Welcome to Venn Presents, a series of conversations on the depth and richness of the Christian tradition, as we attempt to outwork it in our 21st century lives....
The Art of Resting: How to Sabbath Well | Part Two
The need to rest is a big feature of contemporary life. In the midst of these changing times, many people have been returning to the wisdom of the Sabbath, and learning to lean in to this ancient, delight-filled practice of God’s people.Here at Venn, Sabbath-keeping is something we’ve been embracing. We’ve been learning about the Sabbath personally, and thinking and writing about what good Sabbath practice looks like. You can find some of this work in our new book How to Sabbath Well: Learning God’s Rhythms of Rest.In the first episode of this two-part series on the Sabbath, Sam and John unpacked how the Sabbath is a practice of freedom for life with God. Here in Part Two, they get into the practical nitty-gritty. What does Sabbath-keeping actually look like? How firm is the command to rest? What about shift-work, or life with small children? How important is gathering for worship? Sam and John explore all these questions, talking about four key Sabbath postures: ceasing, resting, embracing, and feasting.Perhaps you’ve tried a Sabbath, and found it all a bit hard. Perhaps you’re keen to sabbath, but don’t know where to begin. Either way, this is a rich, genuinely helpful conversation.
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The Art of Resting: How to Sabbath Well | Part One
It’s a commonplace of contemporary life that we’re struggling to rest. Whether you’re a student, a worker, or a parent of small children, resting well is a challenge. We live busy lives and there is so much to do. Anxious, we fiddle with our work/life balance, we try to schedule “me time”, but it’s all, well, a bit hard.In this context, it might seem counter-intuitive to talk about the Sabbath. Given how white-knuckled time management has become for many of us, how is a regular rule of rest going to help? The Sabbath is, however, what we need. In order to live well—in order to flourish together—we need to develop a thick, lived understanding of this ancient, delight-filled practice.Here at Venn, Sabbath-keeping is something we’ve been leaning into, most recently in our new book How to Sabbath Well: Learning God’s Rhythms of Rest. In this first episode of a two-part series, John Dennison and Venn Presents host Sam Bloore talk about our need for rest and the rich and transformative practice of the Sabbath. They explore this profound theme of Scripture, and how the Sabbath calls us to live in light of God’s creative and redemptive purposes. If you’ve toyed with the idea of Sabbath rest, but have never really understood what it is or how to do it, this conversation is for you. Sabbath is a practice of freedom for life with God.
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Adrienne Dengerink-Chaplin: Faith in Art
What is the nature of the artist’s vocation? And how exactly does art convey meaning? What might it mean for Christians to be artists? Such questions are commonplace when it comes to faith and art. It’s also questions like these that have shaped the thought and career of writer, philosopher and teacher Dr Adrienne Dengerink-Chaplin. Dr Chaplin was in New Zealand earlier this year on a teaching and speaking tour, which included the Venn Conversation Evening, “Why Art and Artists Matter”. The next day, we were fortunate enough to get some time in the studio with her to continue the conversation. In this special one-off episode of Venn Presents, Sam Bloore talks with Adrienne about how she came to be fascinated with art and about exactly how art conveys meaning. Their lively and wide-ranging conversation delves into some of the thorny questions of faith and art: on how the gospel can shape art practice, on art and Christian witness, and on the attitude of churches to artists. Adrienne offers a refreshingly grounded take on things. At its best, art is not an exceptional calling but simply a distinct out working of the human vocation: it can, as she puts it, be “honest labour”.Whether you’re an artist yourself, a keen gallery goer, or just someone who loves thoughtful chat, you’ll love this episode.
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1:03:22
Mark Mayhew: on Pursuing God's Purposes for Business
Welcome to part four in our series of conversations with women and men who are seeking to follow Christ in the whole of life. In this episode, host Sam Bloore is joined by Mark Mayhew to talk about his journey of understanding how the gospel speaks to everything we do, and how God has drawn him deeper and deeper into a gospel life. Mark Mayhew is founder and director of Peregrine, a purpose-driven strategy and ventures firm. He trained in Civil Engineering and spent the early part of his career working in management consulting, before moving to Vancouver, Canada to pursue a Master of Arts in Marketplace Theology at Regent College. Mark is the co-creator of ReFrame, a 10-week, film-based series that helps Christians connect faith with all of life, and he is the former director of the Regent College Marketplace Institute. Mark is passionate about helping people integrate Christian faith with the whole of life. He loves working with visionary people to solve strategic problems and creatively explore how purpose can shape everything we do. Mark is married to Jenn, and they live in London with their two children, Emily (4) and Will (1). They worship at King Cross Church in London.In this conversation, Mark recounts how deep questions about his work and purpose led him to theological study; this was not study for ordained ministry, however, but a theological reframing of a call to pursue God’s purposes for business. And this is the call that continues to shape Mark’s life now. He reflects on what Scripture has to say about work and enterprise, on the fact that business is not morally neutral, and on the ways in which God has led him over the years. Sam also talks about with Mark about his personal life: about suffering, singleness and marriage, and parenting later in life. This episode is jam-packed with Mark’s hard-won learning and wisdom, and he communicates it so well. So, tune in and school up—this is a great listen.
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1:19:24
Mark Compton: on the Risk and Joy of Making Art
Mark Compton started his career as a screen printer, working for 12 years with a company that specialised in fine-art screen prints for many of the dealer galleries in Aotearoa, New Zealand. He then worked for three years as an artist himself, specialising in paint and print-making, producing numerous paintings of native birds, cheeky nods to the unfolding recession, and much more. Mark is also a qualified builder, providing another context to make, problem-solve, and create beauty; building has also proved fertile ground for Mark’s creative lens to grow and be re-formed. Currently you’ll find Mark slinging coffees alongside his wife, Naomi, in their coffee caravan, Fred. He’s also leaning back into the world of art-making and image creation after some years away. Mark and Naomi live by the beach in Orewa, north of Auckland, and have two children, Adley and Jack.This conversation offers an absorbing insight into the journey of a contemporary Christian artist. So, slow down, press play and enjoy. Or, as Mark puts it, “give it a nudge”.To see the images referred to in the episode: https://www.venn.org.nz/article/return-to-wonder/
Welcome to Venn Presents, a series of conversations on the depth and richness of the Christian tradition, as we attempt to outwork it in our 21st century lives. Through this collection, host Sam Bloore and members of the Venn Foundation team will present aspects of their work and reflection, as well as that of the wider Venn community.
Each short series will run across two or three episodes and the topics will be wide-ranging: from exploring Christian faith or doctrine; to engagement with wider culture, like business, the arts, education, music, and sport; and even discussing features of community and family life.
Our hope is these conversations will, in some small way, help us all to re-imagine how the Master’s Gospel might sound in the communities and callings we find ourselves in today.
For more on Venn Foundation's work and resources, go to www.venn.org.nz.
New Zealand