The pairs have been asked to add their stories to the micro-mission blog (here) – which builds on last year’s amazing mission.

Tomorrow I’m going to see Giles Fraser speak at the SAGE, Gateshead, as part of the Radio 3 Free Thinking Festival. Good old SAGE, eh? A great weekend ahead…

‘As an investment banker in the City of London, I have read the Financial Times and the Bible almost every day for the last 30 years. People often ask how I reconcile being a banker and a Christian. There is a widespread view that God and business simply don’t mix: the competitive, cut-throat demands of the marketplace are seen as the obvious enemy of Christian compassion and love. But I have found that the God who created and sustains the world is also the God of the workplace. If the Christian faith is not relevant in the workplace, it is not relevant at all . . .’

For me, the entry of Ken Costa – a Christian and a high-profile London banker – into the unfolding drama provides extra food for thought. The whole question about relationships between money, privilege and power and the poor, the broken and the voiceless is far more complicated than the Occupy protesters would perhaps have us believe.

Having said that, the times they are a-changing, and there seems to be no doubt that the poor are getting poorer (and there are more of them) and some of the rich appear to be getting richer and Occupy rightly feel that the time has come for deeds that force the uncomfortable (and complex) truth out into the open where it can be seen from every angle and where the have-nots get a say about what to do next. The Church (in the shape of St.Pauls) was not the target of the Occupy protest – but has found itself at the centre of the discussion. Some might say this has been a God-given opportunity to proclaim loudly the message of justice and reconciliation that is at its heart!

Costa mentions God being the God of the workplace but it seems that the question lying beneath that truth is ‘what does it really mean to be faithful to God in the workplace?’ The answer each of us comes up with will be shaped by a range of factors – including our social position, access to opportunities, and how much money we do or don’t have. Since this is the case, perhaps the answer can only really be discerned by a community of people with a range of opinions and experiences – which is why this whole showdown at St.Pauls is such a good thing: it is forcing a communal conversation from which some sort of wider truth might emerge.

As far as questions about money and our relationship with it go, the truth-according-to-Jesus is likely to be challenging on a deeply personal level and will probably go beyond what we think is reasonable, comfortable or relevant. When Jesus was challenged about paying taxes to Caesar he didn’t rip the system down and rant on about the corruption at the heart of the Roman Empire. Instead he challenged those listening to think about what it was that they were giving to (or withholding from) God. If we found Jesus on the steps of St. Paul’s this afternoon and asked him, ‘Whose side are you on Lord?’ I wonder what his answer would be?

The speaker is Dr Lynne Blair, Senior Lecturer in Computing at Lancaster University.  Lynne will speak on ‘Values in social media’ and writes the following synopsis for her seminar:

C.S. Lewis wrote: “It is the magician’s bargain: give up our soul, get power in return. But once our souls, that is, our selves, have been given up, the power thus conferred will not belong to us. We shall in fact be the slaves and puppets of that to which we have given our souls.”

Every generation sees new technologies emerge, promising lives changed for the better. All spheres of life are embraced: from the basic way we communicate, to the way we do business, banking, shopping, education, leisure, entertainment and even friendships. There is no sacred/ secular divide regarding technology’s sphere of influence: our spiritual lives and the way we ‘do’ community are also impacted.

Some of technology’s promises do indeed transform lives for the better. Others may be of more questionable benefit, or even lead to enslavement, or a destruction of core values. C.S. Lewis’ quote provides one cautionary take on this, through ‘the magician’s bargain’. Might those who are responsible for designing and developing our technologies actually be our modern day ‘magicians’? In return for the freedom, power and opportunity being offered by such abundant modern technology, is there a magician’s bargain involved?

This talk will consider if and how, through the emergence of the technology-rich world in which we live, people and communities of faith are being changed, and whether we are in danger of forgetting some of our oldest and best values.

If you can’t attend you can watch it live here http://bit.ly/codecstream

As it happens, there is a soundtrack to Free to Be – so it won’t be silent! Having said that, the overall vibe is one of quietness and contemplation. Many of us struggle with stillness and silence: we don’t know what to do, or we get bored, or frustrated, or perhaps feel afraid. Noise and business and excitement are more familiar territory and we feel more comfortable seeking encounter with God here – we may even say that we really feel God in the midst of busier, louder, more obviously uplifting worship. This is fine and good and great and I’d agree. However, I don’t think we are doing ourselves any favours if we cut ourselves off from also seeking God in stillness and quiet (remember the story of Elijah in the cave? God was in the still, small voice!). I have to confess that I struggle when I hear people say things like: ‘I just don’t do quiet.’ You may not like it, or find it uplifting or obviously rewarding, but this doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t attempt to engage with it from time to time. Jesus began his public ministry with a six week period of stillness and isolation. Those of us who follow him should attempt to put ourselves in a similar situation from time to time if we are serious about growing into Christian maturity. We don’t have to do stillness and quietness all the time – but it should form part of a balanced diet of engagement with God and with others.

I find the following words of Sister Wendy Beckett helpful here: ‘If we are always noisy and active and restless, we are only living with one part of ourselves… God waits to help us. If we are silent,
God can guide us to the best way’

If you are in Durham this evening, come along to the cathedral. You will have the opportunity of being still(ish) with God for an hour and a half. And afterwards, if you need to, you can come to the Shakespear and laugh and shout and leap about until your heart is content!

The next events are on Monday 24 October and Monday 21 November. These events will see the interior of the cathedral illuminated with 2000 t-lights. A soundtrack has been especially composed and recorded for October’s event by musician and post-graduate student, Rich Wyld.

The cathedral doors will be open from 7.15pm. Worshippers are free to wander and explore until 9pm. After the event all are invited to the Shakespear pub on the Bailey. The event is free and there is no need to pre-book.
More information can be found at the event blog.