Monthly Archives: June 2013

where is the sanctuary …?

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failI have been catching up a little of blog reading and reflection. One of my favourite blogs is Jamie the Very Worst Missionary. Her writings connect in a real way and it is refreshing to hear an honest account of how ‘ministry, calling, a life of mission, or whatever you wish to a call it impacts on your life and the life of others. You will not find any of those quick fix cheesy one liners which soem use to try and fix things that don’t necessarily need fixing on this blog. I guess what I find rereshing here is the realistic approach to the pain of ministry.

Anyway … this blog post is really challenging and Jamie ends with a question and a challenge: If the Church is to lead people to the foot of the Cross, then we better have a damn good answer when the world asks, “Um, excuse me. Where is the Sanctuary?

Go read the rest of the article … I think this is a massive challenge to all involved in church …. then lets think about the answer ….

all there?

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Sayings-about-your-presenceI had the pleasure of meeting up with a friend for lunch today to chat about God stuff and the gathering. It’s always quite exciting for me to ‘connect’ with someone that simply ‘gets’ what we are trying to do and where we are coming from faith wise.

As I’ve Examen (d) my day the John Taylor quote from Primal Vision has infused my head like some strong perfume that just wont drift away. It’s not that I have ever forgotten this quote, it is one of my favourite quotes from one of my favourite books on mision, but today it has been re-awoken in some fresh way:

“The Christian, who stands in that world in the name of Christ, has nothing to offer unless they offer to be present, really and totally present, really and totally in the present. The failure of so many ‘professional’ Christian has been that they are ‘not all there!’

That challenges me at a time when I am now itching to get moving on the project of having a Christian presence in the High Street. It has caused me to, rightly, wonder whether I am ‘all there’ when I am with the people I see weekly, sometimes daily, for very similar conversations. Taylor has yet again reminded me that it’s not about buildings, projects, plans, activities or even servant hearted social action stuff. This is all about people and needs to remain about people and needs to be driven by people.

So … thank you friends I have seen today and John Taylor for allowing God to speak through you today and into my life.

that was the fair …

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dek bootfairWell that was pretty amazing, and the best and most exciting Sunday that I think I have had for such a long time.

Most of the team awoke at around 5/520 am  to arrive at a large field by 6am. It was grey, quiet, a little chilly ….. but many people were active. As stall holders set their stalls up people were already trying to buy stuff. People asked if they could buy the icon and our deck chairs, and I think we could have sold the holy oils!

All through the day I think it’s true to say that people did not quite ‘get’ that we were the only stall there not trying to sell anything. People wondered about the catch and were not entirely comfortable with receiving something for nothing. We were not even pushing what we had to give away. If people looked interested we invited them to look more closely and take part. This sensitive low key approach ensured people were comfortable.

The day was amazing. I’m guessing thousands of people passed us, and we probably only engaged with say 50 people, but the levels of those engagements were quite amazing. People asked us to pray for or with them or for family members. People were interested in Psalm Readings and Jesus Deck readings. One person told me how they had met Jesus as they were trying to commit suicide and how the experience stopped that from happening. I think this was raised as the person was trying to make sense of what they had experienced.

That one conversation made the whole day worthwhile for me. The other personal highlight was, though, seeing the rest of team grow in confidence as they put their training into practice and saw that God used them … even in their nervousness! I love seeing people realise that they can be involved in mission and that it is all about listening to stories of other people.

As a trial we think this went well. As we ran the stall we were able to think of other things to offer (maybe a short communion service at 11am?) and how to set the stall up differently.

If you visited us today, then thank you it was great to see you. Sue and myself aso wish to thank the team – you really were amazing! l. It seems that everyone had at least one significant conversation with a guest to Dekhomai. So … next week we will be there … if you go to boot fairs come and say hi … if you think you might like to work with us on the stall, there is space and time for training so get in touch.

So … that was the fair …. bring on the the fair!

to the fair ….

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jesusdeckTomorrow we take Dekhomai to the boot fair.

We are guessing that we will be a unique stall in that we will be the only people there not selling anything. Our aim is to welcome and explore spiritually.

We will be offering things for free … prayer for healing, prayer beads, Jesus Deck readings and hand massages.

This is the first time we have gone into such a public setting and a number of the team are naturally nervous. A number of us, as well, are pretty excited and intrigued to see what sort of response we notice. so …. if you are the praying type please pray for us tomorrow morning …. we will be there from 6am until about 12 noon.

I’ll let you know what happens sometime soon.

going nowhere slowly … but seeing all the sights

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DSC_0188I said my reflections from my time away might take a while to filter through.
Today I have been reflecting a little more on my mission here at home and how my time away has refreshed and challenged that.

Today I described my ‘stage’ in the Gillingham thing as one of a standstill …. like I am hitting my head against a brick wall. It’s bizarre … I have met no less than 8 people who share this vision to have something, some form of Christian presence (I like to talk of a 21st century Abbey … a house of prayer, community, support and hospitality) in the High Street. Even councillors and other professional in the area are supportive. If we had this building tomorrow there are 9 of us that could devote some time to doing something. There is even an empty building that is crying out to be occupied. Interestingly there are only 2 empty buildings in the main part of the High Street … and one would be perfect.

But … frustratingly we wait. I don’t know why …. I’ve been waiting since September …. and i must admit to being tired of waiting …. but wait we must.

And then I thought of my time in Seattle while listening to a Frank Turner track (langauge warning … don’t click if offended by the ‘f’ word and ignore the last 2 lines …. of course I don’t subscribe to the last 2 lines!) on my travels this evening.

There is something about living in the moment, not worrying too much about the destination and enjoying the sights of the journey that I think is important and has possibly become something I have missed or forgotten. I mentioned in my last paost how I had noticed a better work life balance. I think what I was struck by mor was the great allowance i think i observed of simply letting the moment be the moment.

Maybe I am talking crap here (it has been a long day) and I am pretty much thinking aloud. But …. despite my frustrations of lack of movement, and in the words of Frank Turner, I am going nowhere slowly …. but I am seeing all the sights.

Sights of God at work, sights of the Kingdom breaking through very slowly into the community of Gillingham. Sights of love, care and compassion amongst certain persons. Gillingham is a place riddled with cracks. Buildings and people are literally falling apart …. and yet it is through those cracks that I observe something fresh, exciting and infectious …. maybe unsettling and challenging yet strangely familiar and warming.

So I am still tired of waiting, I still think we need a building …. but I am happy in the certainty that God is just as much fully in the journey and the sights as God is fully in the final destination.

Does that make sense?
Now …. give us that flipping building!!!

the creative beauty of Seattle

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DSC_0028The time in Seattle was awesome …. maybe an overused and overrated word … but it describes the 7 days I had in this city perfectly.

Returning for a week after four years brought many things back to mind. I am not sure I can reflect on my week in one simple post. There may be a few posts over the next few days that develop from my reflecting

I guess one word that comes to mind when i think if Seattle is the word ‘beauty’. There is the beauty of the city as photos can and so show. There is, however, much more that struck me about the beauty of the people. People are polite. People speak on buses and trains. People ask if they can help. Coming from Gillingham, this was a healthy and welcome culture change. In traffic jams people in Seattle don’t even blow their horns!

I had forgotten how ‘chilled’ people seem to be in Seattle. There was a good fun DSC_0031atmosphere with people enjoying each other, food, drink, good coffee and of course the scenery on magnificent sunny days. People had space and time. I was reminded how people there seem to have a much better work life balance than we do in the UK. People seem to socialise more after having a definite end to the working day, whereas here we simply seem to work.

That brings me on to my next word … creative.

I met a load of creative people. It was good to meet up with Lacey again from COTA. The gathering has used some of Lacey’s music which is worth checking our either under her own website or via the worship stuff for COTA Seattle. It was good to experience COTA’s worship again. It was like coming home and I can’t put that feeling into words.

For creativity to happen it needs space. The people I have just spent a week with seem to get that. I seem to have forgotten that. I have been wondering why my creativity, my writing, my photographing, and so on has come to a halt. It’s due to lack of ‘space’ to create. Big ides need big spaces ….. i need to readdress the space issue.

the happy coupleBut back to beauty in Seattle. My first post cannot go without mentioning the whole overriding purpose of my visit. On Saturday 8th June at 430pm i had the honour, pleasure and privilege of officiating at the wedding ceremony of Meghan and Luke at Church of the Apostles in Seattle. That was an amazingly special time with a beautiful couple and some pretty amazing friends. The day was a joy, and there was loads of love flying around! They are clearly a couple that not only love many people, but are also loved by many.

As I said in my last post … once in a while some pretty amazing privileges pop up …. and this was one.

Thanks Meghan and Lucas for trusting me …
Thanks Jana and James for hosting me … you were amazing!
Thanks Lacey and April for just being the brilliant organised creatives that you are and guiding me
Thanks Rachel for the humour and the encouragement
Cheers Gary for the meet-up and the new bars
Thanks Eric and Ivar for the friendship
Thanks everyone for a great city!

Once in a while …

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wedding-rings-wallpaper1Once in a while being ordained brings some pretty amazing surprises and privileges. I have one such privilege over the next few days as I travel to Seattle to marry a pretty special couple who I have got to know, mainly from my placement at COTA and their time with me in Rochester.

I feel undeserving of such an experience but am feeling very excited to be able to take part in a ceremony of such significance and beauty for a couple I have come to care deeply about. The service will be beautiful and reflects well the couple I have got to know.

So … as a sideline as well I am off to drink coffee, hopefully a porter or two, check out some sights and meet with some old friends …. but most of all I get to play a small part in a pretty special and amazing day for Meghan and Lucas.

Once in a while …. we find ourselves in special places … amazing!

lunch for 500!

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big lunch 1St Mark’s hosted The Big Lunch this afternoon. It was an amazing experience with around 500 people attending on what turned out to be a pretty glorious day weather wise.

I was in awe during this event for a number of reasons. Seeing many good friends from the last few years working together to provide an amazing event for the community was excellent to see. Seeing others, particularly our young people, and my daughter and her friends, providing the live music caused a bit of a proud dad moment. Events like this do not happen overnight … they happen after years of relationship building with the community …. and with a great co-ordinator who just happens to be my wife!

Another highlight for me with a particular group of people who responded to this post theme a little while back was our trial of Dekhomai in this setting. We did some hand dekhomaimassage and Jesus Deck training in the morning and in the afternoon people stepped out of their comfort zone and gave things a go. The outcome in the shape of conversations, prayers with people and seeing God speak powerfully in a very gentle way with many people was simply a stunning and awe inspiring experience.

So … St Mark’s and other people ….. that was amazing. Thank you for letting us play a small part.