Planted by Water

Apologies for my absence from my blog! At the end of last week I was madly preparing for lecturing at School of the Word in Cardiff (if it wasn’t for the last minute a lot of things wouldn’t get done) and I have been down there over the last 3 days. I had a great time with the students down there (I will post a photograph of them as soon as it arrives!) It was my first time with them and they are a great bunch. They responded well as I encouraged them to discuss rather than just listen - I prefer the Socratic method of question & answer & discussion, rather than just lecturing - as we considered together how an understanding of the Kingdom prepares us to understand how we relate to and engage with the world; because as sons of the Kingdom we are called to be a part of nothing less than the transformation and restoration of our world!

On the point of transforming our world, I read a great little article today from Mark Greene of the London Institute for Contemporary Christianity. It included a great quote from Anita Roddick:

“If you ever think you’re too small to make a difference, you’ve never been to bed with a mosquito.”

I’ve never shared a bed with a mosquito, but I think I get the picture! I can’t find the article on their site (I get it emailed) so I’ve pasted it below (I don’t think they’ll mind): 

of mosquitoes, friends, & changing the world

A couple of weeks ago, I was in a friend’s corporate office and saw two framed pictures on the wall. One was an LICC poster of Newton’s cradle with the headline: “Make a difference where you are”; the other featured a quote from Anita Roddick: “If you ever think you’re too small to make a difference, you’ve never been to bed with a mosquito.”

Well, I hope that Christians aren’t perceived as being as irritating as mosquitoes but we are certainly meant to be persistent, and we are capable, in Christ, of having an impact that is out of all proportion to our size or number.

Indeed, LICC was founded because we believe that the ‘small’ people, the so-called ‘ordinary’ Christians can make a huge difference to the people we each meet, the situations we face, the companies we work for, and the nations we live in. Not mosquitoes but yeast, not agents of irritation but agents of transformation – in our everyday, workaday contexts.

Everything we do at LICC – our bi-weekly e-mails, training events, conferences, research and broadcasting – has a common aim: to equip and empower Christians to live daily the difference that Jesus makes in today’s world. For more about our recent activities, click here

Indeed, we’re working to bring about a fundamental change in the culture of the UK church so that every Christian will know they are a minister, know they are a full-time Christian worker and be equipped to fulfil that high calling – whatever they do, wherever they do it. It’s what business gurus Porras and Collins would call “a big, hairy, audacious goal”: to be yeast in the church dough.

And it’s a task only made possible by the financial gifts of individuals, churches and trusts who share our vision. If you’re already a supporter of LICC, then I hope you know just how much your support has already achieved and how much we appreciate your partnership. If you aren’t a supporter yet, please join us to turn vision into reality by becoming a Friend of LICC or by making a one-off donation.

As a Friend, you will be investing in LICC’s work of equipping individuals and churches to do fruitful mission by connecting biblical faith to the whole of life. You will also receive a wide range of resources – our quarterly teaching CD, magazines, a copy of Imagine how we can reach the UK and Nick Spencer’s brilliant book Beyond Belief? - to help you become Christ’s yeast in your everyday context.

Please make a donation today and join us by clicking on the buttons below.

Wishing you all His wisdom in all you do.

Mark Greene