We took the cross out today...

We took the cross out today. Through the market we walked. Followed the cross to a solemn, mournful beat of a deep, hollow drum. The market was busy. The sun was warm. The world carries on. Chrisp packet’s crunched, police sirens, noise of laughter, talk, swearing, chirpy banter, an argument, dogs barking.

We took the cross out today and carried it to let the world know that this holiday has meaning. Some stop, others point, some look, others mimic. Most ignore. "Leave it out I’m trying to make a f***ing living..." derided one market stall holder – there irony to his comment which borders on the profound! The mournful beat carries on and so do we. So does the world.

I feel uncomfortable…I’m glad to be finished… glad to be back inside… glad to be away from the staring, shouting and ridicule. I don’t know what impact our procession has made. One way or the other we made a spectacle of ourselves!

I know it has made me think – it is easier to leave the cross indoors, but that isn’t where it should be. It made me think about the church, it’s life and mission. I wonder about how we become comfortable, content to leave the cross indoors. It’s made me think of the debates I get involved in, issues, things that concern me that forces the cross behind closed doors in the shadows.

It makes me feel uncomfortable.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A bit of sally bashing....

Came across a good bit of Sally bashing over at salvationsoldiers I have to say we try and make sure that everything we raise goes into projects that build local community in Poplar but hopefully if you read this blog you get that sense anyway.
Read more

Lost Voices of Mission...Fred Brown

Image
Along the world famous Oxford street in London's Westend; nestled in among the classy frontage of designer shops there is almost an unnoticeable, unimpressive wooden door. It is more or less alongside The Regent Hall's main entrance onto the busyness of Oxford Street. People pass the wooden door oblivious to the equally unimpressive wooden steps that go up three storey's to what was Regent Hall's youth club. When I was 10 I played on these bare wooden steps totally unaware of the significance behind and upon which I played. Many years later I discovered a university youth work course - as an induction to Youth Work - stopped outside this insignificant wooden door to point out that Youth Work as we know it in the UK started behind this door. ...whether that be the surbanite flower people that flooded the Westend to express their free love; or the hard core drug community this unimpressive wooden door became the 'portal' that blurred encounter between church an...
Read more

Types of Christian Spirituality...

Image
It is easy to think and to limit ourselves to a single approach to Christian spirituality. A 'if it works for me it should work for you approach' tends to narrow our appreciation of other ways which actually impoverishes our experience of spirituality. Urban T. Holmes has developed a means of exploring spirituality and helps develop an appreciation through discovering links between spirituality, temperament and predisposition. The diagram illustrates his ideas together with potential inherent dangers. The vertical continuum speaks and helps us understand our relational orientation to God. This ranges from engaging with God through understanding and theological process to a more emotive response. Horizontally speaks of a persons preferred means of pursuing the spiritual life. Kataphtic speaks of affirmation and the need of something tangible in an individuals spirituality- this may take the form of worship, art, even imagination with the use of metaphors, symbols and images play...
Read more