This post isn't actually coming from Jos as I've been back in England for a while to attend my cousin's wedding (and work my way through the long shopping list I was given in Jos - my bags are full of school uniform, shoes, cereal and chocolate).

The wedding of Becky and Jonny was in Aylesbury on Saturday.  It didn't rain but I was so glad of all four layers of clothing.  I was able to shed them gradually but England at the beginning of June is nowhere near as balmy as Jos.  The ceremony was lovely as my Uncle David delighted in handing over his final daughter - no more father of the bride speeches to come up with (although he's done a good job).  The minister explained how Christian marriage displays the character of God in its loving, forgiving and bringing out of potential.  It's an awesome thing to know that just by the way we are married we can point others towards or away from the love of God.

On Sunday morning I went back to the church.  The visiting speaker was from the London Institute of Contemporary Christianity, an organisation set up by John Stott, a great pastor and teacher who was concerned to relate being a Christian to the whole of life, not just to the holy huddle on Sundays.  I completely agreed with what was said.  People talk about "full time Christian work" and they mean becoming a vicar or going abroad to the mission field.  Everybody who follows Jesus is in full time Christian work whether that's teaching at school, nursing, building, working in an office, going to the supermarket or just being alive.  A lot of the time the way we show who Jesus is and how he's impacted our lives is in the way we live - our attitudes and actions on the bus or in the shops can display the hope that lives inside sometimes more clearly than the words that explain it.

The speaker went through the prayer that Jesus taught his disciples.  As he pointed out, left to our own devices our prayers often become somewhat narrow in focus.  If all your last week's prayers were granted would anyone other than yourself and your family benefit?  It's a useful thought to remember.  He put up some photos.  One was of a demonstration with people holding banners, "The people demand regime change".  That is what we're asking when we pray "Your kingdom come".  We want regime change, no more of the greed, cruelty, hopelessness and injustice of this world but for the love and power of God to shine into the darkness.  God's Holy Spirit lives within every Christian in power and wherever we go he is with us and nothing can overcome that light, whether we go abroad or to the local supermarket.  Christians are dangerous as dictatorships from the Romans to the Communists have realised.  Go out wherever you are and be subversive (in a peaceful, Spirit-filled and Jesus-like way of course).