Holy Woolies Goes For Prayer

Someone met my wife on the street last week. “I hear Albert’s bought Woolworth” was the comment. Funny how rumours can get around. It brought a smile to my face thinking about the first rumours of Jesus birth. Word was no doubt round the town that shepherds had seen angels and a baby had been born in a stable. For those who went to see I’m sure they were not disappointed.

And I think those who turn up at our Woolworth Christmas Encounter will find themselves encountering the Word on the Street beyond the Shop Window – “God is with us”. God is engaging with the idea of tranformation. Taking the derelect place and giving it meaning. I’d like to think that we as a church will never be the same again that we will be challenged to expand outside our present walls and become the Church on the Street the Church without Walls working with our friends and colleagues in other churches to be the authentic voice of Christ in the world. Here we go the church fights back and reclaims the commercial space and makes it a holy place.

FAITH IN ACTION

Lord,

Word on the Street is

Woolworth is open again

Who could have guessed

Its been Bo’nessed

Blessed

Back in business

No one could have believed it

Its a God Shock!

Like the first Christmas

God, you turn up in the everyday space

The derelect street

The disregarded place

It becomes a palace

Because of your presence

No Santa Claus here

No beard

No ho ho cheer

Just a bunch of very ordinary people

Gathered in a store

With an open door

To tell an extra-ordinary story

To bring glory

To you the Almighty.

O God,

You do move in to the strangest of places

And keep the weirdest company

Saints and sinners

Pentecostalists and Presbyterians

Catholics and Anglicans

Publicans and Bookies

Shopkeepers and Road Sweepers

Bus drivers and Broadcasters

Your there for them all

I guess that’s the wonder of a Woolies this Christmas

Your on the street .