#bcop

The word and concept of sin isn’t that popular today. We are submerged in a culture of ultra plushy comfort and helicopter care and are breathlessly concerned about offending and harming anyone with any self-reflection that might be too negative or cause unsettled or alarming feelings. We are coddled and cooed at from almost every perch be it pious or pagan. 

I also understand the needful correction from cranky and curmudgeonly religious eras or circles. I get the animosity raised by hateful screamer preachers on community corners that have driven many people far away from any sound examination of one’s actions towards others or our own inner state of being. It’s a mess all around. I feel ya. 

All that aside, I still find it helpful when I come across an old prayer of confession that puts to words what ails me. I often wonder if the soul doctors out there today have forgotten what the true sickness is that’s harming and hamstringing so many lives. So I hope that other fellow sinners and saints will find some remedy in this old timey confession. 

A prayer meant to help the soul come out into the light of truth. 

“If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” - 1 John 1:8-9

A Prayer of Confession The International Book of Common Prayer Edition, located in the ‘Additional Prayers’ section. 

O most holy Lord God, I thy unworthy servant do here prostrate myself before thee in all humility, acknowledge and confessing my manifold sins and wickedness. My whole life has abounded with actual transgressions against every one of thy commandments. 

I have, O Lord, lived in contempt of thy providence, committing idolatry with thy creatures, taking thy glorious name in vain, profaning thy most holy sabbath. I have not shown reverence to those whom it was due. I have envied my brethren, defiled my soul with unchaste desires, laboured to be rich by unlawful means. I have slandered my neighbor, and coveted his wealth.

I have heard thy word, O Lord, but have not believed it. I have known thy word, but have not practiced it. I have come into thy house without reverence, and approached thy holy table without repentance.

I have practiced many sins without remorse. And when I read thy sacred Scriptures, it is not as sweet to me as the honeycomb, but my delight is more in ungodliness, profaness, and atheism. 

I have by gluttony and drunkenness pampered my body; I am guilty of pride in my appearance; I am negligent in my calling by misplacing my time; I have spoken vainly at my table, and have sinned out of measure against all those means of grace which thou hast been pleased to afford me from time to time. I have wandering eyes, wanton lusts, an ambitious mind, and covetous desires which have no bounds nor limits. I have lascivious ears, unsavory speeches, and censorious reproaches. 

I am still adding sin unto sin, and transgression unto transgression, and am altogether unfaithful in my life, and forgetful of my death and the day of judgment. My abusing of thy mercies and despising of thy judgments is testified against me, yet, O Lord, I am not ashamed, nor confess myself guilty, but still run on in a course of sinning against the works of thy Holy Spirit and the checks of my own conscience, and have refused thy calls and my own purposes and vows of amendment. 

O what shall I say, or how shall I open my mouth, O thou that art the preserver of all men? 

I know the wages of sin is death, but thy gift, O God, is eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord. O enter not into judgment with thy servant, O Lord, for in thy sight is no flesh righteous. 

Be merciful, O Lord, be merciful unto my sins for they are great, out of thy abundant mercy forgive me all that is past, and be gracious unto me in preventing sins to come. Correct me, O Lord but with mercy, not in thy judgment, for then shall I be consumed and brought to nothing. Destroy in me, 

O Lord, the cursed works of the devil, increase in me daily the gifts of thy Spirit, fit me for that calling in which thou has placed me, and make me to employ the strength of my body, the gifts of my mind, and whatsoever grace thou hast already or wilt hereafter bestow upon me, to the glory of thy holy name and the eternal salvation of my own soul. 

And grant the remainder of the time which I shall live in this present evil world, that my conversation may be in heaven, and that whether I eat or drink or whatsoever I do, I may hear always this voice sounding in my ear: ‘Arise you dead and come to judgement.’ 

Many other things, O Lord, I have to beg--things that my ignorance knoweth not how to ask, or my forgetfulness remembereth not--but accept, O Lord, this my humble confession unto thee at this time and whatever else thou knowest needful for me, supply it by the merits of thy dear Son, my only Lord and Saviour, who taught me to pray: 

BCOP is a cross-uni lecture about contextual practice, documented in a crtiical journal along with research and responses to each weeks tasks

One of our key points in our campaign is that a well maintained varied diet plan can lead to a happy and healthy mind. Since our campaign is aimed at students, we decided to look at the food that was on offer for them in the college. We soon saw that a majority of the food and drinks sold were high in sugar and salt. In fact the only snacks offered in the vending machines, the closest items available to students, were unhealthy such as crisps and chocolate. 

In this lecture we focused on the theme of Materiality and ideas set forth on the subject by various theorists. 

At the beginning we were introduced to the Rafael Lozano-Hemmer installation ‘Please Empty Your Pockets’. The piece, consisting of a conveyor belt onto which members of the public were asked to place items on their person. Each item would leave a image of itself alongside hundreds of previous items left before it. The installation intends to expose not only the large amount of items we carry around with us, but also how we often forget about them as they become a part of us. By asking people to physically empty themselves of these objects and place them on the conveyor belt, the piece blends presence and absence and they are faced with the element of consumerism we see on an exaggerated level.

Next we looked at the definition of materialism. The dictionary definition gives us two different meanings. Firstly it is described as a tendency to consider physical possessions as more important than spiritual values. The second meaning leans towards the philosophical and is the theory or belief that nothing exists except matter. Greek theorist Lucretius described materialist thought at its core as supposing that the only things we can prove are those that we can see.

References:

Babylon is a 1980 film directed and written by Franco Rosso. Set in Brixton, it follows several young black men in a changing, multicultural Britain. Overall I really liked the film, in particular the cinematography. It was shot on film and uses a range of wide angles. The film was so well shot and lit that during the start of the film I believed it was a period piece and that it had been released recently due to the stunning visuals. The colour palette used was very pleasing to look at. it managed to incorporate vibrant energetic colours into the dull grey/brown setting of South London. I liked the pacing and how it slowly developed its fun-loving easy going main characters, following them until they commit heinous crimes in a dramatic climax. 

I thought the film felt very real and this was due to several reasons. The first I believe is because of its unbiased portrayal of people and the notion of good/bad. The main characters experience terrible racist abuse. However, they are not shown to be completely innocent themselves and in fact commit many crimes without provocation. The second reason is due to its almost documentary style film making and cinematography. The film  

In this lecture we looked at the notion and interpretations of the human body. 

Firstly we touched on the philosophical history of the body and the views of scholars and philosophers. Since Descartes, there has been much discussion about the connection between the mind and body. Nietzsche proposed a devaluation of the body instead finding more worth in the mind and its connection to ‘the body’ as a form of self . Their view, in relation to a philosopher or artist, is that one’s life should be dominated by reason and purpose rather than emotions.  He diagnoses certain Western Philosophies as a form of  asceticism. He is supported by Socrates and Plato who believed that the mind has so much more importance over the body that one would be best without one. Plato stated that the mind and body are different because the mind is rational and that it can ultimately lead to truth by examination. The experiences we face with our body however cannot be trusted because the senses can be tricked. 

In a 1975 essay ‘Concerning Human Understanding’ J Locke offered the idea of the body as a material object, in the sense of something we can physically touch in the world. For example, a table would be a ‘body’ whereas a shadow or sound would not. For an object to meet the requirements of a ‘body’ it must possess qualities that J Locke describes as Primary qualities. The one ‘most intimately connected with and essential to the body’ is solidity.

In art, the artists or subjects body is often altered in order to rebel against socio-political conventions or express messages. The body and its appearance can be a representation of gender and race. Artists have explored these themes by using their own bodies in creative ways.

Janieta Eyre’s piece ‘Motherhood’ takes a surreal approach to the body, creating what could be described as grotesque double-person mirror photographs, featuring people in psychedelic costumes and body paint. These photographs remove many preconceived  views of the body completely mess with the form to create something new and strange.

References:

https://dukespace.lib.duke.edu/dspace/bitstream/handle/10161/6814/Fishman%20Final%20Full%20Thesis.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y

The Star Garden. (2019). Mind-Body Dualism - How We Came to Know the Cosmos Light & Matter. [online] Available at: http://www.thestargarden.co.uk/Socrates-Plato-and-Aristotle.html [Accessed 28 Mar. 2019].

After finding a clear eye-catching style with our campaign posters, I decided to design a proposed website. On the website we would offer cooking lessons and recipes for people who want to try dieting. It would also offer exercise regimes and exercise or sport ideas. Moreover it would include a gallery of our motivational posters and quotes in case they are looking for some inspiration to work out.