So this week I’m in Newry on an Arrow retreat (a residential leadership course).  I know that doesn’t sound like my usual jet-set lifestyle, but look at the retreat house where we’re staying – how Downton Abbey is this!!

It’s been a great week of top-quality input so far.  Today we were thinking about how hard it is to really deep-down believe that we are sons and daughters of a loving Heavenly Father, and how we adopt ‘orphan strategies’ to try to earn our self-worth through people-pleasing, perfectionism, activity, self-sufficience…  (to which the only response is – ouch! spot on!)

Yesterday we had some brilliant teaching about mission – usually a scary word conjuring up images of heading off to remote tribes in foreign climes to preach the Gospel to the natives while avoiding being eaten by tribesmen.  (or is that just me?)  Instead we looked at how Jesus encouraged his disciples to just watch what he was doing – sharing good news in natural, unforced, everyday situations – and then invited them to do as he did.

Then in the afternoon we hit the streets of Newry.  Not with an armful of tracts and a mission to accost unwary shoppers and ask questions like “eternity where?” – Instead we were under strict instructions not to start any conversations – just to walk, pray, be open to God’s leading and keep asking the question, “What is God already doing here? Where is he at work?”

It was the most amazing afternoon.  There’s a world of difference between just wandering the streets, and wandering the streets with your spiritual eyes open and ears listening.  It was fascinating to watch out for God not just in the churches and holy places of the town, but in the shops, coffee houses, arcades and streets.  I even ended up in a long chat with the guy beside me in the queue at Costa Coffee.  (I didn’t disobey orders – he started it!)  In days of yore, it would maybe have been expected of me to twist the conversation towards the God-stuff; as the situation panned out, the chat didn’t lead naturally in that direction and I didn’t try to force it.  Right call or not, what do you think?

Those of you who have been reading this blog for a while have probably long-ago figured out that I’m not a tract-handing-out, five-steps-to-faith, one-prayer-and-you’re-done type of evangelist.  No sandwich boards have so far appeared in Dock-world, and I’ve yet to stand on top of the Titanic hull-section sculpture shouting “Turn or burn!”  I really believe that we’re called not to smash people over the head with our faith, but to live it out – to be joyful, loving, forgiving, generous, courageous people who bit-by-bit change the atmosphere of the community we live in for the better.  Seems to me that’s much harder than preaching a quick sermon – but maybe Northern Ireland has had enough of quick sermons and is looking for something authentic and lasting.

I need to be continually challenged to be unashamed in the way I live out my faith.  But I’m becoming more and more convinced that the way to do that is long-term, relational, honest, unforced, natural.  And I need to learn to open my eyes and ears.  God is at work on the streets of Newry – and the streets of the Titanic Quarter.  I need to watch out for what he’s doing, and hope to join in when I can.