What do diagrams do? Diagrams simplify and bring clarity. Diagrams demonstrate the relationships which exist between the parts of the whole. Diagrams often reveal creative ideas.

Chauvet Cave Drawings

In 1994, three French cavers were exploring the limestone cliffs above the former bed of The Ardeche river when they discovered a large cave where the walls were decorated with detailed drawings of wild species that have been long extinct.
These drawings are the earliest known examples of Palaeolithic art circa. 30,000 BC. Why are these drawings actually diagrams? The archaeologists believe that these cave diagrams may have served to initiate young males into hunting and were intended to acquaint them with some of the game they would encounter. This is reinforced by the fact that there are hardly any humans in the diagrams.
These diagrams were amongst the first that were ever drawn by humans: paper, the printing press and the Internet, all of which were inspired by the desire to share knowledge can trace their origins back to these early drawings.
These cave diagrams are the start of something which would transform human life here on earth. The diagrams tell us that Palaeolithic man gazed at a world of beauty amongst the daily struggle for existence. They understood that the best strategy for survival was one of collaboration. In order to work together, they needed diagrams to share knowledge. These diagrams demonstrate the beginning of an idea which would allow information to be shared and ultimately multiplied millions of times. We can take something that is very small, and if it is properly cared for and nurtured, it can multiply more times than we can possibly imagine.

We considered a series of diagrams which changed the world and why they were so revolutionary. In response to these diagrams we produced our own diagrams which demonstrated a metaphor, idea or principle. In addition, we produced a collaborative diagram of Third Space and considered how it might alter over time:

Barbara’s positive communication diagram:

Steve’s church history diagram:

Grayden’s plea for justice:

Fi’s meaningful words diagram:

Collaborative Third Space diagram:

Per Signum Crucis (By the sign of the Cross.)The first mention of the practice of tracing the sign of the Cross was by the early church father Tertullian (A.D. 160-220) who wrote “In all our travels and movements, in all our coming in and going out, in putting off our shoes, at the bath, at the table, in lighting candles, in lying down, in sitting down, whatever employment occupieth us, we mark our foreheads with the sign of the Cross”
The sign of the Cross is a very ancient practice and prayer. We don’t have any indication of it in Scripture, but St. Basil in the 4th century said that we learned the sign from the time of the apostles and it was administered in baptisms.

Source: Adriatikus

The Catechism of the Catholic Church tells us that when Catholics are baptised “the sign of the Cross, on the threshold of the celebration, marks with the imprint of Christ the one who is going to belong to him and signifies the grace of the Redemption Christ won for us” on the Cross.
We would make a sign of the Cross when entering a church or during confession using two fingers.
Some priests would put the thumb, index and middle finger together to form a sign of the Trinity, and the remaining two fingers touching the palm to represent the human and divine natures of Christ.
If we were an Eastern Orthodox bishop or priest we would hold our fingers in such a way that they form the Greek abbreviation for Jesus Christ “IC XC”
If we were consecrating a Bishop or a Priest, we would use two hands in order to create three movements in honour of the Trinity.

The Rev. Bosco Peters makes the following three observations:
– The sign of the Cross Is regularly used to start prayer, at the absolution, at a blessing at the end of the service. Many are signed with a cross in ash on the forehead on Ash Wednesday. The sign Is there at the beginning and end of the service; the beginning and end of a life.

– We make the sign of the Cross- in the name the Father, Son and Holy Spirit and commit ourselves to a journey from my head, into my heart, and lived out in our lives.

– The sign of the Cross marks out- this time, this person, this money, this place, this community.

We gather to meet with God
Father, Son and Holy Spirit
To be aware of your presence in our day
For you Lord are here now; your Spirit dwells within us
To bring you our worship
And offer you our praise
To be conscious that you walk beside us
And we do not make the journey alone
God our Creator
make us new
Lord of life
make us new
Spirit of life
make us new
.                      Adapted from Lighting Beacons Liturgy

During the coming week, we commit ourselves to a journey from the head to the heart and seek to demonstrate your love and grace in our lives.