This morning in a very autumnal morning at the bandstand, we reflected onthe beauty of the trees and Julian of Norwich’s emphasis on God delighting in us and in the ever-close idea of being in a thin place, joined by the communion of saints, in the company of all heaven!

We heard read the opening verses of Hebrews 12 in both the NIV and The Message – about running the race and not giving up before I shared that a few months ago Steve and I had gone to Sheffield to see the stage production of Chariots of fire. We hadn’t been able to imagine how it could be pulled off – yet it was frankly one of the most powerful, moving and best pieces of theatre we have seen. I found myself in the standing ovation involuntarily saying out loud  (and a little tearfully) ‘Thank you’ – I think to those who had made this story public again – and to Eric Liddell. I came home to read up more on Eric Liddell – mostly from Wikipedia (!) and various aspects got me reflecting on my own story / faith journey /race.

I shared a reminder of Liddell’s story and then everyone walked with the following words – without direction – but to allow any of them to lead to prayer – for ourselves or ThirdSpace or others:

• Liddell was described as ‘Entirely without vanity’ and ‘the finest Christian gentleman it has been my pleasure to meet. In all the time in the camp, I never heard him say a bad word about anybody… absorbed, weary and interested, pouring all of himself into this effort to capture the imagination of these penned-up youths… overflowing with good humour and love for life, and with enthusiasm and charm…’

• Liddell was inspired by someone writing him a note and, no doubt, by the band playing for him outside the stadium.  That made all the difference.

• ‘He that honours me I will honour.’

• In the play, ‘Chariots of Fire’, Harold Abrahams is repeatedly asked what his motivation is for running. It seems he doesn’t know how to answer that until he says to Liddell, ‘To win’. Eric’s reply is ‘To win what?’ He himself speaks of honouring God by using the gifts God has given him, saying, “God made me fast. And when I run, I feel His pleasure.”

• Liddell said, “It has been a wonderful experience to compete in the Olympic Games and to bring home a gold medal. But since I have been a young lad, I have had my eyes on a different prize. You see, each one of us is in a greater race than any I have run in Paris, and this race ends when God gives out the medals.”  
• ‘A huge cloud of witnesses is all around us. So let us throw off everything that stands in our way’. Hebrews 12:1

We returned to pray. Just as Eric Liddell and Hebrews 12 urge us not to give up, Luke 18: 1 says, ‘Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.‘ So we brought the needs of the world and of individuals, to God, not knowing what difference our prayers can make but doing it anyway! At the risk of sounding like I was hosting The Weakest Link (!) I asked

Who would we like God to honour?

Who needs Jesus now?

We spoke of the floods in Nepal, war in the MIddle East and Ukraine, of folk known to us i need and wrote these things on individual cards, headed Always pray, don’t give up! The we received bread and held that bread on those names and prayed for Jesus to be close. We drank wine too – sustenance for the journey – for the race, for ourselves and for others.

The cards have gone home with each of us for prayer throughout the week. We finished with words from Julian of Norwich:

‘So, when we are finally brought face to face with God, we shall behold in God with clarity and the mysteries presently concealed from us, will be uncovered. And no-one will want to say then, “Lord, if only things were different, it would have been well’. Rather, shall we shout with one accord ‘Lord, blessed be your name!”’

Amen to tthat! Thanks be to Eric Liddell and Mother Julian – cheering us on in that great crowd of witnesses!