Last Wednesday Tony and I took coffee, sausage rolls, pot noodles, and a little fruit, to a housing complex for recovering addicts in the city. We listen, a lot, and hug and weep as we hear devastating stories of bad lives made worse through drugs and alcohol . What we DON'T do, is judge.
Tony and I are City Missioners. We are responding to the gospel imperative to feed the hungry and bring comfort to those who are suffering. We don't preach. We, as I say, listen.
Nick, Andrew and Sean who sat round the table with us asked what brought us to them. "We're broken too." Tony spoke for both of us. Yup. But mending.
The guys are all believers, and wanted to pray with us before we left. " You do it!" I said, Sean, embarrassed, said,"We don't know how!" This was what I prayed:
"The disciples came to him and said, "Lord, teach us how to pray ..." And he replied:
Creator, You
Who fill the Cosmos
We name you, 'Holy One'
May we be as you are, wherever you are
May we do as you do, here, in this place
Give us today, the means to keep body and soul together
Stand by us when we screw up
So that we, being freed, might free others too
For Yours is our Homeland, our Place of Safety and Our Goal
From now into eternity
Amen. "
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