Pilgrim's Progress

Bring Back the Chemical Toilets

I'm confused - I don't smell and I don't feel sticky, and there's no blue liquid or paper mound in the toilet, there's no gothic woman doing tai-chi on the hill, and a beef pie doesn't cost a fiver. Then it hits me - I'm back from Greenbelt, back in the land of the clean, of brick latrines, and of reasonably priced comestibles.

We were involved in Dream worship again this year, and I think it went down OK but I didn't hear much back - if you did, please drop us a line as it would be great to know if you were blessed by it.

Next year GB should organise a "Living Facebook" event where you can go and put real fish in other people's aquariums, throw real sheep at them, or put all their friends in a line and rummage through them looking for people you knew ages ago.

I could only be there from Sunday afternoon onwards, but many good moments ... musical highlights for me were:

• Delirious (on top form I thought)
• Duke Special (very entertaining - the drummer is a headcase!)
• Chas & Dave (bless 'em).

Unexpected comedy moment was a performance of a thoroughly pretentious piece for string ensemble and constipated soprano by a well-known contemporary composer (who was present, but whose name I won't mention as it's nothing personal!)

I always drop by the Arkadash FairTrade clothing stand, where I picked up some joyfully discounted bargains to add to the ones I bought at New Wine.

Other minor blips were losing (and finding!) my wallet, pitching my tent in the wrong place, confusing the mouse button and the spacebar on an Apple Mac, and watching one of our team showering the worshippers with shards of broken mirror. Never mind. There's always next year.

Setting Out Again

I called this image "Coming of Age" when I did it earlier today, but on a second look, it's also about setting out day by day to follow that inner urging that is God's call. I don't think I've ever felt fully equipped, fully ready, or fully trained, but I do believe that it matters somehow, and that it's all heading somewhere.

But where? I cannot say where, to what, or to whom. But something inside says that it leads to Him. He was there at the journey's beginning, and he will be there at its ending, whatever end that might be.

The words of the following poem were part of why I said "yes", and why I am here today.

"I know that I am called
The message was quite clear
and yet I cannot see the how, the why.

I feel so small, so weak
so ill-equipped for such a task.

And yet I am prepared to say YES
and undertake the risk
and enter the unknown,
Responding to the call,
Trustfully treading my way
the only way that leads to life - to HIM."
(Sr. Theresa Margaret)

"Your men will follow you to whatever end, my Lord."
(Glamdring to King Theoden, just before the battle of Helm's Deep)

Secret Place (updated)

The secret place is not just a place of retreat and rest. It is also a place where we go to remember what matters. In the secret place, we are reminded who we are, and who our God is. It is not an escape from reality. It is the place where reality begins.

We are drawn there again and again to be taught to listen, to see the world through his eyes, and to be reminded that no matter how fierce the storm is, that all the universe is swallowed up in His endlessness. And in that place we are blessed, and stilled, and made ready to face the world again.

More than once in the last while, a door has unexpectedly opened into the secret place, and I've emerged with a renewed perspective. Maybe God's trying to teach me something?

Jesus said, "when you pray, go into the inner room[1]", unseen by others, and pray to the God who sees, and rewards (Matt 6:6).

Later on, he talked about those who "bring treasure out of the 'treasure room'[2]"  old and new treasures.

So here's the thing ... this secret place is a place we go to seek treasure, and when we find it (or it finds us), we're to bring it back out with us into the world.

May you find yourself in the secret place today.

Notes

[1] Greek word means "inner room" or "storeroom, where valuables are stored.
[2] Greek means "treasure room", where treasure is kept.