in the bubble

As I have just come back from Greenbelt I am still in a bit of a bubble. Strangely though, I am not brimming with too many new schemes - just quite determined to pray into the ordinary a little better than I often do. I volunteered to be a part of the Soul Space team at Greenbelt which meant a few hours of sitting and listening and then offering to God in prayer. Each person was different, there were some threads which linked them, but I found God quite amazing throughout the whole thing - and was reminded of the sheer power of taking time to really listen and pray and think about what God might be saying in a situation - I was astonished by the amazing tenderness of God and (as always) overwhelmed by the fact that God really does bother to listen to us at all and more than that comes and meets us where we are.

I have got a couple of tasks which I have given myself - I have ordered Naked Spirituality by Brian McLaren - I heard him speak on stages of faith and found myself disagreeing - so I want to read the book. It is familiar material reworked but the thread that caught my attention was the one which he described as a shell in which we constantly move in a sort of upwards spiral and make new rooms for ourselves - the thing that made me want to know more was the idea that as we move to a new chamber in this structure we seal off the previous one - I think I heard that right - and that needs more explanation and thinking about - because I disagree - but uncomfortably, making me think there might be a truth in there which is waiting to be discovered!

I was challenged by a meditation group which insisted that I came out of my individual shelter and talked to others....it was uncomfortable but blessed.

I have been reminded of the variety of God's people and feel privileged to walk among them.

So, I have warmed up (if anyone tells you August Bank Holiday is summer - they are either delusional or not from England), I have showered (twice as it happens) and I am glowing in a very real sense of God's presence. God is good, all the time and shines in our darkest nights and blesses our brightest days.