The Sick Tent

I am a trophy husband!  I know I may not look like one, but all I bring to the family is an ability to talk to anyone about matters of faith.  All the other gifts in the world are offered to the family via my wonderful wife.  So, when I am away from her, I struggle, and others around me find out very quickly that I am extremely high maintenance.  This summer I was at a Christian festival called New Wine with the two oldest kids.  Now I struggle a bit with New Wine.  I am a little tired of constant celebratory performance church.  But my kids love it!  So, I take them.  I really struggle with camping with a deep held conviction that time away from home should be spent in nicer surroundings than that I am used too!  

Wednesday night was a good evening.  I went to bed satisfied.  The eldest daughter had shared how she had encountered God in a wonderful way that evening.  The second oldest was just loving her time at New Wine, incredible considering she is usually quite anxious in new situations.  All was well. 

But then… I woke at 3:30AM to the sound of the eldest being sick.  I looked up to see a neat tidy pile of sick and my daughter having done the deed, turning over and going back to sleep.  Surely it can wait until morning to be cleaned up?  I mean, let them sleep? Parent fail number 1, I did just that, I covered it up until morning.  As I lay back down consumed by the smell, I started to realise I had made a mistake.  This became fully realised when she woke again, and this time projectile vomited all over the tent including all over her younger sister who woke up crying ‘that’s not fair if I have to go home and miss new wine because Gracie’s sick’.  I am now in panic mode. I mean talking about Jesus is not going to help now and that is my one and only gift!  I take them into the lounge compartment not knowing why or what it might achieve.  Then… the most wonderful sound.  The zip too the tent opened and in walked Ali and Owen with disinfectant, hot water, bin bags, cloths, spare sleeping bags and a plan. That plan - get Ben away and blitz the tent! 

Now Ali and Owen are ministers at the Stowe in Swindon.  I camp with this church at New Wine.  They really are the most wonderful community.  The word family is used so often in church circles and it is usually more aspirational than an accurate description.  The Stowe is family.  And they are beautifully led by two people who though very different share certain God like values.  They are beautiful people.   They are Jesus to their community and to all they meet.  Amazing!

I am sent with the kids to get showered and clean.  By the time I come back the tent is completely clean and disinfected.  Owen and Ali, I love you! 

Why am I telling you this?  Well, its advent.  And this story, the example of Ali and Owen, remind me of this verse in the message; ‘God became flesh and blood and joined the neighbourhood’.  Or as Paul puts it in his 2^nd letter to the church at Corinth, ‘God gave up the riches of heaven for poverty of earth’.  Or as I now put it… ‘God became flesh and blood and joined me in the sick tent’!  God gave up the riches to become present in our lives.  And we are now challenged to follow him and be present with all around us. 

I heard the incredible story of the toilet pastor recently.  A guy who wants people to know about what God has done by becoming flesh and blood and joining us in the neighbourhood.  He goes around cleaning people’s toilets.  Recently in his home town a new sex shop had opened.  Christians in the city had come together united to show their disapproval.  The numbers were huge, the placards were many and the anger evident.   The toilet guy went into the shop and offered to clean the toilet of the sex shop.  Go for it!  When he came out the owner of the shop asked why he would do such a thing.  The toilet man said, ‘to show how God became flesh and blood to join us in the neighbourhood because of his love for you’.  The man burst into tears, ‘I did not know there were any of you Christians left who could love me’.  He then apparently offered him anything he wanted from the store as a thank you!  The kind offer was refused!!! 

This advent we remember that God became flesh and blood and joined us in our sick tents.  Where might we ask him to be present in our lives, right here and right now?  Who are we praying for?  Which situations do we wish to be transformed?  And may the challenge this advent be, where might we be called to be present?  Which sick tents around us are we called to be present in so as to join God in his kingdom transformation of all things?

My prayer is this… That whatever you are thinking of might know the transformation that happened in the tent thanks to Owen and Ali.  And that you may know the difference God’s presence makes in all of life.  It is my prayer you may also find life in all its fullness as you imitate Christ and are present in the sick tents around us.  God bless you this advent.