Around the roundabouts and through the rain…

I visited my first UK church this morning in Maidstone. I found this church by googling churches in Maidstone and then weeding out ones of certain denominations, ones that did not include a belief statement on their websites, and ones with loose or fishy doctrine. I was excited to check out the one church that withstood the selection process. Plus, I read that this church desires to be an equipping center to send believers to the nations and is highly involved in the local community…all things I strongly support!

Since, the bus near my hotel does not run on Sundays, I mentally prepared myself last night to make the 2ish mile walk into town. Sadly, it decided to rain this morning, so I had to make the trek in the cold rain accompanied my rain jacket, gloves, umbrella, earmuffs, and rain boots. I’m sure I was a site to see, especially since no one else on the walk used an umbrella and people barely covered their heads around here. Just another day in England for these Brits, until they pass the crazy American all decked out like the Flood in Genesis was expected or something.

I google mapped walking directions and had my faithful copy of a terrible map of Maidstone with me on the journey. Here’s something to think about though….left and right is all relative in a roundabout….even if you’re walking. No matter which “exit” you take off a roundabout, your car is still veering left, but some exits are known as a right turn. WHAT?!?!? I decided to ignore the lefts and rights mentioned on googlemaps because my terrible maps showed one straight road, which had four name changes (I’m beginning to think that most things British are roundabout and complicated). I did make it to the church after about a 45-minute walk, 3 roundabouts, 1 wind sucking umbrella mess, and several glances back to the directions and map. Whew...look at what a girl’s got to do for a little community on a Sunday morning in Maidstone.

The door greeter, Laurie, was super welcoming and quickly realized I was not from here. What a big change attending a church of about 200 compared to Austin Stone’s thousands. Everyone knew I was new. But sweet Laurie pointed me to sit with one of her roommates, which I did. After a long period of announcements, the worship team played some songs. One that really spoke to me today was Awesome is the Lord Most High by Chris Tomlin (an added plus was that he used to play at Austin Stone before my time, but it still reminded me of the Stone). Here are the lyrics:

Great are You, Lord
Mighty in strength
You are faithful
You will ever be

We will praise You
All of our days
It’s for Your glory
We offer everything

Raise your hands, all you nations
Shout to God all creation
How awesome is the Lord most high

Where You send us
God, we will go
You’re the answer
We want the world to know

We will trust You
When You call our name
Where You lead us
We’ll follow all the way

We will praise You together
For now and forever
How awesome is the Lord most high

Hallelujah
Hallelujah
How awesome is the Lord most high

(google it if you want to actually hear it)
Anyways, the verses “Where You send us; God, we will go. You’re the answer; we want the world to know. We will trust You when You call our name. Where You lead us, we’ll follow all the way. “ really impacted me today. If you’ve heard me significantly talk about this move to England, I don’t really know why God has sent me here. England is not a country I desire to do ministry in. And, my specific social work job is one of the only social work jobs I said I would never do in the states. So, why England? I don’t know. But, I said yes when God decided to send me, because I want the world to know Him, and I trust Him as he calls my name that He will lead me while I am here and I desire to follow His way. Thank you Chris Tomlin for these lyrics and thank you Lord for their significant impact in me.

After worship, the main speaker asked people to share testimonies of what God has been doing in them or through them over the last few months. It was awesome to hear numerous ways in which God is at work here in tiny little Maidstone as similar to large Austin, TX and the US.

The pastor spoke about being the light of the world, and went through a bunch of fairly well known verses talking about light. At one point, he said that when we are immature light we need to be with other light to be restored and refined, and as we continue to mature we are put into darkness, so that we can be the light. I can see this pattern in my life---so hello dark and cloudy England.

I also love when I am reminded that God does not have a plan B. Jesus was the original plan and the kingdom of God is being restored as I write this and the words of Revelation (and the entire Bible) promise this. I find great hope in Jesus’ return and find myself doing crazy things like moving to England to help expedite the process. ☺

At the end of service, we had tea (oh the English and their tea…). I met the two other Americans that go to the church; one from DC, the other from Atlanta. The DC girl, Selena, is apart of the Year of Training program through the church studying theology. The Atlanta girl, Ida, also did that program and is about to marry a South African man she met here in a few weeks. Both girls have adapted a lot of British vocabulary with their American accent….makes me laugh. Oh the church is super diverse and there were a lot of people from South Africa and Zimbabwe, and a girl from Belgium that I met.

After church, I went to lunch with Laurie, the one that greeted me at the door, and another girl, Suzie. It was really nice. We discussed American and English Christianity, the Bible Belt, and other stuff like the capitol of Texas is Austin (the important things!). Suzie also dropped me back at the hotel so I thankfully did not have to walk back around the roundabouts and through the rain.

It was definitely great to be around believers again after these past two weeks.