Put this in your ear... the faith of science fiction

We held a service about the faith of science fiction.

This service opened with everyone sharing their favourite cross-overs of science and faith, including references to Blake 7, Logans Run, Battlestar Galactica and Blade Runner. We showed the Babel Fish clip from Hitchikers Guide to the Galaxy.

The body of the service was a presentation of a Top Ten questions about how faith and science interact. It was a bit like a quick-fire service, where film clips were shown and discussion was had, but most limited to 5 minutes each. Everyone seemed to really benefit from this approach, which was flexible enough to move quicker in some areas and linger in others.

- Is God Science Fiction? A question inspired by Richard Dawkins talking about origins of life in the universe and his theory of God being an alien of higher intellect than ourselves.

-  Is God an Alien? A clip of Kirk and crew meeting 'God' in Star Trek V.

- Can Aliens be Christians? Discussion inspired by Michael Flynn's novel Eifelheim...has parallels with mission in unfamiliar cultures.

- Is immortality good or bad? Starting with a clip of a robot talking of his jealousy at humans being able to become immortal merely with one significant act. We took the opportunity to pray for the sick and bereaved, as human existence is (in the main) mortal.

- Can robot AI develop a soul? Accompanied by the trailer for Spike Jonze short I'm Here, a love story of 2 robots living life to the full.

- Is it a sin to augment? Prompted by new game Deus Ex, we discussed the implications of changing/enhancing our natural (God-given?) bodies.

- Did Jesus escape the cross in a parallel world? While holding a small ball/bead, we pondered the nature of the multiverse theory and its implications for the actions of Jesus.

- If given the chance, would you time-travel to meet Jesus? Inspired by Michael Moorcock story Behold the Man where said time traveller finds Jesus is not all he expected (incapable of fulfilling history), so decides to step up to the mark himself.

- What do you want to see in 200 years time? Art photographs of a future time where nature is only viewable in theme parks and zoo-like environments...what do we hope happens in the next 200 years?

- Can God change events in the past? This raised even more questions...is God interventionist? Does God have to play within our construct of time? Would we know if God changed history e.g. was there a third world war that everyone prayed against and God changed history to avert it, so we don't know about it because it never happened?

Science fiction is a medium that can be used to explore the nature of God and faith and image what might be and what might have been to inform what is.

Miracle days

Olive . Miracle by srepkela

Late last year, we looked at God in science, culminating in us hosting Manchester Science Festival's first church service.

We considered a miracle as an event that is unexplainable through science and reason and usually attributed to God, giving us a particular insight into God or bring people closer to God.

There are different types of miracle such as healings, raising from the dead, pregnancy, defying natural events and even talking donkeys. Favourite miracles within the group included feeding the five thousand, healing Jairus' daughter, legion, raising of Lazarus and turning water into wine.

We then considered science as being a philosophy, a way of thinking, which involves observation, reason and interdependence. It links cause and effect which allows outcomes to be predictable. It's a process of observation, hypothesis, measurement and conclusion in which assumptions are made and then further questioned.

Science can be used to explain some miracles but it does not necessarily mean that is how it happened. Science can also help us understand how far away from natural law God operates. For instance the changing water into wine can could be a trick or hypnosis or pure creative writing but if we were to rely on purely a chemical explanation, it is impossible. Not just a little impossible but mega impossible: for instance, carbon in the wine cannot just be made out of water as water contains no carbon.

The more we look at the world through science, the more it reveals just how complex the world of nature is. It's just amazing to sit back and look at the diversity and beauty of universe through the lens which science provides.

Volcanic Sanctus

Sanctus went volcanic recently. Well on a small scale.

What with the Science Festival coming up and Sanctus 1's amazing first ever church service for the festival, we concentrated on a theme of God in science.

As the first service of the month is usually a food service, we made it a messy service with food and fun craft with good conversation. The fun craft involved making small volcano like structures out of modelling clay and then making them appear to erupt using caustic soda and vinegar.

The conversation around the table focused on our experience of science and how it has informed our understanding of our world and of God. It is interesting that both theology and science both use metaphor to describe events which we cannot see and are difficult to understand.

Watch this space for more developments of God in science.

Sanctus 1: a family affair

If you were to draw your family tree, what issues would it raise for you?

This is what we did at Sanctus. We explored the nature of family.

We are all part of a family, even if we don't know our family. It seems to be part of being human: something that holds us together in family. Something mystical.

There are advantages about being in a family, such as security, identity, shared values and heritage.

But there can be disadvantages also, like suppression of the individual, control and the exclusive nature of families. If you're on the outside of a family, you'll know what we mean.

Generally the Bible is very pro-family. Adam and Eve and the boys, Abraham and his many descendants, Jacob is blessed when he is part of the family but less so when he leaves. The parable of the prodigal son tells us something similar: being family is good, out of family is bad.

However Jesus challenges this model by saying:

Matthew ch10 v35: For I have come to turn "a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law".

Matthew ch10 v37: "Anyone who loves his father and mother more than me is not worthy of me: anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me."

We also questioned whether people have a right to have a family. There was a resounding no to Michael Nazir-Ali (ex-Bishop of Rochester)'s assertion that "in choosing not to have children are they, self indulgent" (paraphrased a little).

Finally we looked at the notion of God's family and church family and does Sanctus 1 operate as a family? Some felt it did, others less convinced. Perhaps it also includes some the negative aspects of family too, like being difficult to break into by those outside.

This coming week is the beginning of our science theme: Messed-Up Science.

Possible Worlds: Manchester Science Festival 2011

Sanctus 1 will host Manchester Science Festival's first ever church service.

Possible Worlds will be a celebration of God and science, in which scientific themes and achievements will be explored from the point of view of an inclusive Christian faith that is constantly reinterpreting itself in an ever-changing modern world.

Expect neat visuals, experiential ambience and a space for personal reflection and discussion.

At venues across Greater Manchester from 22nd to 30th October 2011, Manchester Science Festival will celebrate its 5th birthday with a packed programme of comedy, art and family fun. Highlights include Polar (epic footage of the Polar Regions with the Manchester Camerata playing live), BBC One show presenters testing science theories in the Campfield Market Hall, experimental space evening with comedienne Helen Keen, and a series of Oxford University Press authors at Blackwell's bookshop.

The Science Festival is committed to experimentation and reaching new audiences - we hope our unique church service for the festival does just that.

Join us for Possible Worlds at Nexus Art Cafe on Wednesday October 26th 2011. Doors open at 7.30pm with the one-hour event starting at 8pm. Admission is free, so get there early! See more on this and other events on the Manchester Science Festival website.

Pic: taken at Manchester Museum (Sanctus 1 logo embedded later)

Popcorn Jesus: Don't mess with Sister Meryl Streep

This week, we showed several clips of Jesus in the movies. One was a great scene from The Boat That Rocked (stolen shamelessly from Luke Walton's excellent talk at Greenbelt 2011) and there was also this amazing clip from Doubt where a priest accused of plying a child with wine is confronted by a steely Meryl Streep.

Two great bits: when he demands to know what she has seen, and she says that's irrelevant. And the clash of proof versus certainty where she declares, with terrifying power, "I have my certainty." It's one of the best explorations of faith in the visible you'll ever find at the flicks.

When a piece of wood is more than a piece of wood and a table is more than a table

Last week we looked at how a table can represent different aspects of our lives. It's a functional place, set aside for specific tasks but it also becomes a place of meeting experience, a place to meet God, a place to reflect on Jesus in our actual world.

The dinner table is a place where we satisfy our basic need to eat and drink. But is also a place we meet family and friends: a place of engagement. There are also huge social expectations associated with this table of how to behave. Who sets the rules? Why? How does this reflect social exclusion of who is in or out? Jesus ate with sinners, prostitutes, the unclean and tax collectors. Who would you invite to your table?

The work table is where we spend most of our time. Who do we meet here we don't meet elsewhere? What do we have in common? How is your work life integrated with the rest of your life to give it meaning? Jesus worked at the plane and the lathe, and called people from their place of work. Do you have a sense of call at work? Does Jesus call you to doing or be something different at work?

Table tennis is an example of table used for play, but it could be a sewing table, pool table or card table. This is the place where you choose to be; this is our time, our choice. How do you spend it? Do spend it in a way that is constructive or destructive? How does it fit with the rest of your life? Is prayer a chosen occupation? If you had just one more minute extra today, how would you spend it?

The fourth table was an operating table or a table at a morgue. A place where we meet the darker side of life, those in pain, dying or dead. A place where we would rather not be but a place were we will ultimately end up. A place where we sanitise our society by placing it apart in hospital or hospice. But Jesus' experience of the tomb was new life and new meaning. Who do meet at this table or who do you fear to meet?

Finally comes the communion table or altar. A table set aside for a particular meeting. Not that we don't meet God elsewhere... but this table is set apart especially for that meeting.

As we have seen, we meet many different people around a table, so is it any wonder that we meet God around a table? Jesus, who gathered his friends around a table to share bread and wine, body and blood. We shared these things at Sanctus 1.

Popcorn Jesus: this Sunday and Wednesday at Sanctus

Sunday (tomorrow) at 10.30am and Wednesday at 7.30pm at Nexus Art Cafe.

Small print: the Jesus pictured may not be making much of an appearance due to little ears being present!

Riot walk: graffiti-ing Afflecks

Sanctus was really riotous this week. Well as riotous for Sanctus 1 anyway.

With the city centre riots still being fresh in our minds here in the Northern Quarter, we offered ourselves to walk the riot-torn streets and pray and reflect on what we saw. It must be said that streets don't look riot-torn at all, so don't worry about coming into join us next week.

We reminded ourselves of the situation here a month ago by viewing some YouTube footage before putting on the armour of God and venturing out into the wider world of the city centre.

We walked to Piccadilly Gardens, the meeting point for many involved in the riots, and lit a joss stick as a sign of purification.

Then, we moved on to Miss Selfridge, reflecting as we went on how casually the arson seemed to ignite the store. Outside the Arndale Centre on Market Street, we speculated on the nature of what we all do in dark places were we cannot be seen (to reflect our recent dark & light services) and then Sunday people walked to the wall of post-it-notes, a place were people felt free to express themselves about the situation.

Was this sacred space? Set aside for a reason?

And finally outside Afflecks Palace we did 'clean graffiti' - we wrote our messages on the wall, with water that would not stay. Very daring! For most of us this felt very risky, especially with the police helicopter overhead and the community support officer walking by. I don't think any us of could really riot, but we can pray.

Next week a tabletop service...

Picture: Manchester Evening News

Why weren't Sanctus at Greenbelt?

Sanctus 1 took a year out from Greenbelt in 2011.

It was odd not seeing our name in the programme, but we're actually busier than we have been for a long time. We have lots of plans up our sleeves and we thought it would be important to put Greenbelt aside for one year.

However, a number of us were still on site. We gave out over 200 crocheted fish for our short story website called Tales From The Aquarium. We asked people to upload pictures of their free fish and stories to go along with the pictures.

The fish were made by a rebellious yarn-bomber in our midst. Keep checking in on Tales From The Aquarium as the stories come in. Sanctus 1, meanwhile, will no doubt be back in full effect for Greenbelt 2012.