Competing for space

Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised 

in the city of our God. (Psalm 48 v1)

Reading may not be a city, but these opening words from Psalm 48 were read as a small group headed out on a bright crisp morning, into the neighbourhood SW of the church building at Wesley (see previous No time to stop). 

Look...

... buildings changed in use from the original: offices now residential, houses now
     commercial property and so on.  Food for thought and prayer as Wesley starts a
     project to further refurbish a former house into additional meeting rooms and office
     space for use by the church and the community

... many of the streets we walked are in a conservation area...but there is plenty of
     deterioration in the fabric of the area too

Competing for space:
branches of two sorts

Competing for space: behind buildings

Listen...

... noise of traffic on surrounding roads was never far away, even though the morning
    peak period was past.

... surprisingly peaceful in one or two of the side streets, particularly those which are
     mostly residential.

... sounds of daily household chores


Pray...

... for faith communities as they serve the neighbourhood including the '4 churches and
     a mosque' close by.

... for the early stages of the refurbishment project at Wesley - that the leading group
     will be attentive to God's guidance in their practical tasks.

... thanks for the continuing work of the Women's Centre, Frontline (debt counselling
     agency) which are already using the premises for their work.

... for the social care sector in general - there are several agencies with offices in the
     neighbourhood.

... for the continuing period of reflection about the future mission of Wesley, and a
      sense of being drawn to serve the neighbourhood in a different way.

... as we focus on the observance of Lent, is God competing for space in our lives?

Walk about Zion, go all around it,

   count its towers, 

consider well its ramparts;

   go through its citadels,

that you may tell the next generation 

   that this is God,

our God for ever and ever.

   He will be our guide for ever.

(Psalm 48 v12-14)

Times of transition?

The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it (Psalm 24 v1)

Kennetside

Following opening prayers in the church, the fourth walk headed along the River Kennet towards the town centre.  As we walked, we remarked that the Kennet has been an ongoing part of these walks, as it flows through the neighbourhood, providing a sense of continuity and also a reminder that Reading partly owes its origins to the confluence of the Kennet with the Thames.

Towards the town centre

Kennetside itself was busy in the early evening, firstly with those passing through, with a sense of purpose in their journeys - many on the way home at the end of the day.  Secondly, with groups sitting by the side of the river: possibly from the homeless community in this area of which seems to be one of relative safety for them.    

Look...

...a time of transition in the town centre, some places closing for the night, being cleaned & tidied; others starting to get busier.

One job complete, but someone else's to be done now?

The contrast between lights and the early evening darkness, God in the light and the dark?.  

The community building in Kennet Walk
(see previous blog) hosts the Dingley centre -
this advert was in Jacksons,
former department store.

Another contrast was the outward opulence of many new buildings in the area, yet within 100m the group of homeless men gathering for conversation, a drink and a smoke.

Another community group at work in the area

One recurring theme...the number of new residential properties in the neighbourhood.  The town centre is gaining a substantial number of places to live.

Listen...

...subdued conversation by the side of the river

Distant voices - people talking outside the pub

Noisy

Quiet streets, particularly around the
more commercial area of the Forbury

Pray...

...thanks for the fellowship which has been shared during these times of looking, listening and praying

...thanks for the suggestions which have emerged since the walk in 'new Newtown' / Kennet Walk area (see the previous blog entry).  May these ideas develop with the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

...for other churches in the town centre

...for the homeless in Reading.  Looking ahead , Wesley will be participating in a wider scheme across Reading ['bed for the night'] to provide shelter overnight during January 2015.  Please pray for guidance on how this will best work at Wesley, and for volunteers to help.  Is there an ongoing opportunity for Wesley to serve this group, alongside the other agencies in the town centre?  

...is Wesley as a church looking for a new purpose too?  If this is therefore a time of transition for the church, are there things which need to be 'tidied and cleaned away?'

...that also prompts our prayer for those who find themselves individually in times of transition and needing support to move on.

...for continuing reflection on the outcome of this activity as a whole, and the continuing prayers and discussion within the whole of the church community at Wesley.  

Undiscovered territory?

The 'Pru'

The third walk headed (very roughly) NE from the church building, passing between two buildings associated with well known Reading names: one from the past, Huntley & Palmer of biscuit-making fame, and the Prudential.

Huntley & Palmer's

The group finished with a a sense that we'd discovered somewhere new, certainly we'd not ventured around much of this area individually and for us it felt like a journey of discovery, particularly in the new housing we explored.

Regeneration

Plenty of building (work also continuing
on the railway, in the background)

Huntley & Palmer had much to do with the development of housing to the East of the town centre, an area known as Newtown.  There was a sense that we'd seen a 'new Newtown' during the course of our walk, with regeneration in the new housing built on 'brown field' land in the area.  Development continues on this peninsular which sits between the River Kennet and the mainline railway.



Perhaps surprisingly, there was only one building set aside for community use, with the exception of a pub/restaurant and Blakes Lock Museum, involved in children's work of some sort.  [Since our walk I have discovered this was Kennet Walk Community Building, home to a Family and Specialist Early Years Centre]

This prompted questions about what the church (at large, not just Wesley) might or might not be doing to witness in this area.  Equally, whether fellow Christians in other churches on the edge of this area are engaged in mission here, as there were no obvious signs of the presence of any faith community.  Time to ask them to see whether we can work together?  

Signs of communities

...what is the Huntley & Palmer building used for?

...a few narrow boats together on permanent moorings.

...the Polish Community (some notices in Polish).

...communal noticeboards (albeit belonging to the estate management company) - can we promote some of the activities at Wesley on these boards?

...a feeling that this is a safe area,
with maintained open space and gardens.

Look...

...cameras on the main roads as we walked 

...seeing things from the other side with a different perspective (e.g. the canal, included in the first walk)

...family life - toys in gardens

...fewer people (related to time of day?)

...advertising posters on lamp posts - would this a good way of promoting the church and its activities?

...group of young people on sitting near McDonald's 

...dereliction

...housing in uniform cellular units
- a mixture of houses and
'an astronomical number of flats'

...yet more flats

...breeze in the trees

Listen...

...building works

...the background presence of the railway

...a conversation with Spase, who we met on our return to the church, including time praying with him for a safe journey home to Macedonia

...children playing (at St John's School?)

Looking towards the town centre

...water running over the weir

Pray...

Heritage

Thanks for continuing insight through this exercise of looking, listening and praying.  How might it develop after this initial stage?

Thanks for the heritage of Reading, and for regeneration in the Kennet Walk area visited today.

'Relativity - travelling at the speed of life'
How can we get more opportunity to look
and listen for God and pray?

For the community of 'new Newtown'
- Kennet Walk -
an area dominated by this landmark.


The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it (Psalm 24 v1)

For the church community at Wesley as they seek to live out their faith as individuals and together in the neighbourhood, alongside fellow Christians.

No time to stop

The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it (Psalm 24 v1)


The second session took a different direction from the church building, starting along Queen's Road itself, towards the town centre.  The morning rush 'hour' was concluding, with plenty of traffic around; the whole walk was much noisier, in contrast to the first walk.

Thoroughfare

The over-riding impression of this time of day was of people on the move, passing through the neighbourhood on their way to work or elsewhere.  A significant majority were travelling by car, but we also met plenty on foot and several cyclists taking advantage of the cycle route which runs down Watlington Street at the side of the church.

Rush hour on Queen's Road

Passing through

Which means of transport?

What sort of mission and ministry does the church have for those who are 'passing through' the neighbourhood in significant numbers each day, not least those in a hurry with no time to stop?

We greeted many of those we met with a simple 'Good morning' during the course of our walk, but very few replied - many were focused on their purposeful walk and others 'boxed in' listening to music. 

Boxed in?

A variety of use in just these few buildings

Looking at the mixture of buildings in this part of the neighbourhood, there was a continuing variety: the balance is stilted towards commercial as opposed to residential use.

Plenty of side streets, but quite a number were blocked off at one end or the other, probably to prevent use as 'rat runs' by motor vehicles: leaving a sense that the area feels constrained.

Looking from another perspective, a large number of residential properties are split into flats, not unusual in an inner urban area.  Noticeable though were many buildings set back from the road, behind fences or walls (as is the church building itself).  Another question followed - how do these walls, fences, door buzzers affect the engagement of the church with the community around?

Fenced in?

Set back from the road

Door buzzers abound (as do Letting signs!)

Look

Some other things:

...space at a premium

...buildings crammed in

Office space in plentiful supply

...yet empty offices and other buildings

Not the only empty building

...little or no space to gather

...some signs of autumn (also cooler and wetter)

...other communities in the neighbourhood - some of faith

Mural painted by some members of the African community

More signs of Eastern European influence

View of St Giles, down Church St.
The Society of Friends (Quakers) Meeting House
is also down here on the right.

Reading Family Church office
- they meet for worship close by in South Street Arts Centre

Listen

...the strong breeze

...those with headphones listening 'in their own little world'

...traffic the over-riding noise throughout the walk

Pray

...giving thanks for the variety of this area of Reading, for the heritage and history seen in the buildings.

...thanks for the changing seasons, a reminder of the power of God in creation.

...for those passing through each day, for safe travels and for their daily work and livelihoods.

...for those feeling "boxed in" by personal circumstances, whatever has led to that.

...for a continuing desire to discover God's purpose for the church community at Wesley.

..and perhaps this is a prayer for us all personally:

Quiet corners in unexpected places

In the Spring of 2014, I was fortunate to spend a month in Ghana as part of my pre-ordination training for the Methodist Church (link to blog).  One aspect of my time there was to consider the question "Where is God in this place, and for these people?"

On my return home, it was suggested that it would be useful to repeat this for my training church, Wesley Methodist Church, in central Reading.  Our new Basingstoke and Reading Methodist Circuit also challenged us recently to identify where God is at work in our locality, respond in thanks and ask what God is saying through it.

The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it (Psalm 24 v1)

With these questions in mind, over the course of four weeks in October 2014, church members will walk around the neighbourhood of the church building in central Reading.  These walks will take in different parts of the area, to "look, listen and pray" to appreciate how God is present in the world around us and looking to understand our mission in the vicinity.

 Wesley Methodist Church, Reading 

The first of these took place this morning, when a small group walked for about an hour before returning to the church to conclude in prayer.  We started along the River Kennet and then explored some of the streets in the area to the east of the church building.

Here's something of what we observed, in pictures and some words.

Look...

...many trees, evidence of the natural resources of the world, along with some well-tended gardens alongside areas of public green space. 

We tried to look upwards for what we don't normally observe when walking, cycling or driving along.  

A small neighbourhood

...also spotted - tall sunflowers, ivy growing along a telegraph wire, someone hanging out washing on a high balcony, telegraph poles (reminders of changing technology).  Plenty of litter in some spots too!

..."observed" in a different sense was the enticing aroma of a lunch time meal being cooked!

....a large variety of properties, both in age and usage; commercial and residential sit alongside each other together with the Royal Berkshire Hospital which is on the edge of the area we explored.  

Modern commercial and residential property

Older properties

I retraced our steps after the walk to take some pictures, and was fortunate to meet Peter and Linda Atwill, taking their narrowboat up through Blakes Lock.  Peter is Chaplain to the Waterways, a reminder that there is a ministry to those who live and work afloat (www.canalministries.org.uk).

Listen...

One thing which surprised the group was the depth of silence during parts of our walk, more than we had imagined beforehand.  This was particularly apparent in the side streets where there was a distinct contrast to King's and London Roads (if you are not familiar with Reading, these are the main roads linking eastwards from the town centre).

One particular place of peace and quiet in the neighbourhood

...geese and birdsong, the latter even above the noise of traffic on the main roads.

...emergency vehicles en route to the Royal Berkshire Hospital; railway and aircraft noise.

...machinery from some building work - lots going on, some to refurbish and inject new life into tired buildings.

Weir above Blakes Lock

...autumn leaves scrunching underfoot.

...babies crying, guitar music playing.

...responses to 'hello' and 'good morning' as we walked.

...water running over the weir upstream of the lock, the final one on the River Kennet before its junction with the River Thames.

Pray...

...in thankfulness for the variety of the experience of walking around the area, all within 10-15 minutes walking time from the church.

...in thankfulness for the locations of calm and peace.

...for other churches in the area as they seek to fulfil their calling, some are pictured but the list also includes St Andrew's URC, Wycliffe Baptist Church and others.

Polish Roman Catholic Church
of the Sacred Heart of Jesus

St John's and St Stephen's

...for those in times of transition, perhaps living in the large number of rental properties in the area.  For those with lifestyles which see them on the move in other ways.

...that encounters in the neighbourhood will encourage the church community at Wesley to respond to God's call.