Stop, look and listen

Installation by Jeppe Hein

STOP

Turns out the book of James in the New Testament is a good antidote to gospel preaching fatigue. Refreshingly short on doctrine (sorry, Luther; know you hated this) it brings you up short with its no nonsense pithy images (mirrors, tongues, bridles) and its exhortation to action.



LOOK

From the Lectionary this Sunday we had James 1:17-27:
v. 22: 'But be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves. For if any are hearers of the word and not doers, they are like those who look at themselves in a mirror, for they look at themselves and on going away, immediately forget what they are like.'

The Danish artist, Jeppe Hein, has an artwork installed in the Saatchi Gallery called Mirror Wall (2010). When you approach it, it vibrates slightly, making you reassess yourself and the white background behind you. It's spookily interactive.

When we approach God' Word it should be similarly two way. If we are open, it reflects back to us what we're really like. It looks into us ans we look into it. 




LISTEN

In theological college we did a scary listening exercise - a cross between 'Just a Minute' and an embarrassing counselling session. In threes, the first person was given an unprepared subject on which to speak for two minutes; the second had to listen and report back afterwards; the third observed the pair's body language. 

As a speaker, it was pretty uncanny to be seriously listened to for two whole minutes. 

As a listener, it was really hard work, listening for two whole minutes.

As an observer it was fascinating to watch body language, mirroring, eye contact and to assess what was going on.

The whole experience profoundly changed the way I approached communication.

So James is right about the importance of listening. James 1:19: 'You must understand this, my beloved: let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to wrath...'

Imagine a world, a church, where everyone was so busy listening to each other, misunderstandings were cut by 50% or more, and even the voiceless felt valued.

And a final thought: those long lists of James's about the vices we ought to rid ourselves of...'Therefore rid yourselves of all sordidness and rank growth of wickedness and welcome with meekness the implanted word that has power to save your souls...' (v. 21)

...I do LOVE the King James Version of this: we should definitely rid ourselves of  our 'superfluity of naughtiness' don't you think?

Thank you James and King James.

Hospitality Church

This week we were excited to be opening our new Parish Room  - obviously it called for a community tea party, a Bishop and an evening bash with wine (any excuse.) It represents a major step forward in our mission as it is somewhere to offer hospitality - a 'third place'* where all sorts of people can gather, be refreshed and meet others. A space like this, with a warm welcome and nice, comfy surroundings (yes we are proud of our tasteful green carpet and carefully chosen charcoal grey chairs) is integral to a church which believes that hospitality and welcome are in the heart of God. The room is currently our Good News and will hopefully be a vehicle for the same. Wherever society meets authentic Christian Good News, something positive nearly always results.


This week members of the Occupy London Protest met with a Bishop, a Christian Investment Banker and the Chief Executive of the FSA for the next stage of ongoing discussions about financial ethics and inequality....where did they meet? At The Centre for Reconciliation and Peace at St Ethelburga's, London. Destroyed by an IRA bomb in 1993, the current Centre was built on a site where there has been an ongoing Christian presence in the community for more than 800 years. Their mission 'is  one of hospitality, welcoming and learning from the stranger in the spirit of St Paul's reminder to the Hebrews that "some people have entertained angels unawares"' (Hebrews. 13:2). http://stethelburgas.org I can't help thinking that those protesters, faith or no faith, will go away from these encounters with a more positive impression of Christ than they will have gleaned from the media. And the blessing will be two way, a gift that results from an honest, face to face, equal encounter in a safe space, all sides listening.


In our ministry Team this week we also had a mutually beneficial sharing with the staff of a local hotel who often put on wedding receptions and thought it might be nice to actually meet some of the clergy who do the church weddings around the area. Inspired community joined up thinking! Whilst the freshly baked muffins, hot coffee and pastries which accompanied our meeting, tour and sharing of websites, were an obvious highlight, what was best was the sense of them discovering that the church ain't that bad after all, and us realising we still have so much to offer. Before the refreshments, we prayed the Morning Office looking out over the Thames and it felt good -  not being hidden away in a church office, we benefited from the hotel's hospitality and welcome. Let us be anything but shut away inside our Sundays where none but the faithful ever encounter us.


*The third place is a term used in the concept of community building to refer to social surroundings separate from the two usual social environments of home and the workplace (The Great Good Place, Ray Oldenberg, 1989.) It is an important idea in mission within the Emerging Church movement, where people are not always ready to come inside traditional church buildings to experience what the church has to offer.