URBANarmy

OK of very little worth and a complete waste of time. But if you did happen to play for Brazil what would your name be? A bit of fun here Yours sincerely Cottereiro da Costa!

Mostly I use puesdonyms when I write, sometimes I don't - I'm glad Mr Hopgood was always really Mr Hopgood. Mr Hopgood was a regular feature of URBANarmy several years back. At the time I could not get my head around how I could not help this elderly, very eccentric homeless guy who had been made street homeless when a hostel closed for a refurb. Everyday Mr Hopgood would come into the community lounge at Poplar for breakfast, lunch, warmth and a sleep. Everyday we would help Mr Hopgood in with his over sized suitcase. Everyday Mr Hopgood would sit and create his own atmosphere as the aroma of street aftermath would percolate! Mr Hopgood had a story. They say a brilliant mind that for some unknown catalyst went over the edge. He spent most of his adult life in hostels refusing to bath or on the streets. He came to us in the winter frozen. He came to sleep and to eat. There he would find warmth and tolerance among the mothers and their children. Then at 1:30pm after a lunch off ...

As we learn to 'live within the contours of God's future', eschatology rather than an excuse for disengagement becomes the 'empowerment for radical engagement'. Charles Ringma talks of a church's preoccupation that loses sight of the fact that the Christian faith is fundamentally eschatological in orientation. Something is missing when people's preoccupation for tomorrow leaves no significance or time for today. Yet a strong emphasis exists that would indicate the real danger of living for the future in such a way that the present is seen as unnecessary; a real danger of living waiting for the 'life to come' at the expense of the world now; a real danger of 'soul-saving' that has heavenly significance at the expense of the work of justice and social transformation. I sometimes wonder if eschatology could represent a lost theme of mission? "Why offer a sticking plaster when major surgery is required .... why offer a sleeping bag when an e...

It was great to be able to visit Poplar to lead worship today, great to see old and new faces and to catch up with old friends. There is something odd about being a visitor where you feel totally familiar and at home. It was great to see some of the old characters and to catch up with those we shared a significant journey with. The only disappointment really was that there was no Patrick Pantlin. He slept in!

I saw him leaving on the Close Circuit TV monitor as I was putting my bag in the office. I had arrived late - as usual! - to the drop in at Faith House. As I slipped the rucksack off my back I saw him look vaguely in the direction of the security camera and then disappear in the the evening streets of Kings Cross. Chris never stays long - just long enough for us all to see and acknowledge his life. It was good to see him. Chris had not been seen at FH for most of the summer and we were getting worried. Phone calls had been made to hospitals, fearing the worst, the next stage was to make contact with the morgues. Chris is clearly very ill, it doesn't take much imagination to think that he is HIV+, for weeks we had seen him deteriorate. So his complete disappearance was a concern for us all. I came up into the kitchen " heh ... was that Chris I just saw leaving...?" The joy and celebration in the eyes of the other workers and volunteers was tangible. "It ce...

While Pentecostal 'Bishop' Michael Reid has drawn some negative attention in recent years, and his book in many ways represents one of those give away Ph.D's from an unknown American seminary. There are some interesting points that are worth noting when considering evil and spiritual warfare. After giving a historical context through looking how an understanding of evil developed as an apologetic for the catastrophic fall of Jerusalem in 586 BC and the subsequent period of exile (586- 539 BC) and how the exile also exposed the Jewish people to new influences in particular Zoroastrianism he makes several interesting points worth keeping in mind in wrestling with any theology of evil and spiritual warfare that goes beyond glib! We fail to understand where Christianity ends and paganism begins. We do not know where the boundaries are. There is no explicit biblical teaching relating to the demonisation of Christians, by implication the Scripture makes it quite clear that this ...

I got to see Channel 4's Grow Your Own last week. I bought the DVD for Pernell and took a sneak preview before I posted it over to him. Great little film, full of character and charm. A modern parable for what church should be. The dynamic at a set of allotments is upset when the white working class gardeners are introduced to various immigrant families who are given allotments by social services in order to develop a sense of purpose and self-sufficiency. It was great to sit back and watch this 'nice' film develop if not rather predictably. Themes of inclusion, grace, love, compassion, restoration, justice, integration are woven together as the various ethnic groups become accepted and move in from the margins to a place of value as a new community is built and developed. I loved this film and went and bought my own copy!

It is the little things that count at Faith House, things that we would all take for granted but speak volumes in helping the largely valueless in society to feel some kind of worth. One of the things that I have learned at Faith House is that the average drink is tea two sugars. There is something really profound in being able to remember how someone drinks their tea. For some of these guys, for someone to not only know their name but also know how many sugars they take in their tea is symbolic of belonging. It speaks of family. Acceptance. When I first arrived at FH I marvelled at the memory of some of the volunteers who knew just how people took their tea, and saw how included the men were left feeling. Now I know that you can't go far wrong in guessing - tea ... two sugars!

If you receive a Facebook message (or a Facebook message alert in your email) with a questionable subject line, DO NOT CLICK THE LINK IN THE BODY! All of the information in this post was garnered from an awesome article from news.com.au by Narelle Towie. Questionable subject titles vary from “Maan,yyou’re great!” to “your ass looks not bad in this video”, “Some0ne thinks your special and has a *Hot_Crush* on you. Find out who it could be*” or a youtube link that says ‘”i can see yooooooooo”. These links disguise a trojan worm and should not be clicked. Having had six messages today from various random people suggesting how good various parts of my body look on videos they have found on youtube - I'd say this is very much a true threat. For the techies apparently a trojan virus. Fabulous Firefox out foxed them when I explored what it was about by pasting the link rather than clicking on it. Someone is after your bank details....? More here

The 'Soup Kitchen Challenge' is a novel fundraising idea that the New Covent Garden Food Company is doing in conjunction with The Salvation Army. With the proceeds raised to support resettlement work and social programmes that focus on food and nutrition. Find out more here

My daily Henri Nouwen email meditation said this today... How does the Church witness to Christ in the world? First and foremost by giving visibility to Jesus' love for the poor and the weak. In a world so hungry for healing, forgiveness, reconciliation, and most of all unconditional love, the Church must alleviate that hunger through its ministry. Wherever we feed the hungry, clothe the naked, visit the lonely, listen to those who are rejected, and bring unity and peace to those who are divided, we proclaim the living Christ, whether we speak about him or not. Subscribe to the email service here .

It was great to relax last week in Portugal - Algarve has to be one of most stunning coastlines I've been to and to be able to sit back and enjoy it in the sun was a boon! I thought I'd catch up on some novels while away. Young, W. (2007). The Shack. Grand Rapids: Windblown Media The Shack I read with the warning that I would hate it! Certainly the disclaimer that if I didn't enjoy the book it was not meant for me was a handy loophole. I think it would only be fair to say I would imagine that there would be others that would benefit from this book more than me!! Trying not to be bruisingly cynical and without wanting to spoil the plot, I struggled with the over personification of the Trinity, particular moments of intimacy, knowing looks and winks in the community of God made me gag. The overplay of the obvious left me groaning with too many 'oh really moments...!' Put that aside and the ridiculous depiction of God the Father as a pastry baking 'mamma two s...

A week in the sun made a difference for a Cotterill family holiday - well done Portugal!! It was good to read, enjoy various beaches, coves and inlets on the Algarve. To explore the delights of Moorish castles and ports. To play in the sea, to eat Sardines, to make up stories and enjoy being together!!