Must we be carried to the skies
On flowery beds of ease
While others fought to gain the prize
And sailed through stormy seas?
- Isaac Watts
So ran the hymn we sang in our congregation yesterday morning. One of those rabble-rousing-stir-the-blood kind of hymns. Certainly did the trick for me. It’s been quite a week with evangelism in Worcester (two days) Coventry (two days) an open air event in Coventry and the Goldsmiths gospel-music-drama-media event that evening.
We’ve dished out near 5000 Streetpapers (our ‘good news papers’), careered up and down streets singing and chanting, talked to people, sang to people, listened to people, loved people. It’s been great, but astonishingly tiring. The last of many conversations I had with complete strangers this weekend was with Fraser and Megan in Cov. We talked about why God doesn’t make His existence blatantly obvious (mountains with ‘I am God’ carved on them and such like heavenly graffiti); we talked about Jesus (fictional? mad? bad? God?); we talked about relationships and brotherhood. They were nice. They got me thinking. I got them thinking. I was glad to finish on such a note.
Except, I’m not really finishing. This manic week may have finished and I’ve gone back to work for a rest – but the mission rolls on. We want to plant radical church in Worcester. We want a thousand people in Christian community. We want hundreds of thousands to hear the message of God’s love.
We’re the Jesus Army – come and join us!
7 comments:
mmm must be losing it somewhere .. flowery beds of ease has a certain enticing ring to it that fighting storm-ridden seas juat doesn't. The rabble were obviously in a different row to me on Sunday as those either side and next door but one to me has already mentally lain ourselves on beds of sweet smelling heather and been covered with orange blossom petals.... possibly a gender difference - or shouldn't I raise that one again????
well we raised from our flowery beds but lets just watch we do not fall back in them we need to be so very conscience that apthy does not set in from here in
I am excited about the worcester work I make no scret of the fact that i had a vision 15 years ago for this scene and have held it dear in my heart, so I am filled with vigor and excitement even though \i know that ia m not part of the planting team I am with yoiu very much in spirit.
I dop not know about you but I found last week deeply challenging and a place of deep growth in my spirit
It was truely an honour and privldge to share the drive and togetherness that whitestone have very humbling and truely convicting something to ponder on and take back to my own household and to seek Gods face as to how weto can work in one direction and build holy togetherness that is cutting and unifying
Thanks for the honour
hmm did we sing that hymm on sunday as i dont have any memory of this o well but yea it is a good one
That verse from the hymn always makes me smile, can't beat a bit of holy sarcasm.
Grace keeps us going long after we ran out of our own steam. Well done! What a team. So much bread cast on the waters, so many lives touched. I'm proud of you and yours. Do tell them.
lol i cant help smiling at that last line. ever since i heard your daughter singing it on the loo!
"Happy... are the people...
Oi!" sung many, many times was probably the highlight for me, as well as seeing many young disciples grow in the experience of being part of a campaign team.
Let's keep doing the business!
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