“O Sovereign Lord, you alone know” - March 2010

As a community of people at 2 Cluny Road 15 months ago we were scattered to new places of work. We watched as the living building we had been working in was reduced to a bare hulk, just the dry bones remaining. We have seen the tendons and flesh of ducts, piping, cabling put into place. Beauty has returned - the skin of plaster, paint & decoration drawn over the flayed building. Finally, on 12th of March the big move back into the building took place! There has been a great deal of excitement, relief and happiness to finally settle back in the new office. But is it enough to renew a building?

In a startling vision, Ezekiel stands in a valley of very dry scattered bones. In an unusual command, God tells Ezekiel to speak to the skeletons of the dead and he obeys. The combination of God’s word spoken by a person & God’s power is astonishing. There is a terrifying rattling sound as the bones of bodies find each other. Scattering is reversed. Tendons & muscle appear & attach to bones. Structure is put in place. Skin covers the body again. Beauty is restored. Physically, everything is in place that needs to be - renovation & structure & beauty. But nothing is happening. Dead bodies still litter the floor. Ezekiel must obediently speak again before the wind of the Spirit brings new life.

There is much talk & work on re-structure & change in OMF. We want to meet the challenges of an urbanising China, of a radicalised Islam, of a resistant Buddhism among others. We want to engage with a new generation, a wired world, a media marketplace. We want to grow, draw people together for a common purpose, to structure well. We want to do this in ways that are beautiful, honouring to God. But what will the end result of re-structuring & change be? A bunch of beautiful bodies lying dead on a valley floor? Or a community of people full of God’s new life?

The Orientation Course went smoothly and most of the 45 new workers have scattered across East Asia. Last week we reviewed all that needs to be done over the next eight months, so that we can hand over a smoothly running department to our deputies before going on Home Assignment in late November. It was very sobering – we have a great deal to set up or see through to completion.

Josh & his friend Reggie did a great job directing and producing their school drama production ‘The Flying Circus’. There were rave reviews, including a thank you note from the headmaster who attended both nights. Aimée worked in set design and in the backstage crew, eliciting cheers and applause every time she appeared to change the set – obviously she has made her mark too! However, Josh spent his half-term break in enforced rest with a chest infection – bitterly disappointed as he had been invited to Indonesia with friends. He is thinking hard about how to pace himself better this term. We'll see how that goes!