Wow! In the words of Chandler, “can open…worms everywhere….”

Thanks to everyone who posted (or emailed or chatted) about the ‘Breakfast in church’ blog the other day – it stirred up quite a bit of response and a few questions – even me mum was worried!  (At least people are reading! woo hoo!)

Maybe I’d better try and be really clear – I wasn’t (I hope) saying that my nice wee holy experience sitting in the cafe with my headphones on was a complete experience of church… or that it’s a good thing to just do your own thing in your own bubble.  That way madness (or at least selfish individualism) lies.  One of the fantastic, frustrating things about church is that it seems to be designed to be shared with other people – annoying, challenging, encouraging, draining, lovable, unlovable, wonderfully imperfect people.  And it’s about what I can give to that community – not just what I can get for myself.

What I was trying to describe is how much I’m enjoying engaging with God, and with other people, in the kind of spaces that I would’ve previously called ‘the outside world’ (or what most people would probably call ‘a normal place’).  There’s always a temptation for Christians (and especially ministers) to withdraw, to live and relate and worship – to “do church” – in set-aside, purpose-built places (whether church buildings, offices, halls, meeting rooms) at set-aside times.  Which can lead to a kind of divided life – time split between ‘doing churchy things’ and ‘doing normal things’.

Jesus is, as always, the role model.  He sometimes withdrew – intentionally, specifically – to be with God on his own.  And he went to temple (in fact, as the readings reminded us the other day, he was passionate that it was shown respect).  But he also made the mundane into ‘church’; he took bread and wine from an ordinary meal, or the habitual everyday practise of foot-washing, and made holy moments.

So I guess what excites me about The Dock (one of the many, many things) is that it doesn’t have a place to hide.  On the Launch Day, we prayed our prayers on the streets of the TQ; ever since, I’ve had to get used to praying with people, with my eyes open, sitting at tables in cafes (really hoping that someone doesn’t choose that exact moment to come to clear the plates away) and walking along by the Thompson Dock.  And, as I was describing the other day, reading the Bible while trying to tune out Kylie’s ‘I should be so lucky’ on the radio and the girl at the table next to me complaining REALLY LOUDLY on the phone about her flatmate.  And I think that’s a Good Thing – and even when (or if) the Dock ever does potentially have a place to hide – whether on a boat or anywhere else – I hope not to lose the lessons learnt by virtue of necessity in these early days.