The Presence

simplicity // 33
the Presence

“Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow.” Matthew 6 (Message)

How have you become more present, this Lent?

I’m reading a book called Deep Country, by Neil Ansell (whose work I mentioned earlier in Lent 40). Aged 30, he accepted the offer of living in a secluded cottage in mid-Wales. It was an experiment, for him, in “how lightly [he] could tread upon the Earth”. Same age as when Jesus went into the desert, coincidentally.

“This was the pattern of my days,” he writes: “a simple life led by natural rhythms rather than the requirements and expectations of others.” He had no rent to pay, so wasn’t beholden – but neither did he have water, electricity or gas, so it was no picnic in the park.

Before long, however, he noticed a strange thing. Instead of becoming more introspective, as he’d expected, the reverse happened.

“My days were spent outside, immersed in nature, watching. My attention was constantly focused away from myself... And my nights were spent sitting in front of a log fire, staring at the flames. I would not be thinking of the day just gone,” he writes. “And I would not be planning tomorrow; tomorrow would take care of itself. The silence outside was reflected by a growing silence within. Any interior monologue quietened to a whisper, then faded away entirely...

“I had become,” he concludes, “a part of the landscape.” Fully present, then. Part of the scene, of that very day.

It’s all very well for people like that, replies our own inner monologue. They’ve chosen to live in a secluded cottage in Wales. Or in the desert, if we’re talking about Jesus, who didn’t have a proper job either, or a home to run. Where would we be if we all headed for the hills? It’s a fair point. We can’t all do so. But it does seem as if the people who are serious about disconnecting and reconnecting are also the ones who become more fully present, somehow; for whom life gains perspective.

They must have something to teach us, about the way we can live, from day to day. And how we can play our part – however small - in becoming more present: a part of the landscape, on this very day, within God’s presence. Within the Presence.


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rsvp special:
park life

One of the Lent 40 community, Ben, from Heavitree, Exeter, has helped to pioneer a creative and courageous project in his local park. I invited him to ‘rsvp’ a few thoughts, to inspire us all – as we continue to reflect on how we can ‘be the change’, and become more fully present to the world around us...

“Park Life has evolved over a number of years, but it’s only recently broken the surface. We’re a small group of residents from Heavitree who believe that a community café would be a great idea in our local park. We’re linked by local geography, by how we spend our leisure time and where are kids go to school.

These connections helped us spread an idea into our community. Over the last 18 months, we have run and organised a number of events to build community, to consult with people and to give some momentum to our vision. These include an Eden Project ‘Big Lunch’, an art activity at the bank hoilday fun day, a community football match and a Mother's Day event - at which we gave out tea, coffee, cake and bags to ladies (including flowers, chocolates and free stuff from Lush!). See the photos at http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=103837296335545 . In May we are having a ‘cream tea and lawn bowls’ event.

Our next phase is to draw up plans with an architect and apply for planning permission, as well as starting to start fundraising. A local lawyer helped us to establish charitable status, we have joined the local community association and have started to work closely with councillors.

This is what you find above the surface of Park Life. But the passion for what we are doing comes not just from a love of cafés and parks but a love of people and a desire to help and see lives changed. We loved Mary Oliver’s words from earlier in the Lent 40 series, and thought ‘Fire, Rope and Bread’ would be a great name for the café.

It is a community we are establishing, not a building. There is no hidden agenda, or ulterior motive. We are not secretly planning a cult in the park, or trying to get people to go to church. But the six of us moving this forward are Christians from a range of backgrounds. Personally, I have struggled for years with a nagging feeling that a lot of what I've been brought up thinking and doing in the church has been missing the point; but we have been inspired by reading and listening to people like Rob Bell, Brian McLaren and Michael Frost - particularly his book Exiles.

Below the surface of Park Life is a whole world that we are about to start exploring: one in which there might be a completely different way of doing ‘church’ and even of being a Christian. Not a better way, but a different one. One in which people can belong to something before they believe in something or behave in a certain way - where you are 'in' before you start; not ‘out’, or ‘lost’, but part of the community.

And who knows? Down the line, we might start asking some questions together...”

Do let us know if you have started a local project or are trying something new. It’s often as we read about other ‘ordinary’ people’s ideas and actions that we gain the courage and the energy to have a go, ourselves.

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May you show up, today – wherever you are.
Go well!

Brian