Deeper shade of grey | Faith House 20

A Familiar Story of Fate…

Icaught the end of a radio programme and heard the all to familiar story of falling numbers, the challenge of encouraging people to attend, the problem of a loss of identity as people seek community and family elsewhere.

I heard the history of a journey of popularity and social norm to modern day aversion and lack of popularity. I listened how once centre of communities were now being turned into flats, their cohesive influence in society lost to property developers and speculators. How people preferred really to spend time at home rather than frequent the once national institution. I listened to the sociologist lamenting the loss of ‘community building’ and social capital, pointing to the ramifications on an already fragmented and fractured society.

A man interviewed was the grim reaper, painting a dark gloomy picture of near distinction of a fast disappearing institution. “The stats speak for themselves…the problem is the bureaucracy, it is strangling the life out of us, it not as simple anymore we have so much paperwork it is killing the Public House off rapidly…”

Now there’s a thought - bureaucracy as the metaphorical cuckoo!

Writer: Capt. Gordon Cotterill lives in London, England, is married to Kate and has two daughters Bethan and Eryn. He has been a Salvation Army officer for ten years and ‘cut his teeth’ in ministry with his wife as the corps officers at Poplar in the East End of London. The lessons he learned there in his day-to-day ministry, amid the chaos of the inner city, continue to shape his understanding and passion for biblical and grace-centred mission. His latest appointment as Spiritual Programme Director at the William Booth College, London now offers him the opportunity for the fusion and exploration of ‘mission’ and ’spiritual formation’ while trying to inspire a new generation of Salvation Army officers as to their role in God’s plan for His creation. Gordon keeps a blog where he mulls over themes of mostly, mission and spiritual formation. 

Deeper shade of grey | Faith House 15

 The joy of doubt

I‘ve begun an unintentional habit of reading the most profound articles in the most unusual of places. It makes going to the hairdressers and the Chinese take away a little more interesting. Last month it was an article about recapturing the emotion of awe and how a lack of awe affects our well-being …. fascinating. Saturday while waiting for numbers 18, 24, 32, 34 and 37 in the Ho Hing I ruffled through the usual freebie papers and magazines to find the Psychologies magazine and an article by Emma Cook called the ‘Joy of Doubt’.

“Doubt is an inescapable aspect of human nature, and yet how many of us wish it were not?”

“Make peace with doubt -When you doubt, rather than automatically criticising yourself for being indecisive, remember that doubt is a healthy process by which you can discover your true beliefs…”

“We should feel proud of the fact that we see and struggle with the contradictions of the world. That is a very noble situation to be in . The opposite is to be a fundamentalist - unwilling to engage with or appreciate any position but your own…”

“Doubt is the beginning,not the end of wisdom…” (George Iles).

An interesting thought might be that honest questioning doubt from a desire to believe, may have more to do with the deepening of our faith, than a unquestioning undynamic blind faith that refuses to move beyond anything more than the cosmetics of mere acceptance.

“Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24)

Writer: Capt. Gordon Cotterill lives in London, England, is married to Kate and has two daughters Bethan and Eryn. He has been a Salvation Army officer for ten years and ‘cut his teeth’ in ministry with his wife as the corps officers at Poplar in the East End of London. The lessons he learned there in his day-to-day ministry, amid the chaos of the inner city, continue to shape his understanding and passion for biblical and grace-centred mission. His latest appointment as Spiritual Programme Director at the William Booth College, London now offers him the opportunity for the fusion and exploration of ‘mission’ and ’spiritual formation’ while trying to inspire a new generation of Salvation Army officers as to their role in God’s plan for His creation. Gordon keeps a blog where he mulls over themes of mostly, mission and spiritual formation.

Deeper shade of grey | Faith House 14

Derek sobbed from his very being, deep shudders of emotion. I felt them as I sat next to him and put a hand on his shoulder. Estelle felt them as she held Derek’s hand. The whole room at Faith House felt them as they watched on and listened.

We’d heard a lot from Derek that night. Slightly the worse for wear he had pushed boundaries, let his agitation spill over into the group, patiently the men at the drop in gave him space to do his drunk thing in their community. His day hadn’t been good, kicked out and banned from five other places he came to Faith House and he had something to say.

Through the tears and the sobs he caught the attention the whole room.

“For fifty years I’ve been banging my head up against a brick wall, but now I know…”

“What do you know Derek?” Estelle coaxed.

“He did it … for me”

“He … Jesus stayed on the cross for me ?”

“Someone gave me a book when I was in the cells, I only read the end … Jesus could have got off the cross, got married and could’ve had six kids but he didn’t, he stayed on the cross for me and now I know…”

“…and I am so sorry … so sorry”

The drama of the moment continued to grow as Derek looking down at the floor continued to sob.

What had brought it all crashing back for Derek?

As he was kicked out of McDonald’s a mother and a child ran after him with some French fries and a coffee. Something profound in that simple act of kindness hit Derek between the eyes and took him back to what he had read.

Hands up all those who boycotted ‘Last Temptation of Christ….?’ Seemingly ‘The Last Temptation’ written by Nikos Kazantzakis brought Derek to the place where he could not escape the selfless love seen in Jesus!! Well what do you know…!

Looking up he looked at the men who had stayed for our end of the night thought, “and I am sorry I’ve been a bl**dy *rse tonight too!!”

Writer: Capt. Gordon Cotterill lives in London, England, is married to Kate and has two daughters Bethan and Eryn. He has been a Salvation Army officer for ten years and ‘cut his teeth’ in ministry with his wife as the corps officers at Poplar in the East End of London. The lessons he learned there in his day-to-day ministry, amid the chaos of the inner city, continue to shape his understanding and passion for biblical and grace-centred mission. His latest appointment as Spiritual Programme Director at the William Booth College, London now offers him the opportunity for the fusion and exploration of ‘mission’ and ’spiritual formation’ while trying to inspire a new generation of Salvation Army officers as to their role in God’s plan for His creation. Gordon keeps a blog where he mulls over themes of mostly, mission and spiritual formation.

Deeper shade of grey | Faith House 13

Not far from any sermon illustration website is the name and thoughts of Søren Kierkegaard. I’ve had a book of his parables on my bookcase for years and have started to slowly make my way through. Here’s the first one.

THE HAPPY CONFLAGRATION
What happens to those who try to warn the present age?

It happened that a fire broke out backstage in a theatre. The clown came out to inform the public. They thought is was just a jest and applauded. He repeated his warning, they shouted even louder. So I think the world will come to an end amid general applause from all the wits, who believe that it is a joke.
-Kierkegaard Kierkegaard, S. (1989). Parables of Kierkegaard (Kierkegaard’s Writings). Princeton: Princeton University Press. 

I suppose the idea of these sayings and parables is for them to provoke and to stimulate thought. We sang the words of General Albert Osborn this week and I have been provoked!

“Only as I know thee can I make thee truly known…”    - Albert Orsborn

There is a link here somewhere. At what level do we make God truly known? Too often I worry that a prevalent ‘consumer bar code Christian’ theology covers much of the profundity of God with stage paints, a big red nose, outlandishly large shoes and a ruff. There’s an irony here that presents itself, in that, in order to engage with the mystery of God we have to slip our God given enquiring minds into neutral.

I’m not sure that taking a leap of faith means our theology needs to become irrational in order to appreciate the mystery of God. Nor am I sure, that an attitude of ‘Many are the things I cannot understand, all above me mystery I see…’ is an excuse to be lazy with our thinking and theology.

Albert Orsborn and Søren Kierkegaard have got me thinking, if I present God at an superficial level what does it say of what I know of God? If I present God at an superficial level is it any wonder that no-one really listens!!

Writer: Capt. Gordon Cotterill lives in London, England, is married to Kate and has two daughters Bethan and Eryn. He has been a Salvation Army officer for ten years and ‘cut his teeth’ in ministry with his wife as the corps officers at Poplar in the East End of London. The lessons he learned there in his day-to-day ministry, amid the chaos of the inner city, continue to shape his understanding and passion for biblical and grace-centred mission. His latest appointment as Spiritual Programme Director at the William Booth College, London now offers him the opportunity for the fusion and exploration of ‘mission’ and ’spiritual formation’ while trying to inspire a new generation of Salvation Army officers as to their role in God’s plan for His creation. Gordon keeps a blog where he mulls over themes of mostly, mission and spiritual formation.

Deeper shade of grey | Faith House 11

He did it for me

Derek sobbed from his very being, deep shudders of emotion. I felt them as I sat next to him and put a hand on his shoulder. Estelle felt them as she held Derek’s hand. The whole room at Faith House felt them as they watched on and listened.

We’d heard a lot from Derek that night. Slightly the worse for wear he had pushed boundaries, let his agitation spill over into the group, patiently the men at the drop-in gave him space to do his drunk thing in their community. His day hadn’t been good, kicked out and banned from five other places he came to Faith House and he had something to say.

Through the tears and the sobs he caught the attention the whole room.

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Deeper shade of grey | emerging

Sewers as object lessons | Gordon Cotterill

There are perks and draw backs to living in a city whose infrastructure is largely Victorian!

Anyone who has lived in London during the last four to five years will have experienced transition. This transition is from an older way that had lost its efficiency, to a new way that is recapturing an efficiency of old.

This transition has been messy and inconvenient. It has had to be well planned and articulated. It started when the problems were realistically acknowledged but seen as not being insurmountable. The old Victorian water pipe work that had become corroded, broken and in a general state of increasing decay, while still achieving its aim, could not be ignored. It leaked, it didn’t achieve what it was meant to achieve, haemorrhaging gallons of water a minute.

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Deeper shade of grey | Fred Smith

Lost voice of mission | Gordon Cotterill

The enigma of Frank Smith has intrigued me for years and it has been good to get an insight to this man through a paper given several years ago to the National Salvation Army Social Services Conference by Norman Murdoch (Murdoch, N.H.(2003) Frank Smith: Salvationist Socialist. National Salvation Army Social Services Conference).

If ever there was a lost voice of mission within TSA it is Frank Smith. The one time Commissioner who led TSA work in the US and Canada (1884-1887) and who was TSA first Social Wing Commissioner (1888-90) resigned and left TSA to become a founder member of the British Labour party. With his ‘desertion’, the cloud under which he left descended further to fog any influence he had within the formation of a holistic missiological theology that shaped TSA then, and continues to do so now.

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