here for a service

"I'm here for a service..."

The man was .. well, 'up in years' as they say. Not young, by any means: and not really middle-aged any longer either.

I know it's a Wednesday. But it's not what you maybe think. The Wednesday lunch-time services haven't restarted yet.

And it wasn't even here I heard the man. It was up at the Renault garage, where I had to put the car in for a minor bit of work.

"... Well, not me, of course, but the car," the man went on, making things crystal clear for the young Australian guy who was at reception.

"Though maybe I could do with one, too," he added. And the way he looked, and the way he sounded, too, I thought maybe you're right!

But although that was first thing this morning (a good many hours ago!), his words have stuck with me most of the day and I've chewed on them a bit.

For myself I had a bit of to-and-fro-ing through the morning, getting up to the garage then back by bus, then up later on, mid-morning, by bus again, then back with the car when they'd sorted the invoice out. It all takes time, but it's good for a bit of a read or some quiet thought.

'Service' time for myself in a way. Servicing the soul. Giving my heart a bit of time and space away from other people and the multitude of little tasks that fill a day.

Like the time of morning prayer here, too. We've put an alarm clock out in the main Reception Area, so just before 9.40am the bell or the buzzer goes off! The call to prayer!

That's been great as well.

Yesterday we prayed for a person we haven't seen or heard of for a while. Months really since we had any sort of contact with the girl. And we were burdened to pray for her by name.

So what a thrill it was today (much later on) to get a lovely e-mail from the girl! Though she's not been around at all, she still listens in from time to time to our services on the internet. A different way of checking in for a service. But the same sort of thing.

At one stage this morning I popped out into the Reception Area. It was good to have the briefest of chats with one of the leaders here, who's not had her troubles to seek.

She'd been in for a coffee, a chance to chat, and here she was just leaving. It was good to be able to talk with her and then, as we stood there together right by the door, to pray together about the situation that's been vexing her.

I'm here for a service.

The unuttered script of so many folk who call by here. Not just the 'service' they're given by coffee, tea and lunches being served. But 'ministry', that sort of gentle friendship through which, by words and deeds, their hearts are touched and comforted and fortified again.

Much of the afternoon was spent addressing with a fellow leader here how best we make the meeting of the leaders here next week a rather different time than what it's customarily been. More of a genuine meeting of minds and hearts.

We changed our constitution back in June. And the role this meeting of the leaders has is ripe, I think, for change. We want the thing relational and worshipful instead of being a business-driven time.

There were seven or eight of us out for a time of prayer at night as well. 'Servicing' the work and people of God.

I tried to do things just a wee bit differently. What we sometimes do is sort of run through all the many different things there are to pray about (at length), and then go back and pray about them all and hope folk can remember them.

It's a kind of 'Generation Game' sort of praying, I sometimes think. You hear all the things to be prayed for and then have to try and remember them all when it comes to the time of prayer.

And I wonder what the Lord ends up thinking. Is he not there as well when we're discussing the matters before? Do we keep him out of the room at that time and only ask him in when our 'list' has been compiled?

Of course not. He's there from the start. We ask for his presence, acknowledge his presence, rejoice in his presence. So, hey, he's there all right.

So I tried to ensure we included him in the discussion the whole way through. It was great. An hour and a quarter later or so we figured it was time to close things down.

At least I did. I'd arranged to call on a bereaved family. And I was already late.

Another set of people who were 'here for a service.'

In their case, of course, they wanted to talk through the thanksgiving service there'll be at the end of the week.

The lady who'd died, her oldest son confessed he wasnt 'religious' (to which I felt like saying, 'join the club'), but the time that I had with the three of them there was good and I didn't feel awkward engaging with them in prayer at the end.

It's just really part of the 'service'.