Blogging through Advent - being seen by those passing by...

It's very easy to be a holy huddle when you live on planet church. We are comfortable in our cosiness and safety and in doing what we know. It's very easy to think heaven is inside a church building and looks like 1950. The whole point of incarnation and second coming is that heaven touches earth, that God comes into the world as it is and transforms it. Christianity is all about getting involved and meeting people where they are, else it isn't really Christianity, is it? 

Tonight I've been to support the folk of Sackville Road Methodist Church in Bexhill Town Centre open for two hours as Bexhill's lights were switched on for Christmas. They were serving free tea and coffee and mince pies. It was good to stand on the steps, despite it being freezing, to chat to people passing by and getting off the bus (Sackville Road's bus stop is right outside the church.) It was good to see the church open and people coming in. We are as a Circuit trying to encourage churches to get their doors open far more. I have also been after this tonight to plan Messy Church with my Rye congregation.  As church is freezing, as our property man doesn't enjoy resetting the timer for the heating for odd meetings, we meet to plan Messy Church with a coffee in the coffee shop of the local cinema. We don't hide what we are doing and we are known by the folk there. I encourage church meetings to be held on secular premises far more. 

We forget that Jesus came into the world where ordinary people were, in filth, squalor, a refugee, an asylum seeker, a person who grew to understand real life and will come again to bring his Kingdom where we are. Some people are very reticient to do church outside or be seen by the world, or even interact with anything but their church inner life and think that church will grow by people magically just turning up. We need to get out there! It is fun if you are brave enough to try it.

God who came in Jesus outside,  encourage us to leave our comfort zone and see what you are doing in the world.  May we have good conversations, be welcoming, be patient and listen and yes, sometimes be ignored. Help us to be dirty and messy and not to give glib answers to difficult questions. God of the church, may your church be brave and relevant. 1950 was a good year I guess, but it has little to do with today and it is today you need to be met by people. Lead us out to be surprised. Amen.