know and i will send you an invite.. guess i could put them on my flickr, would someone nag andrew to post a foto on his flickr, its been 2 years now..

ok, gonna phone rob

ps pray for mum i think she is really missing Dad, not sure i came back too soon really.

aftermath

It was great to see so many of the family come down. Unfortunately Mum was not able to go to America for a reunion

We really need family at this time, but in some ways other than immediate family I think I am being quite defensive. I am also retreating into comfort zones, so i need to take my shell off for the next couple of weeks.

please continue to pray, may God bless all those reading this, I really do appreciate your support, even if its (especially if its) prayerful thoughts..


Rob and Traci are in the States.

messy

Dad passed away,

I was able to be with my Mum.

really peaceful but sad time, felt God was saying remember the good times, don't be crippled by grief,

so thats one thing,

another is working on relationships with friends and family.

Camila was very supportive.

Anne-Marie has recently had bad news about her Gran,

I must admit I need to get out of my hermit mode.

i am back with camila

my Dad has had a massive stroke, pls pray.

I am flying to stansted tomorrow morning then taking a hire car to Mum, then we'll go to the hospital. his eyes are closed, he is gasping for breath.

B.C. A.D.

This stands for Before Camila, and After Dump. kidding..

so theres pain,

hope,

memories,

regrets

anger

bitterness

repentence

happiness and sadness

a sudden realisation that I need to help others stil.. life goes on

hermit urges

other feelings too alien to give a name to.

when all this is over, I DONT want to do it again

but I do want another chance

seeking patterns of intimacy beyond physicality.

B.C. A.D.

Beyond Cynicism, Above Denial

post for christian artists by tim summers

agoraspace

chepstow methodist


All,

Today, both some reminders and some new things.

1. Artisan South West - 8pm Tuesday 30th May, Hope Chapel, Hope Chapel Hill

This is a reminder that the second meeting of Artisan South West will take place at the above time and place next week.

Artisan is a national body/network of Christians working in media, arts and entertainment. The meetings offer opportunity for fellowship, prayer and worship with kindred creative spirits, as well as networking. This is an exciting development for Christians involved in the arts in Bristol, so if this is in any way your thing, get stuck in on Tuesday! More information is at www.artisaninitiatives.org.

Further Artisan South West meetings will follow on 26th June and 26th July, each at 8:30pm. Refreshments will be served at each meeting.

2. "Essence" alternative/creative worship - 6pm Sunday 11th June, Chepstow Methodist Church

The next "Essence" event will take place at the above time and place. The theme of the service will be Water. The main church space will be used to encourage reflection on things that may prohibit our spiritual growth or healing, taking as a point of departure the story of Namaan the leper in 2 Kings 5:1-15. Activity will be both undirected, allowing people to explore on their own, and collective, at different points in the service.

This is third Essence service, and the group continues to experiment with new ideas. For further information, write to Anne Ellis at anne@ellisanne.wanadoo.co.uk, or to find the church check out www.chepstowmethodist.org.uk.

3. "Holy Ground" talks, St Aldhelm's Church, Bedminster - first one tomorrow!

In a recent announcement I mentioned the "Holy Ground" talks. The first talk by Chris Sunderland and Sian Hawkins is tomorrow evening from 7:30pm, dealing with the environment and climate change. Workshops on the same topic will follow, on 1st and 8th June.

Next in the programme will be a talk on 22nd June by Father Dermot Tredget of Douai Abbey, exploring the world of work and the spirituality of workers, drawing on the Benedictine tradition.

For more information on the full programme, contact Agora on 0117 957 4652 or via the website, www.agoraspace.org.

Thanks

April Showers

moneys too tight to mention
can't even think about my pension
why does it always rain on my?
so you had a bad day
they put you on the treadmill,
get them up against the wall
if i had my way..

don't you know that it's different for girls?
no, not love, she said "you're all the same"
logical advice gets me in a whirl,
turned out she had a heart of glass.
what is this world we've created..
's'against the law,
what is this world we've devastated.

take me home country roads,
to the place i belong.
old man, look at me now
24 and there's so much more
you're alot like me,
i need someone to love me
the whole night through,
oh, the needle and the damage done,

suzanne took me down to her place by the river
she got me on her wavelength,
and she let the river answer
that i'll always be her lover.
new yorks fine, the sun shines all the time,
and the feeling is laid back,
palm trees grow and the rents are low,
that ya no keep thinkin about,
makin my way back.

now i'm a new york city man born and raised,
but these days i'm lost between two shores,
LA's fine but it aint mine, New Yorks mine but it aint home no more,
I am I said,
to noone there,
and noone heard at all,
not
even the chair.
I am I cried,
I am said i
and I am lost and i can't
even say why,
leaving me lonely still.

Jesus, be the Centre,
be my hope, be my guide,
JESUS

SKYPE ID = planit

youth

had youth church today, pester Rob for more details.

war and peace

As Sir Winston Churchill so wisely noted in the 1930s, those who sacrifice honor for peace shall ultimately have neither.

Lightship Switched back on

on behalf of salt veteran Tim Summers

All,

On Saturday 4th Feb, Lightship returns with its open floor arts party here at 142 St Andrews Road, Montpelier. This will be the big one - so if you've been wondering what these things are about - now's the time to find out. The centrepiece of the evening will be an exhibition by Christian artists the Group. To whet your appetite, here's a trailer:

"Seek out this exhibition, find LIGHT in the dark … 10 artists abandon the half-light of the garret for a place in the limelight.

In the resulting exposure they engage with the physicality of light and consider its resonance beyond the material. Like plants reaching for the sun, artists within the Group explore different approaches in a variety of media, in their search for a visual language and process that may define what it means to be both a Christian and an artist in a contemporary setting."

We foresee the exhibition filling the rooms of the house. During the first half of the evening there'll be the chance to investigate. The second half will be the open floor session familiar from Lightship parties of the past. Here's my off-the-shelf description:

It's a party, but with a bit of a difference. IF you want to (it's not mandatory), you can bring something artistic to read, perform, show, sing, play. The floor will be opened for poetry, stories, songs, dance, acting - your own work or someone else's. We have a piano, but beyond that, bring your instrument if you want to play - and ideally some amplification.

However, there is no pressure to do anything at all. Spectators welcome. In fact vital. Whether or not you want to "do" anything, come and join us. And bring friends, whether Christian or not. This is not only a creative and social gathering, but also a great opportunity to bring outsiders to something strictly non-cringe.

The party is at 7:30pm, 142 St Andrews Road, Montpelier. Bring a bottle. There'll be some food of the bread / cheese / pate variety.

One caveat on this occasion: because there is already an art exhibition at the focus, we would prefer guests not to bring sculpture, paintings, photographs or other "visual" art to show. There's normally an opportunity for this - but this time round it wouldn't be quite fair on the exhibiting artists! (However there will be ample future opportunities for spur of the moment exhibitions - as there have been in the past.)

The house is the warehouse conversion with the red turret thingy in the cul-de-sac at the top of St Andrews Road. The best parking is in Richmond Road round the corner down in Montpelier, rather than in my part of St Andrews Road itself. The latter is not much overlooked by houses, and thus not great from a security point of view.

My number is 0117 924 6239 or 07754 501649. Drop me a line or give me a call for more information. Otherwise... I look forward to seeing you there!

Tim

Back to the Grindstone

Not sure how I'm feeling about going back to work, working on the 'grateful' thing. There's blessing to be mined huh..

current jobs:

lots.

also this week starting 1 middle school, 1 junior school

feel a little apprehensive without a diary (analogue), they were sold out.

got my 6600 sync'ed to mac tho, so.. (doesnt give that open page feel tho..)

Camila's fine, I'm ok really, just needing to sleep earlier, gaming alot, which can be used by God believe it or not.. needs modifying.

feel a bit useless in terms of what I vaguely feel could be happening, but stuff is happening. think i'm a little closer to God now.. just had a big tidy session which tends to focus me a bit, now i need to go through the transition from tidying to preparing lessons...

laters taters

50 Ways You Know you experienced the 90's

inthe90s.com


From a friend o mine Lotte, reliable source of amusing lists.

I still have a troll, still know all the words to Fresh Prince, still dance like the Prodigy when I'm pissed and still own several of those tapes and still have the nike airs with a hole in the flippin sole!

Thing is though, Space Raiders are still 10p.... and the Pepsi Chart is certainly not on Radio 1

Anyway, love this, hope y'all do too....



50 ways you know you experienced the 90's:

1) 10p Mr Frosty Ice Pops on long summer days!

2) Gordon the Gopher!

3) You could do or tried to do the Prodigy step. 'You're no good 4
me....'

4) You owned or longed for an Adidas three stripe tracksuit

5) You owned a compilation tape with TOP TUNES such as "Mr Vain", "What
is love" and "Rhythm is a dancer" and 'How Bizarre, How Bizarre"

6) Girls thought Blue Mascara was cool!

7) Girls actually fancied Gary Barlow more than Robbie Williams

8 ) The Racoons!

9) You owned a pair of Nike Air Max, and wore them to death

10) Mr Motivator (What ever happened to him?)

11) Running on the spot dancing!

12) You wore leggings/cycling shorts with long t-shirts

13) You owned a Bennetton, NafNaf, sweater shop jumper or waistcoat

14! ) Girls owned scrunchies in an array of colours and tacky headbands
with there names written on in thick glitter

16) You bought Smash Hits for the song lyrics and the immense amount of
stickers that you would stick everywhere!

17) You had a pen pal

18) You could only watch the simpsons on sky

19) On a Saturday afternoon you watched
Catchphrase,Gladiators,Generation Game, Noels House Party and then
Casualty

20) You taped the Pepsi Chatshow on radio one and tired in vain to pause
the tape before the annoying guy talked and ruined the whole thing.

21) Cans of Coke were 25p

22) 10p Space Raiders Crisps

23) A grey Fruit of the Loom jumper was a must have

24) Sharkie & George were the crimebusters of the sea

25) Puffa jackets

26) You used the line "it's a free country" every day

27) The Sky Sports Blimp!

28) Impulse body spray for girls

29) Hooch Alcoholic Lemonade (where's it gone?!)

30) 'Don't forget your toothbrush', 'TFI' and Big Breakfast with Chris
Evans

31) You had at least one troll

32) You know the dance to Macarena and Saturday Night. You also tried to
scat like Scatman John! Bi bat ba ba da bo.

33) You watched Baywatch and longed for the day that Eddie & Sharni got
together!

34) You watched Byker Grove ha ha ha ha ha ha hah (the themesong
ending), and saw PJ get shot in the eye with a paintball!

35) PJ and Duncan not Ant and Dec!Dodgy Pop Not Dodgy Presenting!

36) Shellsuits & bumbags!

37) You longed to live in Beverley Hills 90210

38) Home and Away was a prime time ITV programme watched by millions

39) You owned a Spice Girls album

40) Fruit salads and black jacks!

41) Strike it lucky on a sunday night with Michael Barrymore when he was
straight & married

42) Chain letters

43) You had fake ID

44) You remember Todd Landers in Neighbours

45) You religiously watched Saved by the Bell pn a Saturday morning!

46) You more than likely lost/nearly lost a wobbly tooth on a wham bar!!

47) CK one

48) Going Live, then Live and Kicking was the place to be on a Saturday
Morning - you know you remember the number 01818118181

49) You knew every word to the theme tune from Fresh Prince of Bel Air

50) You collected Premier League Stickers and did swops at playtime

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back in Romania 1999

selbsters just discovered my old pal jon selby has a blog, and a wife!!!

round the world trippin as we blog... cool.

Bath based Alternative service

sanctuary bath

All,

The Bath-based alternative worship group, Sanctuary, is hosting an Epiphany service on Sunday and would love to welcome newcomers. The service will take place on Sunday 8th January, 8pm, at St Matthews Church, Widcombe, Bath.

My friend Mary Taylor has passed me some information about the upcoming service and about Sanctuary:

"What star will you follow this New Year? Need time to reflect on where you are going? Or a new start? Then come along and follow the starlit trail, with stopping points along the way. A simple liturgy, readings and meditations will shape the service based around three stations each of which will focus on one of the gifts mentioned in the prayer below:

Jesus,

may we not hoard,
but freely give

the gold of our hearts,
the myrrh of our grief
the frankincense of our dreams

to You.

At the end of the trail there will be space and time for reflection, prayer and music.

Sanctuary is a group of Christians seeking to build community by meeting together regularly to explore life, worship, and prayer, with the focus on making space for God. We believe that as Christians we are called to redeem all areas of life. We affirm that in God's eyes painting can be prayerful; and that working for God is no more important than playing for him.

Sanctuary is open to all who are interested in seeking God, whether or not they admit to believing in Him. Sanctuary is committed to building community, and to finding ways of impacting the culture however it can. We ask only that those who attend respect the dignity and space of others.

Sanctuary is non-denominational, but is seeking to build relationships with the wider church community. Worship services are held on the 2nd Sunday of every month in St Matthew's and a discussion group on the 4th Sunday of every month. It reports to a Parish reference group, is run by volunteers and receives no funding other than donations.

For further information, visit http://www.sanctuarybath.org.uk/mission.html or contact Mary Taylor at tmary@fish.co.uk."

what is love_

The Love Calculator...


Oh, the honesty of a child!!! We could learn so much just thinking that
simple.


Slow down for three minutes to read this.



A group of professional people posed this question to a group of 4 to 8
year-olds, "What does love mean?"
The answers they got were broader and deeper than anyone could have
imagined. See what you think:



"When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn't bend over and paint her
toenails anymore.
So my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when his hands got
arthritis too. That's love."

Rebecca- age 8




"When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different.
You just know that your name is safe in their mouth."

Billy - age 4



"Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving cologne and
they go out and smell each other."

Karl - age 5


"Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French
fries without making them give you any of theirs."

Chrissy - age 6


"Love is what makes you smile when you're tired."

Terri - age 4


"Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip before
giving it to him, to make sure the taste is OK."



Danny - age 7


"Love is when you kiss all the time. Then when you get tired of kissing,
you still want to be together and you talk more. My Mommy and Daddy are
like that. They look gross when they kiss"

Emily - age 8

"Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening
presents and listen."



Bobby - age 7 (Wow!)



"If you want to learn to love better, you should start with a friend who
you hate,"

Nikka - age 6 (we need a few million more Nikka's on this planet)



"Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he wears it
everyday."

Noelle - age 7



"Love is like a little old woman and a little old man who are still friends
even after they know each other so well."



Tommy - age 6



"During my piano recital, I was on a stage and I was scared. I looked at
all the people watching me and saw my daddy waving and smiling. He was the
only one doing that. I wasn't scared anymore."



Cindy - age 8


"My mommy loves me more than anybody. You don't see anyone else kissing me
to sleep at night."



Clare - age 6



"Love is when Mommy gives Daddy the best piece of chicken."

Elaine-age 5



"Love is when Mommy sees Daddy smelly and sweaty and still says he is
handsomer than Brad Pitt."



Chris - age 7


"Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him alone all
day."



Mary Ann - age 4



"I know my older sister loves me because she gives me all her old clothes
and has to go out and buy new ones."



Lauren - age 4



"When you love somebody, your eyelashes go up and down and little stars
come out of you." (what an image)



Karen - age 7



"You really shouldn't say 'I love you' unless you mean it. But if you mean
it, you should say it a lot. People forget."

Jessica - age 8

And the final one -- Author and lecturer Leo Buscaglia once talked about a
contest he was asked to judge.

The purpose of the contest was to find the most caring child.

The winner was a four year old child whose next door neighbor was an
elderly gentleman who had recently lost his wife.

Upon seeing the man cry, the little boy went into the old gentleman's yard,
climbed onto his lap, and just sat there.

When his Mother asked what he had said to the neighbor, the little boy
said, "Nothing, I just helped him cry"



When there is nothing left but God that is when you find out that God is
all you need. Take 60 seconds and give this a shot! All you do is simply
say the following small prayer for the person who sent you this.

Oh God bless all my friends in whatever it is that You know they may be
needing this day! And may their life be full of your peace, which
transcends all understanding. Amen

Then send it on to five other people, including the one who sent it to you.
Within hours you caused a multitude of people to pray for other people.
Then sit back and watch the power of God work in your life.

P. S. Five is good, but more is better.