The Kingdom of God and a Bad Attitude...

I look at the other coaches in the service station as we pull in – all looking much the same really. Coaches of elderly people. Coaches of brownies; Coaches of girl guides. Coaches of young people and then us. We’re on a church outing to Brighton and it strikes me amusing that we are a complete mish-mash of chaotic humanity, a community of non-uniformity. Black...white; young...old; resettled homeless guys...professionals.

As the other coaches pull out I see them looking and I wonder. I wonder what they think? What they see? I wonder whether in their wildest guess they can see in our diversity the Kingdom of God?

I then wonder if my attitude today is demonstrating the kingdom. Too be honest you can stick your obedience, indignation and compassion stuff of the other day. I really need a break from seeing people. I then wonder if my begrudging attitude of giving up my one day in what seems weeks to spend the day on the beach with the likelihood of rain – does anything to promote the kingdom. I want to do selfish...

The girls are in bed - Kate and I grab some time together "was it worth it...?" Well actually it was a good day. People who don’t get a break got one today. People who can’t escape the city escaped. People who don’t get the annual holiday to France excitement were able to wake up this morning excited because they were going on a trip.

That was yesterday. Today in church...

"Gordon – thanks for yesterday!" Patrick’s hand is on my arm. He looks me in the face smiles his toothy best and in a unique moment of sanity proudly gives me his creation - a picture of Brighton. We hug.



(Brighton by Patrick Pantlin age 69)

I guess it was worth it...!

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

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

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