Food from Day Five of Living Below the Line

2 slices of Sainsburys basics white bread: 4.5p
2 Sainsburys basics sauages: 14p
1/4 of a bag of Sainsburys basics chips: 23.2p
1/2 a packet of Sainsburys basics chocolate chip cookies: 22.5p
1/2 a filter coffee from 1822 café: 60p
1 Sainsburys basics tea bag: 0.4p
Sainsburys basics UHT skimmed milk used for tea: 1p

Total for my final day = £1.26
Total spent on myself in five days = £4.57

Living on £5 for five days was hard. Me and Florence spent many minutes deliberating over what to spend the money we had saved up on for a treat on our final day – cookies and a filter coffee. And the five pounds I had did not include water (17p for two litres), or my room with a bed and a shower and heating. Many of the people in poverty do not have somewhere like Sainsburys nearby, they must toil for their food, and walk miles for their water. This experience was a tougher one than I anticipated, with a very limiting and basic diet, but still this is not much difficulty compared to what so many people are going through. I see their pain, and am ever so grateful to all who have donated to Christian Aid through me Living Below the Line. So far I have raised £390, and have just discovered that I am 13th on a list of 236 people raising money. Wow! I did not expect to get this much raised, and with donations still appearing from friends and anonymous donors, I need to say again thankyou so much for helping.

Together with all the charities being worked for through Live Below the Line £648,074 has been raised, Christian Aid this year, £26,302 so far.

In St Peters Church Lampeter yesterday morning at the 8am Eucharist, Fr Chris Webb spoke of the hospitality of Abraham (Genesis 18:1-15). When Abraham saw three men appear, assumedly tired and hungry, he offered them rest, conscious of their possible embarrassment at asking for help said that he would bring only a little bread and water to sustain them, but actually hurried to prepare them a feast. We cannot be sure from the Bible passage that he knew they were angels, which emphasises this example of hospitality. Hebrews 13:2: “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it.”

Hospitality of Abraham, Andrei Rublev, 15th century

Please keep donations coming in, raise your voices, spread the word, let’s help people in poverty…

Raise your voices, raise your voices
Praise to Him thy living word
To the Heavens high ascending
Raise your voices to the Lord

Though your nights be dark and fearful
Though we face the dimming day
Though the heart be sad and tearful
Trust Him, He will light the way

Raise your voices, raise your voices
Praise to Him the living word
To the Heavens high ascending
Raise your voices to the Lord

Through the mists in this vale of sorrow
Through the glass we but darkly see
We will rise again tomorrow
Then our eyes will lifted be

Raise your voices, raise your voices
Praise to Him the living word
To the Heavens high ascending
Raise your voices to the Lord

Long the road that has no ending
Far the path that has no turn
And the soul is never wending
To the place it first was born

See the host of Angels singing
When they hear that trumpet sound
When the piper’s call is ringing
Then shall my soul be ever homeward bound

Raise your voices, raise your voices
Praise to Him the living word
To the Heavens high ascending
Raise your voices to the Lord

Mountains tall and seas will thunder
One unceasing chorus ring
Heaven and earth will sleep no longer
Then the universe as one will sing

Raise your voices, raise your voices
Praise to Him the living word
To the Heavens high ascending
Raise your voices to the Lord
Raise your voices to the Lord

Food from Day Four of Living Below the Line

2 slices of Sainsburys basics white bread: 4.5p
3 Sainsburys basics eggs: 50p
1/4 of a pack of Sainsburys basics pasta: 9.8p
1/2 a tin of Sainsburys basics Irish Stew: 24.5p
1/2 a tin of Sainsburys basics rice pudding: 7.5p
1 Sainsburys basics tea bag: 0.4p
Sainsburys basics UHT skimmed milk used for tea: 1p

Total for the day = 97.7p

Really looking forward to coffee and cheesecake soon…

2 slices of Sainsburys basics white bread: 4.5p
1  Sainsburys basics burger: 12.5p
2 Sainsburys basics sauages: 14p
1/8 of a bag of Sainsburys basics chips: 11.6p
1/2 a tin of Sainsburys basics beans: 12.5p
4 Sainsburys basics tea bags: 1.4p
Sainsburys basics UHT skimmed milk used for tea: 4p

Total for the day = 60.5p

Food from Day Two of Living Below the Line

6 slices of Sainsburys basics white bread: 13.6p
2 Sainsburys basics eggs: 33.3p
3 Sainsburys basics burgers: 37.5p
1/8 of a bag of Sainsburys basics chips: 11.6p
1 Sainsburys basics carrot: 2p
2 Sainsburys basics tea bags: 0.7p
Sainsburys basics UHT skimmed milk used for tea: 2p

Total for the day = 98.7p

I would LOVE some cheesecake and coffee round about now. Not an easy challenge!

Thankyou so much to all of you who have donated, so far I have raised £250!

Food from Day One of Living Below the Line

As you’ll see from the list below, the food we have is very basic. I’m hungry, and having spent the day with something of a headache, suffering from caffeine withdrawal, I am wishing coffee wasn’t so expensive! I also wish I could have a chocolate yoghurt round about now, and some cheesecake would be great too. Today I’ve eaten two pieces of bread, two scrambled eggs, pasta with meatballs, and two carrots. Bear in mind that all this food was Sainsburys basics brand!

Already my eyes are opened to how tough it could be to be living on so little. If the cost of water was included in this challenge then 2 litres for the day would have cost an additional 17p. If I was living in somewhere like the poverty-stricken parts of Africa I wouldn’t have easy access to clean water, a toilet, soap, toothpaste, freshly cleaned clothes, and there wouldn’t be a Sainsburys with which to buy even the most basic food, having to spend the day toiling for it rather than studying in a quiet room as I have done… lots to think about already.

2 slices of Sainsburys basics white bread: 4.5p
2 Sainsburys basics eggs: 33.3p
1/4 of a pack of Sainsburys basics pasta: 9.8p
Half a tin of Sainsburys basics pork and bacon meatballs: 20p
2 Sainsburys basics carrots: 5p
2 Sainsburys basics tea bags: 0.7p
Sainsburys basics UHT skimmed milk used for tea: 2p

Total for the day = 75.3p

In today’s world, extreme poverty and inequality are unjustifiable and unfair. Live Below the Line demonstrates the problem in a concrete way, while raising money to address the problem. Support me (and/or Florence) as I live below the line by donating now – your generous support will go towards fighting extreme poverty.

I’ve already received £130 of donations to Christian Aid through this project, but if any of you can donate, please do by clicking the links above found in the statement and by clicking the profile pictures.

I’m going to post each day to update you with my progress, and a video either each day or at the end of the five-day period depending on time.

Thankyou for all your support, those I know of and those who have given it anonymously. Thankyou. God bless.

John 13:34-5 I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.’

After an early quiet start in St Peters Church for the 8am service, I’ve spent most of the day working on the film part of one of my modules, where I was asked to analyse a recent film for its theological themes. If you know me well, you’ll know I couldn’t pass up an opportunity to study Harry Potter; so my film analysis is on the final installment, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2. I’ve written 5 and a half pages of notes today (don’t worry I’m only half a page’s worth of noted thoughts today), and that’s only on this film, and that isn’t everything either, the notes I did today are just some thoughts which apply to my particular area of analysis. So if you haven’t read or seen Harry Potter, I thoroughly recommend it, and you should bookmark this post and come back when you have read/seen them so as not to receive major spoilers!

Here’s my viewpoint. Personally, I see Albus Dumbledore as a Father figure. We all love him and see him as a nurturing parent to orphans – Harry embodies the Son, shortly after birth already prophesied as The Chosen One who will redeem people from Voldemort, the Dark Lord (who embodies Sin). In the final book and the two final films we begin to see a Dumbledore who we are tempted to doubt. There are things about him that we didn’t know, behaviour revealed that we don’t understand; with people asking Harry if he really knew Dumbledore at all, if he could really be trusted. And so is the temptation in the loneliness that Harry feels trying to fight the darkness that has swamped so much of their world. Harry continues to put his faith in Dumbledore, even when towards the end of the film it is revealed through Snape’s memories (Harry being the Collector of Tears) that Dumbledore had known from Harry’s birth that he would die “at the proper moment” to save the people from Voldemort (Sin).

Harry dies. He talks with Dumbledore who welcomes him happily and remarks on how brave and strong he has been. Dumbledore says: “Do not pity the dead Harry, pity the living. And above all, those who live without love.” Harry is resurrected. He returns to life with these words, and as always remains compassionate. Despite all that Voldemort has done, he calls him by his first name, Tom, humanising him. And when Tom dies, even then Harry is not the final cause, he uses a defensive spell and Tom’s own spell meant to finally kill Harry takes his own life.

Harry has the Elder Wand, the most powerful wand ever to be in existence with which he could be invincible and rule over the world. But he does not. Instead he does what Dumbledore (previous owner of the wand) did not. He breaks the wand in half and throws it away. With this there is a new covenant. That we must love one another as Harry did. As God did revealed in the human body of Christ. Dying, coming back and breaking the wand, suffering on the cross, dying, resurrecting and coming back to remind his followers of the gift of Spirit, Harry and Jesus Christ have a great deal in common. In breaking the wand Harry took away one last time the image of power that he could have held, and made the world a freer, loving place of equality. Harry became one of us. God showed himself to be one of us in Christ.

We must remember Harry and Christ’s compassion and mercy. I see the Holy Spirit of the Harry Potter world to be the magic. That which enables the wand to choose the wizard, the sorting hat to suit the student – the Holy Spirit gives us direction with which to best understand and utilise our gifts. “Help will always be given at Hogwarts…”

Yes this really was only half a page of handwritten notes. Looking forward to my dissertation!

This week’s song of the week adapted from Psalm 32-3, composed by Ludovico da Viadana, arranged by Carlo Giacco:

Rejoice in the Lord, O ye just; praise befits the upright. Give praise to the Lord on the harp; sing to him with the psaltery, the instrument of ten strings. Sing to him a new canticle, sing well unto him with a loud noise. Rejoice in the Lord, O ye just; praise befits the upright.

(William Mahrt translation)

I’ve noticed that I haven’t written anything particularly thoughtful on my blog since February. I’ve had plenty of thoughts going round in my head and written a few brief notes into my theological journal, but I’ve fallen out of the habit of really writing.

I’ve been thinking as well that there is too much bad news out there. The media is consumed by the need to show the bad, and very little good. But both are important. So whilst I hope to get back to writing here more regularly once again about Growing up with God, I hope to write again more regularly about Good News. I plan to write a post a week, which gives me more time during the week to think about what I want to write about.

One of the big topics of conversation recently has been what communion means. It means different things to different people that is clear, and I’ll think more deeply again about this another time. For now what I want to write about is what it means to me at the simplest level.

On the Saturday of my time in Durham over Easter, I had not planned to go for the midday Eucharist, taking the day to climb the Cathedral tower, read and walk along the river, with Eucharist the next morning, and Choral Evensong each day. But as I climbed down the tower about 15 minutes into the communion service being held at the High Altar, hearing the words of the service I found myself instantly pulled. I felt an agony that could only be met by going. The thought of my fellow brothers and sisters sharing communion and me walking away from that was agonising to me. I needed to be there with them. I needed to receive the communion and feel healed, as I do when I take it, by the presence of God with me as I remember Jesus at this precious time.

Communion is one of the most important aspects of my life as a Christian. And I can’t explain why. It feels innate. A longing. It is a connection that means so much to me.

After about 20 minutes of walking around the rest of the Cathedral, I could take the pain of not being a part of the service no longer. I asked the steward by the High Altar if I could walk through the Quire to join them. He said yes. I walked down the Quire with about 30 eyes trained on me, as the priest held up the bread and wine in the Eucharistic Prayer. When we all went up to the communion rail, I kneeled with the last few, and as the priest approached me he smiled, and something passed from his eyes to mine of acceptance and welcoming, a message of peace in this place that I in my trainers and hoodie had walked into incredibly late, as he cupped my hands in his and passed me half of his president’s wafer in a gesture of deep kindness and love, saying, “The body of Christ.” And I said, “Amen.”

I won’t forget that. As I don’t forget my first communion, kneeling on December 5th 2010 in St Annes Church, holding hands with my confirmation friends Annabelle and Sarah afterwards at a milestone in our lives.

There’s one other story I’d like to share with you. I do not believe that Jesus would turn away anyone from his table. I do not believe that Jesus would deny anyone the bread and wine from which we remember him. And so it is with joy that I remember a young boy, that enthusiastically ran to the communion rail with his father close behind him, and cupped out his hands, desperately wanting the bread. His vicar would not deny him the bread, and as he took it in his small hands he would say Amen and close his eyes for a moment of quiet as he ate it, and then smiling and exuberant, run back to his chair and sit beaming for the rest of the service. But the priest who would cover for the vicar when he was not around would not give the little boy the bread. He would place his hand on his head for a blessing and move on. And the little boy was so sad when this happened. It was tragic to see happen. But soon the situation was made better, not by the covering priest, but by the father. The father took the bread the priest had placed in his hands, broke it in two, and gave half to his young son. Together they said Amen.

How beautiful communion can be.

Song of the week:

My photos of the day can be viewed through an archive here (though not updated every day, sometimes the photos go up in batches every couple of weeks)

Photos from the last 3 weeks:

Lots been going on… got back to England for Easter and my 19th birthday, then took a trip to Chester and to Durham for Choral Evensong, a baptism and a surprise of the National Youth Orchestra there playing violins, cellos and harps in the Cathedral and Cloisters. I’ve got a lot of new books to read, and have been doing some studying, as well as re-discovering Vanilla Coke (yes it is out again! Woop!), and now I’m back in Wales!

Two songs of the weeks to catch up: Corale by Ludovico Eunaudi (Youtube preview link), and Awake by Tunde Baiyewu (iTunes preview link). Enjoy!

Monastic Vespers

I’ve missed the stilling service of Vespers. With Gregorian Chant, the final music special of the World Sacred Music Festival in Lampeter was monastic vespers in my local Anglican Church St Peters. I wish I could have that every day!

This festival, for me, has been a re-energizing step forward in bringing people who love sacred music together to recognise the beauty we all see and share, giving hope for a peaceful world.