Six Month Review

I'm reminded of an old joke my father would say at lunchtime on Saturdays, when all the leftovers from the week were pulled out of the fridge in hopes they would disappear.  He used to call this the "Mennonite Weekly Review," which is only funny to Mennonites, specifically those who are familiar with the publication, Mennonite Weekly Review.

As we approach our six-month anniversary of our time here, we're taking on the task of writing up a few reviews of our work here thus far, and it's a similar feeling to that of looking at the table on Saturdays and noon and considering, "What was good the first time around, what do I want to calorically invest in again, and will I be able to avoid this or that (normally green beans for me, as a child.)"  (Note:  I love that life can be compared to food.)

It's the same for most of us, I suppose.  We know what sorts of things we gladly give our time and energy to, what we're willing to do (though perhaps ambivalent towards), and what we'd really rather not do.  We are not so different, in being voluntary service workers, though perhaps there's a servant complex from time to time.

In other news, summer has finally hit England, and the schools are out for their summer holidays until the end of August.  It feels to us a little like a chance to catch our breath before the craziness of September ensues.  Justin is enjoying biking around a good bit more, and I am frantically knitting in preparation for a yarn bombing in September.

Some apologies for not writing incredibly frequently -- my blogging has matured, perhaps, since my early days when I first started just out of university.  Or, maybe, I hold my thoughts a little closer than I used to...Or, maybe Justin gets to hear them all and negates my need to process by writing. :)  (Count your blessings?)

"Practical" Worship, as an "alternative" view to "Alternative" Worship.

Taking faith to the street, we set out walking a few Sundays ago with Wood Green Mennonite Church.  Once a month, the church takes a break from mostly sedentary worship to consider an active, community-based approach to theology.

We met at a tube stop, nine of us in total.  We said a prayer and headed off down the busy “high street” (main street with shopping, banks, etc.) of Wood Green.  We stopped several times over the next two hours and two and something miles, to read scripture, hear reflections, and to pray, all entwined with the reality of our street presence.

The service finished, and the group set off to a pub for nibbles and a drink.  We chatted some more, sharing stories.

We went home, tired.  Church had worn us out. 

Worship, and its many methods.