Infusion Teaching Weekend

Using the theme The Transforming Friendship: The Key to Prayer, David, Helen and Alan helped us look at prayer. Eyam Youth Hostel looked after us well and the classroom arrangement worked well, as did the DIY sandwiches.

Although we decided it was too wet to walk on Sunday, a number of us went on a walk led by Andrew on the Saturday. And we managed to fit in a teashop stop in Eyam before the evening session.

Teapot 'is the healthiest option'

A news item on the BBC News website alerted me to research findings from scientists in Aberdeen who have shown that the traditional way of making tea in a pot is healthier than dunking a bag in a cup! Earlier research has discovered that antioxidants in tea can help protect against things like cancer and heart disease, but it now appears that our cup (or mug) only gets the maximum amount of these chemicals when the tea is given proper time to brew.

Professor Garry Duthie of the Rowett Research Institute says: "We found that if you let your tea infuse for about five minutes you would get the maximum amount of these chemicals. If you left it any longer than that it didn't really increase the levels very much and it didn't really make a difference if it was tea bags or tea leaves." The researchers also found that adding milk to a cup of tea had no effect on its cancer-fighting properties.

National cinema release of 'Black Gold'

Just received the latest Cafédirect e-newsletter, which has alerted me to a forthcoming documentary about the injustices of the international coffee trade industry: Black Gold.

The film follows the journey of Tadesse Meskela, General Manager of the Oromia Coffee Farmers Co. in Ethiopia, as he travels around the world to find buyers willing to pay a fair price for his coffee. The film opens your eyes to the international coffee trade and demonstrates how every person who makes the conscious choice to ask for Fairtrade coffee can genuinely make a difference.

Black Gold is released in cinemas nationwide from 8th June and Cafédirect is one of the official sponsors of the film release. Cafédirect state they are "delighted to be supporting Black Gold, to raise awareness of the film and the issues of trade justice". Try the Coffee Calculator to see how much of what you pay for coffee goes to the producers!

Locally, the film is due to be screened at Nottingham Broadway from 6th - 12th July.

How green is your garden?

How green is your garden? asks an article in The Guardian today, in the context of this year's Chelsea Flower Show theme: climate change. The article is interesting as it suggests that many gardeners are still not thinking green, despite the fact that some major gardening retailers are trying to clean up their act in response to consumer pressure.

The RHS website has a very useful section on Conservation and the Environment, with links to factsheets and a wide range of online articles. For Leicestershire residents, low-cost compost bins and advice can be obtained from RecycleNow.

Survey of churchgoing in the UK

One in seven adults in the UK attends a Christian church each month, with nearly 3 million more people saying they would attend church if only they were asked, one of the largest surveys of churchgoing in the UK revealed in April. Commissioned by Tearfund, the findings of the in-depth survey also show that, contrary to the UK’s secular image, Christianity is still the dominant faith in the UK. Over half (53%) or 26.2 million adults claim to be Christian.

Churchgoing in the UK – one of the few surveys to track monthly church attendance and the likelihood of non churchgoers attending - shows that 7.6 million adults go to church each month and one in 10 adults attends weekly. One in four (12.6 million) attend at least once a year. The full survey can be downloaded here.

According to the survey, the biggest challenge remains people opting out of religion altogether. Two thirds of UK adults (66%) or 32.2 million people have no connection with church at present (or with any other religion). Unexpectedly, the survey shows that 3 million people who have stopped going to church or who have never been in their lives, would consider attending given the right invitation. What a challenge....

Christian Aid Week

Its the end of Christian Aid Week, but the 2007 materials are still available on the website (do check out the animated envelope!). In addition to material for prayer and reflection, there's the Christian Aid Week report for 2007, Human tide: the real migration crisis, which predicts that at least one billion people will be forced from their homes between now and 2050 as the effects of climate change deepen an already burgeoning global migration crisis.

Reducing your carbon footprint

Would you switch everything off and rely on natural light to save the planet? It's the answer for the families resorting to extreme measures to cut emissions described on the BBC website. Some of their suggestions for ways we can incorporate this in our daily life are here.

The article mentions Carbon Rationing Action Groups, voluntary groups whose aim is to substantially reduce the CO2 their members are releasing into the atmosphere. They advise members, known as Craggers, on how to minimise energy use. A CRAGs wiki is under construction, so may be worth bookmarking.

I'm sure Phil can offer further energy-saving ideas and websites for us...

Ecotherapy

There's an article in today's Guardian which discusses recent research that concludes that "country walks can bring startling reductions in depression and raise self-esteem". In the report, the charity Mind describes ecotherapy as "getting outdoors and getting active in a green environment as a way of boosting mental well-being". Although today is the first time I've heard the term "ecotherapy", this is one alternative therapy that I'm happy to endorse.

Weekend Away 2007

The Infusion Teaching & Walking Weekend is making a comeback over the weekend of 25th- 27th May. We'll be based at Eyam Youth Hostel and the Revs David & Helen Newman from Emmanuel Church will be leading interactive sessions on the topic of The Transforming Friendship: The Key to Prayer.

2030vision

Just spotted that Care for the Family have launched a ministry called 2030vision. Later this year they will launch an interactive website with articles and resources. For now, the site includes a a report on The pressures faced by those in their 20s and 30s - the summary report of a recent survey Care for the Family conducted into the day-to-day concerns and priorities of people in their 20s and 30s.

Under the 2030vision banner is an event in Leicester on June 19th entitled "Better than Alright? An evening for everyone in their 20s and 30s". The blurb says it will be a café-style evening where there will be the opportunity to talk honestly about self-worth, relationships, money, and work.

Bank Holiday reading

Its a Bank Holiday Monday and its raining..... Never fear, The Guardian has published a selection of weird and wonderful hints entitled An A-Z of incredible uses for everyday things to keep you entertained and help save time and money. I can see me making use of some of the hints (ie using dental floss for emergency rucksack repairs) but the final hint seems a criminal waste of marshmallows.

Infusion walks the Charnwood Round

Several months ago Tricia suggested walking the Charnwood Round but as the 33 miles seemed a bit daunting to do in a day, she created a cut-down version of 21 miles. So on the Bank Holiday Saturday (May 5th) seven of us set off from Copt Oak at 8.45am. The start of our route took us via Bardon Hill, Warren Hill, and Mount St Bernard Abbey. We lunched at Beacon Hill and took on additional water and another walker.

We progressed through Woodhouse Eaves, Swithland Woods, and through Bradgate Park from Cropston Reservoir. At Newton Linford we were joined by two others for a visit to the Jade Tea Rooms, which fortified us for the last four miles to Copt Oak. Nine of us finished the walk around 6.30pm. Throughout the day we kept encountering woodlands full of glorious bluebells - Charnwood at its finest. More photos available on the Infusion website.

On 28 April we had a practice walk of 18 miles taking a circular walk from Queniborough, walking along Queniborough Ridge, through Barkby and back to the start. That was only 9 miles so three of us walked it twice! We ate lunch by The Brookside, Barkby and afterwards we adjourned to The Old Piggery Tea Rooms at Meadow View Farm, Sileby.

Excellent Microfinance for International Development Site

I've just looked through www.kiva.org, an excellent innovation in ways to support people in developing countries. Kiva enables you to choose a business to lend to. You don't get interest, but you do get paid back in a process which provides a disciplined structure for the business to grow. The businesses are vetted and monitored by a partner in the country.

There's also Shared Interest, but this supports Fair Trade only (http://www.shared-interest.com/).

The Theology of Doctor Who

This is a loose collection of thoughts which could be better if given more time, but it might be useful as it is.

I find an element of Doctor Who each week is usually aligned in some way with Christian theology. This week (5 May) the Doctor encountered an 76 year old scientist who succeeded in making himself 40 again. Unfortunately the DNA manipulation did not stop there, and it resurrected latent genes which turned him periodically into a raving monster.

Part of the argument voiced by the Doctor against the monster was that death is a part of being human, saying that in living a long time people get tired.

An aspect of the issue was also reflected this week in the enhanced production by Boots of an anti-wrinkle cream which has been proven to work. Queues formed, and people in the queues did not want their photos taken by newspapers.

Jesus pointed us towards a relationship with God as the basis for our long term - eternal - security. He did not make light of the body, viewing it as sacred and given by God as a gift, so wanting to have smoother skin is not wrong. However, he emphasised the importance of faith and belief in himself above anxiety about our physical fate.

Top 50 religious films

The Church Times has recently posted a guide to the top 50 religious films of all time. It is an interesting selection and the reasons behind the choices are explained in detail here. The top film, The Mission, is included in the Parkinson film collection, so we'll try to offer a viewing over the summer.

Welcome to the Infusion blog!

Infusion comprises a group of Christian friends from a variety of churches in Loughborough and the surrounding area who like to get together from time to time to be sociable, spiritual or both. However, we're always open to new people joining us. More information can be found on the Infusion website: http://www.infusion.fsnet.co.uk/

The blog is to publicise and reflect on Infusion events and topics of interest - the latter includes faith, friendship, fairtrade / environmental concerns, food and hiking.

Please contact Alison if you would like to contribute to the blog.