worship?

Sunday. I. Step hesitatingly toward your dwelling place.
Toward the place where You Are.
Weighed down by the week.
Distracted by a thousand thoughts that fly chaotically around my head like Brighton seagulls.

I’m carrying a gift.
(for You).

I mustered up something someone else told me would be a good thing even though I don’t completely understand why since it seems so far removed from my heart’s true song.

And sometimes I feel the most I can do is leave this gift on your doorstep.
And run.
Away.

When what You really want is me.
What You really want to do is beckon me in.
And then when we are face to face,
All pretension falls away,
All excuses fade,
And I remember…

…the depths from which You lifted me.
The light that causes darkness to flee.
Feel the solid ground on which You’ve planted me.

Remember, with a sigh of relief, that in Your eyes I am clean-white-bright-shiny-new.
And I don’t need to hide.
All self conscious fears disappear out the window.
In the presence of the One who saved me and knows my name.
In the presence of this Love.
Love that’s stronger than death and our reason for life.
Love that celebrates and rescues and restores.

And every cell of my body mind and soul yearns to express its response to this overwhelming truth.
To this story that transcends all fairytales.
Right here and right now I long to bring a true sacrifice of praise. My all.
A fragrant offering that is pleasing and genuine.

Sunday morning

If you'd walked into the hall of City Gate Centre on London Road this morning, there's a variety of things you might have seen. You might have seen a whole selection of people painting, drawing, and sticking things onto a huge art board. An evolving beautiful mess depicting many of the good things that are poured out on us. You probably would have come across several plastic balls, and may well have been hit by one, be it when they were thrown around by people surrouding two big parachutes, or when everyone just went a bit mad throwing them at each other and high into the air. You might have seen people dancing and jumping and throwing water at each other. You might have heard drums, horns and singing. You might have heard someone speak about the love they found in South Africa, the freedom and boldness they witnessed in India, and the expectation over a trip to Norway. You may have seen a whole cross-section of people - all different ages and sizes and personalities - standing united around a parachute with a world map printed on to it. United in their love for God, and for each other, and for their city, and the nations beyond.

i doubt you'd have guessed we were in the middle of a church service :-)