Slumming it.

I spent this weekend sleeping in a cardboard box. I didn't want to, and i hadn't been unceremoniously removed from my home. It was to prove a point, raise awareness, and raise money.

'Slum Survivor' is a charity that works in conjunction with Tearfund, and 'Soul Survivor' to raise funds for those that live on the streets in homelessness and poverty all around the world. The strapline is that we aim to 'Spend a day living the way billions spend a lifetime'. As a youth group we built our own slum out of cardboard, plastic and anything else we could find from skips and rubbish bins. We then camped out on the church premises in our very own mini-city; some of the ever creative teenage girls even had a television, complete with changeable channels!

As the evening went on, there were definately aspects of the challenge that began to irritate us! Hunger, cold, boredom and the deadly slow passing of time became particularly obvious. We soon became aware of how compelling any form of escapism seemed, drink and drugs particularly. However there was something deeply grating on my conscience throughout the whole experience: we will never fully be able to recreate the life of the homeless.

This thought was articulated perfectly when i visited my friend's church this evening, and took part in their youth group. Talking to the intern based at her church, i shared the Slum Survivor experience. His honest and somewhat naive answer struck a chord with me: 'How many homeless were there?'. We can never know what truly living like the homeless is like unless we walk with the homeless. I may be crazy, but I believe that my God is a relational God, and a missional God. The 'Slum Survivor' experience created great relationships on an inter-youth basis, we raised four thousand pounds for the work of missons charities in South Africa and Central America which is more amazing than anyone could ever dream of. Yet, it is my thought that we neglected the people that mattered most. We neglected those on the streets that do not know relationship, those who do not know what it is like to feel loved, to feel ministered to.

My new boss is hot on this thing he calls 'Incarnation ministry'. Jesus says at the end of Matthew , 'Go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything i have commanded you.' Jesus instructs us to 'Go'. We as Christians should be fulfilling this 'great commission', and making disciples by walking with those around us, learning with them, laughing with them, crying with them. In youth ministry I as a leader have to meet with my young people on their terms, to walk with them, learn with them, laugh and cry with THEM.

Similarly, the youth of my church needed to GO and be with the homeless in South Croydon. They needed to walk, learn, laugh and cry with the homeless of South Croydon. I needed to walk, learn, laugh and cry with the homeless of South Croydon.
I have no doubt that the experience as it stood, enriched the knowledge and awareness of our youth fourfold, as it did me. When the clocks went back, and a traditional glorious extra hour in a nice warm bed was traded in for an extra hour under a cardboard blanket on a concrete mattress, i can't deny how real the experience of everyday homelessness became.

But I'm already getting itchy feet (and no, it's not from any disease i contracted from my weekend). Lets take it to a new level and obey the call to GO. Will you join me?

Making Small Talk

I have unanimously decided that I hate 'small talk'. Yet in hindsight I have spent a vast majority of my life partaking in it.

At some friends' birthday drinks last night, the concept of 'making small talk' was raised between some girlfriends and I. We recalled the awkward situations when we have to make time talking to the uninteresting, the boring and the downright weird at various functions. And it got me thinking: Why do we make small talk? Is it an annoying British trait of politeness, or habit?

It strikes me that when any human being is placed in a situation of unease, we all resort to the lifeline of making mind numbing conversation with the nearest person we find. Alternatively we have developed the art of feigning interest in conversation when we are approached by someone unavoidably. Christians are particular masters at this.

My faith has been challenged by this idea recently. Small talk causes a loss of integrity, and as a Christian I am particularly keen for God to be revealed in my life; and that does not exclude awkward conversations. I am struggling also to see why small talk is a necessity!

We are very good at asking 'How are you?' without listening or caring to the answer, yet also quick to moan when we ourselves are NOT good. And as my mother so accurately corrected me, the uninteresting, boring and downright weird are no less than me in the Kingdom of Heaven; 'We are equal in his sight'. Christianity is built on years of relationship and fellowship; most importantly that of our relationship with Jesus Christ. And i have no doubt that in an awkward situation with Jesus (if there ever were one) He would not make small talk.

Not only should I be trying to look for the 'Jesus in everyone', but I should be looking for the Jesus in myself. If I am truly a follower of Him, then I have one huge journey ahead of me! As someone i know so inspirationally told me the other day: 'it is one thing to be a Christian; another to walk with Jesus.' Working for the church also means that I meet and communicate with all sorts of people, and I guess it is a project of my youth that i am still learning how to cope with them. If there was one flaw in this year's plan; and the amazing job that i am doing; it would be that. And i am not frightened to admit that i feel totally out of my depth.

So next time you find me asking how you are, i WILL be listening to the reply.

New Shoes....

So the other day i headed into town, highly ambitiously attempting to buy only one pair of shoes.
I ended up walking out of House of Fraser having bought THREE pairs.

I was filled with mixed emotions, of both happiness and guilt. The shoes were beautiful and i was very much in love with them, but I was also aware that they were more shoes that I was not in need of, which encouraged me to feel guilty about my indulgence.

Having just finished reading the book 'Irresistible Revolution' by Shane Claibourne, i guess I'm feeling increasingly challenged about the way i live my life as a citizen of God's Kingdom. One of the things that really struck me from this book (a statement that also happens to be the title of my blog) is that the author devoted most of his life seeking the 'Jesus in everyone'. In a society where Jesus is largely a swearword, and church 'full of hypocrites', how can this be a possibility? Something that Shane Claibourne reminded me in his fantastic book, is that Jesus IS amongst the broken and the hurting, those that use his name in vain and the hypocrites in church:

'We have a God who enters the world through smallness - a baby refugee, a homeless rabbi, the lillies and the sparrows. We have a God who values the little offering of a couple of coins from a widow over the megacharity of millionaires. We have a God who speaks through little people - a stuttering spokesperson named Moses; the stubborn donkey of Balaam; a lying brothel owner named Rahab; an adulterous king named David; a ragtag bunch of disciples who betrayed, doubted and denied; and a converted terrorist named Paul'.
(Shane Claibourne, 'Irresistible Revolution')

One of our future all-age services focuses on this very theme of biblical theology; the story of God through history and into the future, and how we fit into that. I am encouraged to read and keep reading in the Bible that God can be found in the imperfect. It pains me to admit that I am not perfect, but no-one is. Christians are not perfect (and for goodness sake, everyone needs to stop expecting them to be - what a MYTH!) and it comforts me when i learn that God still works through that. I leads me to understand the point of my year as an intern, the true growth and journey that i am experiencing and the trials and challenges that i will face as part of that.

I guess having a weakness for beautiful shoes will always be my 'thing', but I continue to pray that seeing the weaknesses in other people will allow me to see Jesus in them, rather than a blatant imperfection. There is a saying that 'you can never have too much of what you love'; and one CAN (despite my pleas) have too many pairs of shoes. One can NEVER have enough of Jesus.

Time for a shoe cull i think......

Drinking copious amounts of tea....

As my years internship with my home church in South Croydon gets underway, there are many things that never cease to amaze me about the 'behind the scenes' church:

1. Everybody drinks COPIOUS amounts of tea. Luckily i like the stuff, but for my new Canadian/American 'i only drink espresso' boss, it's been quite the culture shock. And contrary to popular belief, it really IS as English as it sounds. (I still feel ridiculously proud when i drink out of my 'Sensible Shoes' mug though. I feel it is important to retain your integrity...)
2. Staff meetings are not as boring as they sound......yet.
3. I have never been as scared of an eighty year old woman brandishing a hoover in my whole life....
4. It is possible to hate going out on a Saturday night; sometimes the idea of staying in and watching Strictly has never been so appealing.
5. Christians are not perfect, and stuff isn't always rosy. And that's OK with me.
6. Practical jokes bring out the best and worst sides in all kinds of people.....
7. EasyWorship IS NOT EASY.
8. You have to eat as many biscuits/sandwiches/anything else that gets donated to the office before the end of the day, otherwise they WILL just go bad.
9. Talking to the photocopier nicely does stop her misbehaving...
10. I wouldn't change it for the world.

Changing my colleague Becky's laptop language to Chinese was possibly the mistake of a lifetime, as it has spurred the office here at Church into a frenzy of practical joking. It's surprising how childish your 30-something boss becomes when he is brandishing gaffa tape, or hiding someones sandwiches (especially when he later discovers he has hidden the wrong sandwiches. This was a highly amusing moment).

Yet I can't help but reflect on my day, the amazing people I share this office with, the awesome youth that i have the privilege to be serving, and how blessed I am to be in such an amazing job. Sure, it involves anti-social working hours and it's been a strange transition from my place of worship (and refuge at times) to my place of work, but I can't deny the feeling of wholeness that overwhelms me the moment I walk through the large entrance doors, and say hello to the wonderful Office staff every morning. It is God's will that I am here this year to serve him, and it's the least i can do to make sure I do a good job.

And if your ever in the area, be sure to pop in for a cup of tea. :)