Reflections

There have been oh-so-many puddles in England this summer. I thought it might be appropriate to take a minute to peer into one of them and reflect before I cross the pond once again.

It’s true that in many ways England and the United States are very similar places. Both are “western” nations and English speaking, and many things transfer from one country to the other – we got “The Office;” they got “The Simpsons.” But there are still so many ways in which Britain is a foreign country to me and there are things that I think a person can learn about himself through foreign travel. Ugly as they are, I believe I’ve become a bit more mindful of some of the prejudices I hold about any number of things, particularly related to nationalism. I have found myself in conversation about foreign affairs with people here and found myself immediately defending the United States and being quite proud of where I come from. On some level I think it is important to hold a level pf pride concerning your heritage, but upon reflection it seems that there aren’t always valid reasons for that pride or defense of our country. I don’t think it was really necessary to travel abroad to find other points of view, but being in this kind of a situation certainly does force it rather quickly. There really is no avoiding it when you leave your own country. I do think it’s necessary, even as Americans living in the United States, to be critical of our government’s policies, regardless of political affiliation. It seems all too easy to avoid this responsibility, however, if you never leave the country. This is especially crucial for us as Christians, I believe, since our nationality, ultimately, belongs to the Kingdom of God and not to any particular political body. If we are to then live responsibly where God has placed us, we must maintain a critical eye towards the nation we live in, not only for our own sake but for those around us as well.

There have been various times in my life when I’ve gone on these short-term opportunities - periods in which I know for certain that my time in a certain places is limited, that there is a fixed date for my departure. Working at a summer camp on three different occasions was similar to that. In those situations, it seems that your sense of “mission” is heightened. There is no question that you are in that place for a specific time for a specific purpose and it seems easier to maintain that focus. The same could be said for my time here in England. Knowing that three months was all the time I was afforded here, I think I was quite intentional about the way I interacted with people and the way I went about my work for Green Street Green. Now, as I return home, I wonder if I might be able to maintain that same sense of concentration in what I do in the States – a more definite sense of purpose in my schoolwork, in my relationships, in my church, and so on.

Finally, it was a great personal encouragement being here with these people. One of my bigger questions going into this experience had to do with my vocational goals. I was quite unsure of the way to proceed after seminary. Yet I’ve received a lot of encouragement from those here to pursue a career in teaching, which had been one of my considerations. Of course, I don’t know yet where I’ll do that – whether in secondary schools, colleges, or the local church – but in any case, it will be in the service of the Lord and His Church.

I do also want to give a hearty wish of gratitude to all of you who have kept up with my adventures in England, who have prayed for my time here, and who have offered words of encouragement from time to time. This has been a real blessing. I do look forward to coming back home, but I think I will always look back on this summer positively. Thank you all for helping with that. And if you could, please pray the next couple of days that my flight home would be smooth and safe. I'll see you all soon.

Soul Survivor

I ought to say a few things about my week at Soul Survivor, the largest youth festival in Britain. I'm thinking it's going to be somewhat difficult to do simply because there seem to be in my brain so many things I could say about it. Regardless, let's see where we get.

First, a brief description of the event. 10 or 11 thousand teens and youth workers descend on the Royal Bath and West Showground in Shepton Mallet, Somerset. It's in the middle of nowhere, but where else are you going to facilitate that many teenagers? Everyone camps throughout the week, which revolves around two-a-day meetings - one at 11:00 am, one at 7:00 pm - with seminars available in the morning and afternoon.

A typical meeting might go something like this: announcements to get people updated on any scheduling changes, followed by a short talk highlighting a specific ministry, like Slum Survivor, an initiative to get young people thinking about and raising money for the one billion people who live in slums all their lives; or a variety of gap year opportunities, in which a teen can spend a year working in ministry abroad before going off to university. Next, a lengthy set of worship music begins, usually lasting 30-45 mins. These are the main focus of the event, as the church that started Soul Survivor is the church from which Matt Redman ("Heart of Worhip," "Blessed Be Your Name") and Tim Hughes ("Light of the World [Here I Am to Worship]," "Beautiful One") came. In fact, Tim Hughes led a few of the worship sets and he is very good. After the first set of music, who knows what might happen. There was always a talk scheduled, but often the Holy Spirit would start working on people before the music stopped and so the talks were delayed to give room for God to do whatever it was He was going to do. More on this later. The talk that followed probably went for 20-30 mins and focused on the theme, "Into His Likeness" (the "likeness" being Jesus', since that's kind of the goal of Christianity, for people to be transformed more and more into Jesus' character [Rom. 8:29]). Next, another worship music set would follow and this was more or less indefinite. That is, it could have gone on all night so as to again give room for the Lord to what He was going to do in people (again, more on this later).

So that's more or less what it looked like. It also looked damp and dreary and chilly (at least for summer). It rained every day. One morning it was sunny, but when we left the morning meeting at 12:30, it was raining again. By the way, I've quit looking at the sky and asking "Why is it raining?" and instead started saying "Of course it's raining." We did have a caravan that we used to store food and cook meals and an enclosed awning in which to eat. And I think most of our stuff stayed dry in our tents, so the rain really didn't bother us much.

OK, now what really happened last week? Well, I think I can say with confidence that God met with each of us on some real personal levels. Each of the young people that came along with us were definitely touched at one time or another and certainly Penny and I were as well. And here's where the "giving space to God" thing comes in. I'll try to explain as best I can for those who may read this and wonder what I'm talking about.

I don't know if I could articulate it perfectly from a theological perspective, but when we worship Jesus, stuff happens (how's that for theological language?). I think what it comes down to is that when we worship and give wholehearted praise to the Lord, we do something like opening doors to our heart that give permission for the Holy Spirit to come and "sort us out." I think anyone who has done any kind of work with people long-term understands that at the core, people rarely change, especially by our own efforts. But this is something that our Creator does exceptionally well, especially if we give Him room to do so. So in worship, it's like inviting Him to rearrange our attitudes or heal our scars or our pain or do whatever else He knows needs to happen to further conform us into Jesus' likeness.

At the Soul Survivor meetings, this didn't necessarily have to happen in conjunction with talks or sermons, it was just through the praising of our God. You see, we'd be singing at the top of our lungs for 30 minutes or so and then you'd start hearing people here and there crying or screaming and you knew that the Holy Spirit was starting to heal old wounds as a surgeon might work on our physical bodies, which is likewise briefly painful (but for good reason). And as this started to happen, we simply prayed that God would continue and do more. And sure enough, it wasn't long before more people would be touched by the Lord. What's really remarkable, I think, is that none of this was at the prompting of those running the meetings. There was literally no coercion involved.

Maybe I can describe this better with a personal story. For most of the week, I was blessed simply by being able to praise God loudly and freely without having to have anything prepared ahead of time (I had been leading worship regularly at church for the last year, where I'd have to have some kind of responsibility during church - it can be difficult to worship and lead at the same time, but not impossible). If that's all that had happened, I'd have been satisfied. But on the last night, in which there was no teaching, I simply asked God what, if anything, He had for me. Background interruption: for many reasons, I think I've consistently had problems approaching the Lord as a loving and gracious Father, as He is described in the Bible. This, I think, has also affected the way in which I interact with male authority figures. I can do it on a business level, but it's difficult for me to do that relationship on a personal level. Back to present: shortly after I prayed, I found myself whispering to myself or to God or both, "Don't leave me Father, don't leave me Father," again and again. Before long I found myself weeping, but not with sadness. Rather, I think it came from an overwhelming realization that indeed He wouldn't and that at that moment He was in the process of wrapping His arms around me in a way that made it possible to trust Him with my tears. I'm not exactly sure how long this went on. 30 mins? 45? I don't know. But when I finally opened my eyes, I just felt lighter. It's that simple. When that process began, I could tell that a few people had gathered around me to pray for me even though my eyes were closed, but none of them prayed out loud. None of them knew what it was I was going through. I'm confident that all they really prayed was that God would keep up whatever He was doing, giving Him room to work.

Anyway, that's a quick glimpse of Soul Survivor, which has certainly been one of the highlights of this season in England. The pictures included are one of the meetings and a few of the youth that came from Green Street Green. I come home in a week, so I'll try to post again this week with some broad reflections. Peace.

The Son of Encouragement

Hello everyone,

Quickly, I want to put a note out there before I go away to Soul Survivor and can't get to my computer for the next week.

This morning Penny and I led the service at GSG and it went really well. We were discussing the falling out between Paul and Barnabas in Acts 15. Barnabas wants to take John Mark along on the next journey, but Paul refuses because John Mark had abandoned them once before. Paul, though he's a great hero in the church, gets it wrong here, I think. It's Barnabas who chooses to invest in John Mark when he was a "risky investment," which, of course, is a real Christ-like way of treating him. I mean, how many of us have deserved Christ's love? Um, none. And yet, he loves us and pours his Spirit into us regardless of our history. As Christians, then, it's our responsibility to pour into others in turn, just as Barnabas had done for Paul (Acts 9) and then for John Mark (Acts 15). Anyway, that's what we talked about. The Lord was really there and I think it really impacted some people in a positive way.

Tomorrow Penny and I leave for Soul Survivor for a week. I've still got tons of washing and packing to do before then. But please pray for us and the youth that are coming along. Pray that we all be touched by God there. Thanks everyone. I'll report on it all when I get back.

Coming Attractions

Things have been slow here in Green Street Green and so posts have been few recently, I know. Here's an update. We're officially about halfway into the summer holidays in Britain. You see, kids don't get out of school here until the end of July and then they get about six weeks off before going back in mid-September. During those six weeks is when everyone goes away on holiday (they don't do vacations in the UK). With so many people gone, the church really cuts down its programs too. There is no Sunday evening service, no Tuesday or Thursday youth clubs, no Friday youth meetings, either. We've done a few day trips with people, which I've tried to report on, but none this week.

I've taken the extra time to do a lot of work on some seminary classes that I've taken along for the journey. So that's what I've been up to.

Things do get busy again over the next week and a half, though. This afternoon I'm leaving for some place in Norfolk county along the coast for a couple days with some friends. This trip is solely for hanging out purposes. On Sunday morning, Penny and I are leading the service, which is about Paul's and Barnabas' friendship. Please pray for that and I'll report back afterwards. Then on Monday Penny and I leave with several kids for Soul Survivor, a big youth festival somewhere in the UK (people tell me the names of places, but I forget them because I have no concept of where things are here). Anyway, I'm anticipating a rather intense week with the young people. Please pray for us that week as well.

OK, until later.

God's Irony, Part Two

The last several days have been really thought provoking. I'll do my best to intelligibly relate what's been tumbling about in my brain recently.

Years ago, Maynard's nephew worked with a guy named Matt, who is from Kansas City, MO. Just recently Maynard had learned that Matt was going to be in London and had an interesting story to tell and so Maynard invited him for Sunday dinner. So there was the 6'10" Matt, whom none of us really knew, sitting in the Newman house with Maynard, Joan, Jon, and Anna, Seggie (a French girl who used to live with the Newmans), and me and telling us all about his recent adventures (you'll recognize Matt in the photo as the one who looks by his size that he could be in the foreground, when really he's towards the back). Matt has been traveling around the world this year. So far on this journey he's been through Central and South America, Antarctica, South Africa and much of Africa's east coast, the Middle East, Turkey, Romania, Austria, and now London. Next stop: Ireland, Scandinavia, Russia, China, Australia... It's quite a trip.

Apparently, Matt had been visiting friends in Japan a few years ago when he read a quote by Mark Twain: "Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." This got him thinking about what he was doing and what he was leaving undone. Among his goals at the time were to visit all 50 states and to set foot on all seven continents, which he is currently doing and blogging about. It was such an enjoyable time to hear his story and to catch some level of inspiration from it, even if I don't plan to travel the whole world myself.

The next day I was reading a book on God's multicultural intentions for the church. The introductory chapter is the stories, in part, of the three co-authors, each of whom has some relevant history in multicultural settings in the US or abroad. As I read, I found myself identifying with their stories as some of the unease I've felt here in the UK.

You see, a few days prior, a woman I met through Joan and Maynard asked me how I was liking England. I found myself hesitant to answer, which probably says more than what I actually said. I did eventually reply, saying that when I went to Scotland several years ago, I felt very much at home from the moment the plane touched down. I don't know why, but it just hasn't been the same with England. There's no real way to put a finger on it, but somehow you know you're not quite the same as the people all around you. In some sense this seems strange because I could easily blend into a crowd here in England. I don't look any different from anybody else and I dress about the same. Furthermore, American and British cultures are, in many ways, very similar - and all the more so as the world grows smaller and political ties between the States and the UK strengthen. But my identity as a foreigner is firmly established the moment I open my mouth to speak to anyone. I wonder if in some sense this actually heightens the tension I've been feeling. It's assumed that, as an American, I should be able to fit in quite naturally with the English, as though cultural references made in conversation don't have to be explained to me. Yet the differences are frequent enough that this assumption actually makes the differences more noticeable to me. Although the UK and the US are very similar in many ways, I'm realizing this is definitely a cross-cultural experience.

I wish I had been able to ask Matt about his experiences in light of this, but it has only been recently that these thoughts really started to come into more focus, even though I know this particular post is somewhat rambling. I should add, however, that the people of Green Street Green Baptist Church have been remarkably hospitable. I have in no way felt like too much of an outsider there (Actually, that's a whole other post about how great it is to be able to travel around the world, visit absolute strangers and still know that you can call them brothers and sisters because of our connection through Christ. Certainly that's been another incredible experience on this journey.).

Anyway, just some thoughts I've been having in reflecting on what's going on here. I pray that some of these things really get lodged in my heart. I'd hate to forget this feeling of being an alien, such as it is, and not offer hospitality to those that feel like foreigners when I'm at home.

Where All the Women Are Strong...

It's been a busy week in Lake Wobego...sorry. It's been a busy week in England.

On Wednesday I went into London with several young teens from the church to do a citywide scavenger hunt. Good times roving the city with four young people looking for different things and taking pictures of things and answering questions about things. You know how it is.

I spent a day at the beach in Broadstairs with several of the young people from GSGBC on Friday. It was a decent day for the beach. It wasn't hot, really, and it was windy, but at least it wasn't cold and rainy, which seems to be plaguing England this summer. Apparent features of English beaches include mini carnivals, Punch & Judy shows, seaweed, and donkey rides. Also to be found at the Broadstairs beach: a concrete structure that traps water at high tide so that people can wade in it during low tide. Unfortunate side effect of things to be found at Broadstairs beach: the wading pool turns into a haven for crabs. Also, men and boys in England do exactly what boys and men do in America when they go to the beach: dig a hole. The pictures here are a friend named Michael digging and then a girl named Zoe standing in it (though buried).

Maynard and Joan decided Saturday that they wanted to take me somewhere outside of London, so we traveled a little way towards the southern coast to Chichester and the Weald & Downland Open Air Museum. It was a real treat. The basis for the museum is similar to that of Plymouth Plantation or Sturbridge Village without the employees playing period roles. Essentially, the museum had acquired old and ancient structures from around the country, dismantled them piece by piece, and rebuilt them on this property. The result is the opportunity to see English buildings from as far back as the 13th century and to see how the people lived during those times. Most structures were from the 16th-18th centuries and were really captivating, for those of us who like to imagine what that "old world" must have been like. I really enjoyed it.

So that's the news from England...

The Tower

A couple days ago it was actually sunny for an entire day. Would you believe it? So I took the opportunity to visit the Tower of London, which sits on the east side of central London along the Thames. The central portion of the castle - the White Tower - dates back to the Norman invasion of the 11th century, though parts of that were built on Roman walls that date back to the 1st century. So the place is old.

The Tower is generally a fascinating place, used at times as a royal palace, particularly in times of trouble or when visiting dignitaries came to town. I suppose, however, that it is most famous for its role as a dungeon of sorts. Guy Fawkes, of the Gunpowder Conspiracy, was held, tortured, and executed there. Anne Boleyn, one of Henry VIII's wives, was executed there as well. Actually, the whole place has a kind of gruesome history, of which I think the English are quite proud.

Also of note at the Tower are the crown jewels, which, of course, are rather fascinating pieces. I don't quite understand them all, though. The pieces include several crowns of different monarchs, a pair of scepters, the Sovereign's Orb, several swords (the Jeweled Sword of Offering, the Sword of State, the Sword of Spiritual Justice, the Sword of Temporal Justice, and the Sword of Mercy), and many other items among which is the Coronation Spoon. Yes, a spoon. I guess it had been used by the Archbishop of Canterbury to anoint the sovereign. Anyway, it's all very fabulous and particularly stunning considering that much of the crown jewels date back to the 17th century and earlier.

Oh yeah, and in the White Tower - the oldest part of the castle - is housed the old armory, which contains guns and swords and armor and such from long ago. It's all very interesting, actually, but I found one thing peculiar. Check out the picture here of Henry VIII's armor and see if you find anything unusual about his midsection. I guess I'll never quite understand royalty.

God's Irony, Part One

On Thursday night Penny and I typically meet with a group of young adults to discuss some of the basics of Christianity. This weeks topic, as the schedule would have it, was baptism. It was a very good meeting with lots of good discussion, which you know, if you work with teens, can be hard to come by. All of the young people there were believers, more or less, but none of them had ever been baptized. At the close of the meeting Penny, John Pressdee, and I all had the sense that God had really been pressing on one or two of them, telling them that baptism was in order. None of them said as much, we simply got that impression in the Spirit, as it were.

The irony bit comes in here: Sunday morning is a baptism service at Green Street Green, though these two events were not planned to coincide. And although John is only planning on baptizing one person from the congregation tomorrow, he said he was going to leave the pool open and invite anyone who feels lead to receive baptism on the spot.

If our sense was correct, that God really was convicting one or two of the young people Thursday night, then I'm praying that they follow through on it on Sunday. Whether someone volunteers for it or not, though, I guess I wouldn't be surprised. But come on, that would be pretty cool.

The Future of Youth Work in Green St Green

I had mentioned the other day that GSGBC was holding a church meeting to discuss the borough council's suggestion that they spearhead the area youth work. The meeting was held Wednesday evening and though it was a lengthy meeting, it went well. Primary concerns for the members of the church centered on two areas: (1) additional money and volunteers most likely could not come from GSGBC itself (they're already stretched to capacity), and, more importantly, (2) that if the church took this charge and money from the community for this effort they could not afford to compromise their Christian emphasis and purpose in working with the young people.

The second of these issues has become exceptionally important in recent days here in the UK. Earlier this week, Britain's highest court ruled against Lydia Playfoot, who was forbidden by authorities in her secondary school from wearing a ring on her finger to symbolize her commitment to sexual purity (by the way, the UK is highest in the world in teen pregnancy rates). Furthermore, there is still outstanding in Britain a case involving Exeter University's Christian Union, which has been suspended from the student guild and has had its bank account frozen on the basis that they unfairly discriminate those of other faiths from membership and leadership of the Christian organization.

What this means for GSGBC is that if they elect to discriminate in their selection of volunteers or leadership in their efforts to help the area youth, which the people of the church believe they must if they are to maintain a sense of Christian mission in their youth work, then it is not difficult to imagine a secular organization accusing the church of operating unfairly in their policies. Still, GSGBC must be straightforward and very clear in their intentions if they are to expand their youth work in the community, especially if it is at the request of secular organizations like the borough council and the police.

For Christians worldwide, particularly those of us in the West, these are significant issues that we must be thinking on and preparing for. Though this kind of "persecution," if I can call it that, is not necessarily persistent or common in the UK and the US at this point, it is neither uncommon. We need to be clear on our beliefs regarding the difference between proper and improper discrimination. We need to know which is which and, therefore, when to acknowledge an injustice and when to stand firm.

Strangely Sad to See it Go

Last night we hosted our last Tuesday night youth club for the summer. The kids end school this week, and many will be away on holiday at different times during the summer. Actually, many of the leaders will be away on holiday too. So the end result is no more youth club. (If you'll remember, the kids who showed up on Tuesday nights were neighborhood kids with little or no church background. The youth clubs are a way to get kids off the streets where there are few options to occupy them but getting into trouble. The hope also is that good relationships will form between those in the church and these young people, resulting in good conversations and opportunities for evangelism down the road.)

So last night we hosted a BBQ for them. Thirty or so showed up and it was a good time. It's funny, I really felt like it took up till now for me to really feel comfortable with them (last night I shot pool with several of them) and now it's over. Bummer.

If you read this today, please pray for GSGBC and Penny, the youth worker, because we're holding a church meeting to discuss youth work in throughout the area. The Bromley (the area surrounding Orpington and Green Street Green) Council has recognized (1) a significant problem with young people and crime throughout the area and (2) that those don't appear to be as big a problem in GSG/Orpington, especially on Tuesday nights. As a result the Council has asked GSGBC if they'd consider spearheading the area youth work. Tonight the church meets to discuss proposals by Penny on how the church might move forward in this matter, if at all.

Please pray that the church receives guidance from the Lord regarding the young people in the area and the church's role in that work. Pray also that the congregation would become of one mind on the subject.

A Day at the Beach...Sort Of

I've just come back from a wonderful day in Hawkinge, near Dover along the coast. John Pressdee had invited me along with several others from Green Street Green to pray with the vicar in Hawkinge, a friend of his named Robert.

Robert, an Anglican vicar, has felt called to plant a church in Hawkinge apart from the Anglican church already in the village. As he does so, he is also overseeing the church currently in existence there. His new congregation, he says, is already beginning to blossom after just six weeks and this is where he believes God will be working in the future of this community and where he is called, personally.

Yet the Anglican congregation, St Luke's, is a sad old place. A big part of the reason John was called down was because Robert had been finding details of previous vicars who had been grossly unfaithful to the gospel. Rob said that after preaching one Sunday morning a gentleman from the leadership of the church told Rob that Rob had just shaken his faith greatly. "How so?" asked Rob. "Well, you've just told us that Jesus was the Son of God..." Furthermore, Rob has been finding more and more items scattered about the church that represent ancient idols. While visiting the church before taking over, he did not recognize what was being read from the "scriptures" only to find later that it was actually from the Koran. Rob also had a deep sense that there had been a spirit of abuse (perhaps sexual abuse) in the vestry (the pastor's office), and the rectory (parsonage) had a hidden room with a bed stashed away in it. Essentially, he had come into a parish that had a strong history of disobedience to God, a strong history of idolatry and abuse.

So John was called down to help him pray over the place. It was really quite powerful, as we felt that God was really moving and working in loosening the grips of some of these spiritual powers over the place. I don't know exactly how to describe it. If you've done this sort of thing before, you know, but it's hard to explain exactly what was going on for those of you who may not have seen or heard of this kind of thing. I guess it's like praying for healing over a physical place like we would pray for healing over a person. It's as if Satan gets a grip on a piece of property (because someone let him long ago) and he has control over it (and the people there) as long as he's not ordered out in Jesus' name. Our job today, then, was calling him out and freeing the Holy Spirit to do what God has been wanting to do in that place. I hope that makes sense.

Anyway, it was wonderful, and we could really sense that God was in the work. For those of you who aren't accustomed to hearing about this sort of thing in Christianity, it's nothing new, though probably it's not common enough in most churches. It's not about being superstitious about demons, but simply ordering them out where they had been invited in. There are places in the Bible that talk about real curses on particular plots of land like Jericho, for example (see Jos 6:26 & 1 Kgs 16:34) and this is simply believing that such is still the case in certain places.

Regardless, it was a fine day. And I even got to dip my feet in the English Channel.

Gone Fishin'

From the start of my time with GSGBC, I've been helping with the Tuesday night youth club, in which several neighborhood teens, typically between the ages of 11 and 16, drop in to hang out, shoot pool, play table tennis, etc. The church started opening its doors a year and half ago because these same kids were vandalizing the property (now there's an idea: "these kids are tearing our roof apart...let's let them in"). By now, the kids have tested their boundaries and they know GSGBC to be a safe place for them, where they're given a level of freedom, but their watched and cared for. The long-term goal is to build up relationships with several of the young people and allow for open conversation that would hopefully lead to spiritual matters.

Over the past several weeks, this youth club has been somewhat frustrating for me simply because there are too many kids to talk to any one of them (at least, I feel that way since I'm not as sociable as some). I just haven't felt very comfortable. Last night, however, the weather was wonderful and, as a result, only a dozen or so kids showed up. For the first time, then, I really felt like I could get on with some of them and interact with some of them rather than just watch them. It was a small step, but it felt great.

On Saturday, I'll be going with another of the guys who helps out on Tuesday nights to take four of the young guys fishing. I expect that in a smaller group and in a far more serene environment, there will be more opportunity to get to know them and to chat candidly. Please pray for us as we go. I'll be going with Ken, the gentleman from the church, and four boys: Dan, Ben, Aaron, and James. A report and pictures to follow, I'm sure.

A Week With My Best Friend

My best friend has been here all week seeing where I'm living and what I'm doing. Kate and I had a wonderful time together. It's been great to see her and spend nearly every minute of the last nine days with her. I had missed her quite a bit.

We spent a couple of days in London, walking everywhere and seeing whatever we could. We took a walk through Regent's Park, which is quite possibly one of the most beautiful places ever. Then we went down to the Thames and caught a river tour where we could see and hear about some of the more important places in the city. Then in the evening we worked our way back to Regent's Park for the Open Air Theatre and a performance of "Macbeth."

Sadly, it was raining quite often while Kate was here (by the way, we have had the strangest weather - here it is the first week of July and it's been 50 degrees and raining every day). Ten minutes into "Macbeth" a downpour hits and the show was canceled. The tickets are valid forever, more or less, so I can always go back with someone, but unfortunately Kate missed something she had really been looking forward to.

The next day we buzzed through Harrod's briefly and then met up with Paul Moore, a friend from Lakeside who lives and works in Edinburgh. He was in town just for the week and had asked if I too would be in the city. Interestingly, Kate also ran into someone she used to work with from the North Shore who now lives in London. We had a great time catching up with Paul and his friends over a couple pints and some pub food. That afternoon, Kate and I took a trip on the London Eye, which is basically a giant ferris wheel on the Thames. At the peak, you're on one of the highest points in the city, so it's an interesting perspective on the town below.

As we prepared to return home Tuesday evening, we noticed everyone flooding out of the tube station and announcements evacuating the underground. Not knowing what was happening exactly, we hailed a cab to get us to the train station so we could return to Orpington. Arriving there, the taxi driver was told he couldn't enter the vicinity of the station and when we went in the trains were all awry and the station was absolutely packed with people staring at the boards waiting for trains to arrive. Now, for trains to not run on time in Britain is a big deal. Evidently, we learned, someone had left a backpack somewhere along the transport line, causing things to halt all over the city. It turned out not to be anything, but terror alerts in the UK are at their highest. And, as July 7 is the anniversary of some bombings that happened a couple years ago, people are on alert these days. Please pray for the UK and London, specifically.

At any rate, Kate and I spent the last couple days locally. On the 4th, we celebrated Independence Day by hiking to the Wilberforce Oak, where William Wilberforce swore before God that we would work in Parliament to fight Britain's slave trade. The Oak is dead now - just a stump with a new, smaller tree growing beside it, but it's an inspiring place (very quiet and naturally peaceful). There's something wonderful about standing in a place in which someone in the past has stood up for something valiant and good, where someone did something that could legitimately be called righteous. Such is particularly noticeable next to the monuments throughout the area that commemorate and honor war heroes (and probably rightfully so). Nevertheless, the Wilberforce Oak would be easy to miss if there weren't a small sign next to it and a tiny laminated 3"x5" card attached to the fence telling very briefly what had happened there. It's quite unassuming and a great lesson towards a "quiet" Christianity that shakes the earth without the use of grand trumpets and clanging cymbals.

Thanks again to everybody for your prayers this past week. Having Kate here was refreshing. The people here loved her (of course) and many (including me) wished she could have stayed. If anyone else wants to come and visit (and Kate, if you want to come back), you're more than welcome. We'll find the space.

Megawatt Smiles

As great a time as I've been having in England to date, it's hard not to get a little homesick when so many things are just a little unfamiliar. But Thursday night a little piece of home flew over to visit for a week. Hooray! Kate is here and we've been having a fabulous time together.

She's already met several of the people from the church and the people I've been working with. I think she'd agree that there are many colorful characters here at GSGBC. For example, walking up the steps to the sanctuary this morning for church, John Pressdee (the pastor) stepped out and told her I had been barred from the church.

At any rate, this is coincidentally a rather slow week for me too, so we're having a good amount of time to ourselves to do some sightseeing around here and in London. We were there yesterday getting soaked (apparently, summer is nowhere in sight) and seeing whatever we could. We'll go back again tomorrow to do some more.

Normandy

The team from GSGBC that had been in Normandy the last few weeks has arrived home with glowing reports. The team spent three weeks prayer walking Normandy - the beaches and interior. General reports were that the church in France is nearly dead and in desperate need of the Holy Spirit. Parts of Normandy, in particular, remain very bitter about the war, both of the German occupation and their need of Allied liberation. Thus the people are spiritually stuck, unwilling to forgive their former oppressors and unwilling to show genuine gratitude to their former liberators. So they cling to D-Day like a scorned lover who clings to the note that says the relationship is over (did I really just write that?). Still, the GSGBC team, led by John Pressdee, says they were able to accomplish what they had set out to do: to open doors for the Spirit and to offer healing and repentance for the land. They partnered with an evangelical church in Normandy, for whom the real hard ground work will now begin, and they truly sense that the ground has been broken and the plowing begun.

At the moment, the web site is down, but I suppose more detail on their trip will soon be posted on prayerexpeditions.org.

London Youth

It's been a little while since I last posted, so I thought I might jot down a few thoughts from the last week or so.

Among the ministries I've been involved with here at GSGBC is the work with the local youth. You could pick from any number of reasons to explain why, but young people are among the major concerns for a lot of local residents in and around London. Vandalism and teen violence seem to have been fairly prevalent. In the last week, several shootings or stabbings have taken place among the youth around greater London. On Tuesday night, I was at the church for the weekly drop-in, in which the church doors open for kids to come in and shoot pool, play ping-pong, or just hang out. Typically, there are 30-35 that show up - all of them around 13-15 years old and none of them "church kids." As I observed them the other night it occurred to me that though they may be friends, none of them actually seem to like each other. The interaction among the boys, of whom there are far more than there are girls, simply revolves around who's getting picked on next. There's not an encouraging or uplifting remark among them. If they're shooting pool, they're either cheating or cussing each other out because of an argument over the game. If they're not shooting pool, they're seeing how they might disrupt the pool game. The kids need help.

Among my responsibilities here is to assess the different home groups the church has set up. What a difference to go from the youth club on Tuesday night to a home group on Wednesday night. The long-term love and support and encouragement that is evident in the home group is just as strong as the general disregard the kids pay one another at youth club. It really is remarkable.

A Tour through Westminster

A surprisingly beautiful day in London afforded more opportunity for sight seeing and I spent much of the day touring the city of Westminster.

The Abbey is a remarkable sight, particularly for the stunning architecture spanning 800 years of construction. Far more than St Paul's Cathedral in the City, Westminster is absolutely littered with monuments and memorials. Tombs in St Paul's are confined mostly to the crypt beneath the Cathedral, whereas those residing in Westminster occupy a great deal of floor space in the Abbey itself. Among the noteworthy are Edward I (Longshanks), who did his best to conquer Scotland in the late 13th cent and whose tomb is surprisingly simple; Mary I (Bloody Mary) and Elizabeth I, sisters who share the same memorial; Mary I (Queen of Scots); and Oliver Cromwell. Poets corner, which displays a great many memorials devoted to Britain's many literary giants, including Shakespeare, Tennison, Keats, Carroll, Shelly, and Dickens, is also quite a sight.

Parliament is a spectacular building as well, though I didn't venture inside. I'd like to save that for a day when their in session, which isn't until mid-July, I think. I did, however, witness a woman walk up to the gates and shout at Blair (who wasn't to be seen and probably is in another country at the moment) at the top of her lungs, calling him a killer with blood on his hands. Ah, democracy, so good at bringing out our best and worst.

I happened past Buckingham Palace too. The queen was home, but I didn't see her. She did have a band playing just inside the front gate. That was cool, but you'd think she could afford an iPod and cut down the racket.

Once I got home I looked up a few people in British history that I knew were important but couldn't remember why. I happened across the list of the "100 Greatest Britons," a survey done by the BBC in 2002. Probably there's some kind of cultural thing that keeps me from seeing it, but what kind of people place Princess Diana 3rd on the all-time list of greatest national heroes - ahead of Shakespeare, Newton, and Lord Nelson, whose myriad monuments are almost more prevalent than Union Jacks in the city? Actually, this is probably the same reason why Queen Elizabeth II (the current monarch) is simultaneously 24th on the 100 greatest list and 10th on the 100 worst list.

By the way, after commenting the other day about how unattractive the City appeared, Westminster is much more attractive and looks as an old world city ought, at least in my mind. I'm told that this is because much of the City had been destroyed by fire in the 1600's and then by the air raids during WW2. So, my apologies, London. You're growing on me.

St Paul's Cathedral

I spent the day yesterday at St Paul's Cathedral in London. You may remember this as the one place in London largely unaffected by Luftwaffe bombings during WW2. It's similar to St Peter's in Rome, having the second largest dome in the world (next to St Peter's). It does have a similar feel to St Peter's, without the creepy pope statues staring down at you with the two fingered blessing that looks more like a scolding finger. It does contain many memorials to state heroes, but most of them seem to be in good taste.

Climbing to the top of the dome (the Golden Gallery) is a task, and the view is supposed to be incredible, but it turns out that the city of London is not an attractive city. It's cloudy and many of the buildings are modern steel monstrosities. Oh well. At least you get a good view of the muddy Thames.

This makes it sound like I'm hating London. I don't. It's just not very photogenic, or, at least, I haven't found those spots yet. St Paul's is a beautiful building with loads of history within. Of particular note is the American WW2 memorial in the back of the cathedral, behind the choir. It really is stunning. The very fact that the memorial, financed entirely by British money, is placed in St Paul's is quite moving as a visiting American. It is a stately and humbling place.

Male, Middle Class, White American Speaks on Persecution...

I did preach Sunday morning and everything went very well. Thank you all for praying. It truly was remarkable how everything came together in the morning service as well. Two weeks ago I had been given a passage to preach from: The Beatitudes. I was not particularly excited about this since I've heard or read too many varying interpretations on it and wasn't so sure that I could land on a proper one with my relative inexperience. Plus, I was completely out of range of the kind of resources I would have liked to have had.

Nevertheless, while reading one night a week and a half ago, I felt very strongly that the Lord was urging me to explore the last of the Beatitudes: "Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." Now what was I, a 27 year old from middle class America, supposed to say about persecution? I did manage to put something together for Sunday and was amazed at how well it fit in with the rest of the service, though I had nothing to do whatsoever with these things aligning.

First, before I preached, during praise and worship, a woman in the congregation spoke up and relayed to the congregation a vision she had been having of God kneeding out dough. Although bread turns out sweet and tasty, the kneeding process is difficult and painful. She believed that GSGBC was in the kneeding stage. Then, after I spoke, the worship leader had prepared a song in advance that focused on the same themes I had spoken about. Again, I had not talked to him about this at all. Finally, several people approached me afterwards and told me that it was well done and a timely message.

I'm certain, then, that the Lord was with us yesterday. I'm glad to have been a part of his work and you can be too. What follows is a transcript of my sermon, for those who might be interested. Cheers.

One of my favorite movies of all time is The Great Escape, the true story of a World War 2 German prison camp built especially to house those Allied officers that had given the Nazis the most trouble. The bravery of those RAF officers who tunnelled their way out of the camp (many at the cost of their lives) is truly remarkable. Their story and the movie that popularized it are so renown that this simple tune inspires many.

Here you have two warring armies with diametrically opposed objectives. On the one hand, to be in the German military was to be perfectly in conflict with the Allied forces. Likewise, to be in the British army was to do everything in your power to oppose the Nazis.

After the escape attempt in the movie, several did see freedom, but many escapees were caught and either returned to the camp or killed. One of those killed, Squadron Leader Roger Bartlett, had organized the entire plot. Yet when news of his death reached Captain Ramsey and US Flight Lt Hendley back at the camp, Ramsey assures us that Bartlett’s plan had been a success. He says, “Roger’s idea was to get back at the enemy the hardest way he could, mess up the works. From what we’ve heard here, I think he did exactly that.”

The point is that, although the cost is often high, it is the sworn duty of a citizen of one nation to actively oppose an enemy nation. What I want to explore this morning is that I think the same is true of us as citizens in the kingdom of God; that the nature of Christianity in this world is conflict.

We’re looking again at the Beatitudes, and specifically I want to focus on the last of these – Matthew 5:10. There are a few points about this verse I want to make and then move to apply it to our lives.

The first thing we need to do is to back up a little bit. We’re looking at just one verse, specifically, but we need to pull back some so we can get a wider view of the context and what’s going on here. If we look at the Beatitudes as a whole, we see a series of strange statements: Blessed are the poor in spirit (v. 3); Blessed are those who mourn (v. 4); Blessed are the meek (v. 5); etc. These are not the kinds of people we typically consider blessed.

My brother and his wife just recently had their 2^nd child, Hannah, on Christmas day. Now there’s a blessing: a healthy mother and child, the increase of family. So when you hear about someone who’s having a baby or adopting as Simon and Becky have just done, you think “Oh! That’s wonderful!” But what if you transposed that same reaction onto the context of someone in mourning? Let’s say you run into a friend on the street and you haven’t seen her in quite a while so you ask “What’s new?” And they respond saying that their mother just died; or their father; or husband; or worse yet, a child. Do you then say, “Oh! That’s wonderful!” No! Of course not! So what’s Jesus saying here?

The clue, I think, is in the bookends of the Beatitudes, vv. 3 & 10. The common language in both is “for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” I do believe that what Jesus is doing in the Beatitudes and the Sermon on the Mount as a whole is outlining the criteria for citizenship in the kingdom of heaven. This is what citizens of the kingdom of God look like: salt, light, no hatred, no lust, faithful, trustworthy, etc. Look, for example, at Matthew 5:19. That’s the citizenship test.

So it’s clear, then, that at least part of what Jesus is doing in the Beatitudes and the Sermon on the Mount is defining this new kingdom, this new nation.

Now, part of what this means, I believe, is conflict with opposing nations. John Stott, Rector Emeritus of All Souls Church, believes that the heart of the Sermon on the Mount is Matthew 6:8: “Do not be like them.” He believes that the entirety of the Sermon is establishing a counter culture of sorts. “Do not be like them.” But who are “they”? Well, in the immediate context, “they” are the pagans and the hypocrites. Who are pagans? Those who do not obey God, not do they profess to obey God. Who are hypocrites? Those who profess to obey God, but don’t do it. Who’s left? Those of us in the opposing nation; those of us who profess and obey; members of the kingdom of heaven. Thus, “do not be like them.”

If you happen to have a son or a daughter between the ages of 12 and 17, they can tell you the kind of persecution that can come on someone who doesn’t act like everyone else. It doesn’t take much – if your clothes are slightly outdated; if your speech is a little different; if you’re a little overweight; if you are in any way perceived as “not normal” the resultant ridicule can be enormous. It is the normal reaction of a sinful people to lash out at what it perceives as different.

Thus, if we as Christians are to be different from the rest of the world, conflict is inevitable.

So we’ve seen that Christ is developing an alternative nation of sorts, the citizens of which are characterized by obedience to his commands and the traits listed in the Beatitudes. We’ve also seen how it’s only natural that, as we look more and more like the kind of people Jesus describes, we will face persecution. There will be conflict as part of the Christian life. Now let’s see if we can apply this to our own lives here in the 21^st century. There are three things I think we can bring to bear on the present.

First, it seems to me there are two primary reasons for any one person to see hardship or persecution in this life. One is wickedness. The basis of any justice system is that those who do wrong receive just punishment. This should be. Two is righteousness. Jesus was persecuted and betrayed because his righteousness was in direct conflict with the sinful nature of the leadership of his day. If you are somehow lukewarm and in the middle, there’s no reason for anyone to come against you – you’re a moral pushover, irrelevant. So if you find yourself being accused of one thing or another, be sure it is for righteousness, that is, for obedience to Christ, and not for wrongdoing.

Secondly, let’s not be masochistic about this whole thing. The persecution is not the blessing. No, the blessing comes at the end of the verse. “For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” As Christians, we have to have this hope extending far beyond this life. Otherwise, if you cannot see beyond the pain of persecution, you cannot endure it. You will always chase after present comforts if you have no hope for a better future. The reason we stick to a diet; the reason we work through university or graduate school; the reason we endure rough patches in our relationships is because we trust that the other side will be that much better if we do. Although suffering can have purifying effects and it can refine our character, let’s not assume that persecution for persecution’s sake is what we’re after. Rather, it is here listed as a natural (and possibly inevitable) by-product of following Christ wholeheartedly.

Finally, a warning is in order. Beware the one who says to you that the Christian life is all about material blessing. Not everyone suffers like Peter did, or like Paul did, or like any other Christian martyr, but nowhere does God promise a comfortable life for those who follow Him. A Christian cannot expect a big house, a healthy family, plenty of money, or even a friendly smile from everyone you meet. What God does promise is everything you need to continue to obey Him – everything you need for the mission He gives you. Although material blessings may come from God, God help us (I mean it) if we begin to equate material blessing with spiritual blessing.

So if you are in a tough spot; if things are rough in your family or at work or at school; if you feel actively opposed as if fighting a vicious enemy; first, do an inventory – are you following Christ’s commands? Then, rejoice, for your citizenship in the kingdom of heaven is secure and your hope is far greater than this present world.

Weekend Update

It's been a couple of days since I last posted. Although things have been busy, there hasn't been too much to report.

I finished the distance class I had been working on. Thank goodness that's over.

I'll be working on my sermon today and tomorrow. I've got some good ideas, I think, so we'll see how that comes along. Maybe I'll post the transcript on Sunday.

Now that the distance class is over, I should feel a little more free to do some more exploring, particularly in London. It's a fairly quick trip into the center of town - 15 minutes, maybe. I'm looking forward to seeing as much as I can. There are also supposed to be several interesting sites in this area, like Darwin's house and Wilberforce's estate, so I'll plan trips to those as well.

By the way, thanks to everyone for the birthday wishes. Between you at home and the friendly people here, I've felt very loved this week.

Cheers!

I've got a busy week ahead. In addition to the normal stuff throughout the week, I've got one last paper to write up for a distance course (due in the mail by Thursday) and a sermon to prepare for Sunday. I'll be busy. You're prayers will be appreciated.

By the way, yesterday was my first venture into London. I went for a concert by Casting Crowns. Sadly, I wasn't there long enough to do much else but walk around. I did see Trafalgar's Square and Buckingham Palace, but that was it. Don't worry, though; I'll go again.

Origins

For those still wondering...

Green Street Green is the name of the village in which the church is at the heart. Who knows how they arrived at that name however many hundreds of years ago, but at least that's where the church's name comes from.

Tuesday Jam

On Tuesday nights here at GSGBC the doors open for young people from the community to come and hang out. There's no other agenda than to give the 13-16 year olds a place to be and to build relationships with the friendly faces in the church. So there I was last evening with 30-40 kids running in and out of the church, playing pool, ping-pong, eating candy and pizza.

I've been learning that one of the biggest concerns among people in Orpington/Green St Green is the "threat" of young people wandering the streets. There seems to be a genuine prejudice among adults against kids. Certainly there is some justification for their fears; several youth have been caught vandalizing, painting graffiti, and assaulting people. It's gotten to the point, however, in which any time an incident occurs, the immediate conclusion is that it must have been one of the local youth, regardless of evidence.

Having recognized the problem (in fact, some of them were vandalizing GSGBC), Penny and her youth workers began to reach out to these kids to build relationships and give them a friendly place to be. Apparently, it's really been working. The kids know that they have a genuine advocate in Penny and according to the youth workers I talked to last night, the kids are much better behaved than they were 12-18 months ago.

Several people have asked me if we have any problems like this in America. It seems to me that we do have the same root problem - parents who pay little to no attention to their children - but it doesn't manifest itself in the same ways. I haven't heard much of suburban youth vandalizing and attacking in the way it's been reported to me here. Of course, we also have police on duty 24 hours a day, which is not the case here.

At any rate, it's great to see a church in the heart of the community addressing a real need that the civil agencies are powerless to change. And it's really making a difference in the lives of the young people who know nothing of Christ as well. Some have begun coming to church services as a result. Many have begun asking questions about who God is and what the church as and what the Bible says about things. Praise God that he's moving. Indeed he has established a city on a hill and a light on a lampost in GSGBC.

First Sunday

Yesterday was my first Sunday at GSGBC. The congregation is small but full of the Holy Spirit, a welcome sight. I introduced myself at both the morning service and the evening coffeehouse service.

A funny story to pass on:
In the morning service John Pressdee was preaching after I had introduced myself to the congregation. To illustrate the point that we needed to rest in God's promises, John began to sit down on one of the brand new American made chairs the church had just gotten. As he went to sit, however, he stopped himself and just sort of squatted over the chair, straining to hold his position. Just as we often question God's ability to support us, John questioned the chair: "I don't know if I can trust this chair. It's American, you know." I nearly yelled out at that point, saying "The Americans have saved your behind once before, John."

When I told this to John after the service, he burst out laughing and said I should have done it. It's nice to know that the congregation has a sense of humor.

Biggin Hill

Just so you know, I did my first ministry related activity two nights ago. The church is trying to start a young adults group, which Penny and I will be leading. Thursday night we got together at the Pressdee's house with the young people to have dinner and discuss what the group will look like to start with. We'll be working through a basics of Christianity course that John and Yvonne wrote several years ago. It's similar to Alpha. They all seem like fairly normal teens.

Today I went to Biggin Hill, the last British airfield before London. This was where the Battle of Britain was won. They were staging an airshow today that featured many WW2 aircraft from Britain and America as well as many of Britain's current fighters. The most amazing part of the show was the appearance of the Red Arrows, the RAF's version of the Blue Angels. Hopefully, I'll have pictures up soon.

Cheers!

Day 1: Still Tired from the Move...

I've made it here safely now. It's been a bit of an adventure, but I'm doing well. Here are the highlights.

Flying standby proved to be worthwhile as the flight was so empty I was placed in business class, which proved to be advantageous because...

By the time our plane was third in line for take off and ready to go, a passenger had an anxiety attack and we had to return to the gate and refuel. Three hours later, we took off. But that turned out to be a blessing because...

By leaving at 9:00 instead of 6:00, it was easier to fall asleep on the plane after dinner. By the time we arrived at 9:00 am local time, I had slept 3 or 4 hours.

I met Penny, the youth pastor, and John and Yvonne, the pastors, and several others from the church. Everyone seems quite nice.

I met my host family: Maynard and Joan and their grown kids Anna and Jon. Another daughter - Jude - lives up the road. They have been very kind and welcoming, so it's been a joy to be here so far.

Thanks for your prayers, everyone. Perhaps I'll take my camera out soon and take some photos to share.

Initial Prayer Requests

OK, so I leave for England tomorrow evening. I'm both excited and nervous. I wanted to quickly jot down some prayer requests before I leave.

1. I'm flying standby, and although things look good right now for me getting on the flight, please pray that I do get a seat and get off safely.

2. Pray that I arrive safely and meet up with youth pastor Penny, who's picking me up from the airport.

3. Pray that my initial meetings with people at the church and with my host family would be a blessing to all of us. Pray that fast connections and firm friendships be made quickly.

Thanks everyone. Cheers!

Thanks to Everyone

The way I figure, this will be the best way to keep people informed of my activities while I'm in England this summer, that is, if I remember to post regularly. Hopefully, I will remember to do that.

To start off, I need to post a hearty "thank you" to everyone who has helped to support me on this trip. Without your financial and prayer support, there is no way I could possibly get to England. So thank you all so very much. I am exceptionally thankful.

For those who might be interested, I'll be available through email and by post. My address is posted below. I hope to hear from you.

Mike McKinniss
c/o Maynard and Joan Newman
45 North Drive
Orpington, Kent
BR6 9PG