God in the Urban

Date: 11 November 2009 08:58:02

Glen Marshall has this article in the Baptist Times about finding God in the city. He points out that retreat centres all appear to be in remote locations that hark back to images and ideas of the romantics. Even in the city the retreat centres which exist, such as St. Anthony's priory here in Durham, tap into those romantic images. The thing is that I think they need to be like that.

The events of this week, she did manage it in for the Maths exam yesterday, so only English to have the resit as the first sitting in the summer - although she refused to go in wearing uniform, have shown me some new things about God and his community. I have learnt alot through the kindness shown to me, particularly through the online community. I have also - and this is something I have struggled to do in the past - got angry with God and managed to express my frustrations in prayer. I have therefore been able to be more honest with God with my desperation this week but also been open to more advice and love. I have taken a few steps forward whilst feeling like I was drowning in the kak. This has been v. much finding God in the urban.

However, in the mist of that I sometimes need to take myself off. Sometimes we need to find God by allowing ourselves to learn to be hugged by him and to rest in him or to deal with difficult stuff in spaces which are totally removed from the types of places where we have experienced the kak. This is easier in "fluffy" settings which enable us to take time out of the everyday.

For me the key, I think, the key is to recognise God in the city and the noise, but also within the quiet.