In London...

Once a year or so, I visit the United Kingdom. There are a number of reasons for this annual visit: I am working on a DMin degree in urban missiology from Spurgeon's College in London. My friend Stuart Murray Williams continues to do interesting training and consulting work in the UK. The Center for Anabaptist Leadership is a USA affiliate of Urban Expression - an urban church planting agency with Anabaptist perspectives. And, of course, the UK is such a hot tourist destination in February!

Mostly, I come to the UK to learn: to learn how to be Anabaptist theologically without being Mennonite culturally; to learn how the church the USA will look in 10-15 years - diminished at the end of Christendom, but with fresh expressions of following Christ through the church beginning to emerge; to experience the way the UK addresses issues of multi-culturalism; and, to work toward completing my DMin degree.

I've been on the ground in London all of six hours. Here is what I've learned so far -- London and Los Angeles have much in common. I got on the tube at Heathrow Airport and listened to conversations in seven languages between Heathrow and my final stop. I saw people on bicycles taking huge risks. And I discovered that the Academy Awards are kinda big in the UK.

Mostly, I reconnected with the notion that Jesus lives in London and Los Angeles...and loves both great cities.