I’ve been to London today. I do not know what it is about the city but I seem to love it and thrive on the business and anonymity of everything that is going on around me. I come back energised and particularly love Covent Garden. It’s a great place to sit with a drink, chat with friends and just watch people (although today I was working for the majority of the time).

As I watched the anonymous faces some thoughts came to mind … as they do.

It was apparant that each anonymous face was different, whether this be in age, gender, walk, style of dress, or whatever. It was fun trying to guess where people were from or what they were doing. They were even different in how they walked around the place; some were purposeful, focussed and walking in a rapid straight line. Others kinda drifted from here to there, stopped, went back, turned around, watched the entertainers and so on.

I found myself wondering if both the rushers and the meanderers were not unlike the lost sheep wandering that Jesus spoke of in Mark 6. Those in need of a Shepherd. And that kind of brings me back to what we were discussing the other day; that every one is different and no one model, idea or style will suit all of these people. They need a shepherd that will be relevant to them. Actually, I thought, they already have one; they just don’t know about him. So, how are they going to find out? The only answer I could come upo with was that those who already know him have to find ways of interacting so they can share the info. We need to become ‘mission minded’ Christians and not relax and think our one style Sunday morning will wok for everyone.

At the Phuture sight, Kim Hammond thinks about The Characteristics of a Missional Church – definitely worth a read.