"Close Encounters of the British Kind" --- SEARCHing BEYOND in the UK...

NEW BLOG... The Sound of Lights - Minneapolis is Shining...

2007-11-15T14:48:00.000-08:00

Go to: www.thesoundoflights.blogspot.com

It's where I'm continuing my blogging... - Craig

The end of a trip, but the beginning of a new season back home...

2007-11-06T05:52:00.000-08:00

Well, this is my last entry from London...

...but probably not my last post. Being vulnerable is a scary thing, because you start to let yourself go and it can show in your writing... but, that's a good thing. I intend to continue writing. I may design a new blog site and if I do I'll let you all know when it launches.

My time in the UK has very much been a mixture of many things. The whole experience has given me a fresh perspective on the way things REALLY are over here, contrary to popular beliefs and myths... I was also fortunate to meet lots of people and find lights truly striving to "shine in the darkness" of this very intense "business as usual" city - perhaps important for many to live and work in, but certainly not for the faint-hearted.

Upon returning home to all that I have known for most of my life, I hope that this coming season will be a time for me to reflect upon what it was really all about out here, what God wants me to learn from this and where he might be taking me in the future...

I do look forward to what God has in store for me back in Minneapolis... I feel it's definitely the time to "get back to where I once belonged". My heart feels like it's being fueled up with ideas and desires to do much more in my native land than ever before.

I also look forward to doing a lot more music-related projects once I get back. I've been able to work on some ideas for new songs out here. A couple of them birthed out of a very Spirit-led jam session I had with the Camden people. Whatever comes of these ideas, I'm very excited to collaborate with my musician friends, old and new, once I get home! I feel like God has really shown me me how important music is to him and how it flows right along with how we pray to him...

There are also, of course, a few things to take care of - job, a place to live and all of the other practical things of life. God will provide. He always does. Just seeing how he brought me through everything out here in the UK is a testimony to his power and love. He never overlooks what we need.

I'm to fly out of Gatwick tomorrow at around noon and get back in Minneapolis at around 3:30 p.m. My friends, I've missed you all; my family, I love you dearly; and Cosmo, the bichon frise (my parents' dog), I look forward to petting you, my little canine brother!!! =)

Once I'm fully recovered from the usual culture shock and jet lag, it'd be great to see many of you and share stories and hear about what's been going on back home in Minnesota too...

Craig

My Last Weekend in England...

2007-11-04T17:39:00.000-08:00

No, this isn't my last blog entry. It might be one of the last I post for this trip but I hope to continue a blog after I get back home.

On Saturday night, I went to the Gielgud Theatre in the West End to see Shakespeare's Macbeth. It was a good production but Patrick Stewart's voice was really wiped out and you could hear him wheezing and cracking up whenever he raised his voice. Another interesting thing is that I sat next to a gentleman named Robert Cohen who is a professor of drama at the University of California, Irvine. Apparently, he is friends with Patrick Stewart and they chatted briefly before the show. From what he told me, Stewart was having trouble with his voice on Saturday and was seriously considering opting out of the performance for that night. Fortunately, he was a trooper and despite his occasional vocal cracks and slips, he pulled off a stellar performance.

It was great chatting with Robert before and after the show. He goes back quite a ways in the theatre world and has a lot of productions under his belt. I guess it would seem natural that somewhere along the way, being someone like him, you would meet people like Patrick Stewart who take the craft of stage performance very seriously indeed...

The other interesting thing about my night in the Gielgud Theatre was my throat problem which seemed to escalate... I've had this cold for a few days and of all the nights, it had to be in a London West End theatre! I felt like I had to make undesired noises consistently in order to "cough out" the deep itch that seemed to never go away in the back of my throat... the Halls cough drops I kept trying to quietly unwrap amidst sensitive ears around me didn't really help and as I sat their watching a stellar production admidst a very respectful audience (from which you would hear the occasional cough or throat-clearing), I held back for dear life. I just sat there praying for strength to be silent...

In fact, there were moments where I so badly wanted to cough, yet fought with such resistence, that STREAMS OF TEARS fell down my face... I was definitely feeling the pain with Patrick as he barked like a sick dog up on stage! Hahahahaha...

I wanted to save for myself an opportunity to splurge a little and have a really nice meal at a restaurant near the end of my trip. So, a couple of hours before the show, I sought a reasonably priced restaurant near Piccadilly Circus (very difficult to do!)... one place that people had been telling me about was this Cheers restaurant inspired from the hit TV show.

I was never a fan, but this restaurant ultimately satisfied my craving for American food and a nice light beer. The meal was quite satisfying... apart from nobody knowing my name! What's their problem?!?! I felt jipped! j/k =)

And what a brilliant breakfast it was...

2007-11-03T07:50:00.001-07:00

...especially since I've had a cold... tea with the egg and beans on toast hit the spot!

I'm off to the West End tonight to see Macbeth with Patrick Stewart!!!

Candid shot from Wimbledon a week ago...

2007-11-01T20:59:00.000-07:00

Creating my own kind of "waves" after a CrossedWaves Church service... =)

And we all sang "The light, the light, the light, the light... the life!"

2007-10-31T10:56:00.000-07:00

Allow me to introduce you to the Freedomhouse "gang"... the following two pictures were taken after a very Holy Spirit-led jam session full of melodies and Bible verses being sung among us all... BRILLIANT time I had!!! - Freedomhouse is soon to merge with another church, the Beacon, which meets in the building where this picture was taken...

From left to right - Steve (24-7 Prayer, works with the North London boiler room scene, the Beacon), me, Brandon (pastor, originally from California, Freedomhouse), Daniel (prayer encourager, Freedomhouse), Mark (artist, Freedomhouse), girl 1 (forgot her name, Freedomhouse), Jenny? (Freedomhouse)...

The only difference in this picture is that Daniel is taking the picture and Chinelo (from Minneapolis, now living in London) is in the middle...

I'm starting to get a cold, but it may not be a bad one... Today, I mustered up enough energy to go and pray with Rob and friends who are starting up the Bridge (www.thebridgecollective.com) which I'm really excited about. Rob and I made sure to get a picture of us making good use of British icons - tea kettles and a firm, British expression as I hold a cup of hot drink... =)

Am I "Cancer Bat" No. 2? =) Look at his shirt... I think he told me the Cancer Bats are a metal band...

The Bridge launches on November 18th... please pray for them because I feel like they're new family overseas that I'd like to continue to keep in contact with... they're trusting God put to put together the Bridge and form it to his purposes... I feel like they have a very similar heart to reaching people as we do back home at my church...

...seeing God build "The Bridge"...

2007-10-29T11:31:00.000-07:00

Tonight, I met with Rob - a New Yorker guy who's one year shy of me (29) who came out to London back in 2000 or 2001. He's a connection I made through this guy, Steve, who is affiliated with 24-7 Prayer and formerly kind of an overseer of the prayer room activity in the North London area. He has a good-sized mohawk but when he approached me on the street tonight, he had a hat on... at first I thought he chopped it off, but thankfully not. Rob is launching a church on November 18th called The Bridge. From what he told me of it, it sounds like we're on the same page... it's going to be a place that meets people where they're at, no matter how ugly or chaotic the circumstances or lifestyle - just wanting to show God's love to those who are typically pigeon-holed or labeled as this or that, but truly loving them because God calls us to love unconditionally. As we spoke, I felt a true kinship start to develop because WOW, CAN I TELL HIM of a very similar thing that's going on in Minneapolis and how lives are being transformed in and around my church back home...

Rob would like to visit Minneapolis someday. I told him he would be more than welcome.

I've had a lot of profound conversations over the past few days, I must say. Conversations with guys at the Freedom House Church... the exhortation, encouragement and advise between one another has been very treasured... Chinelo and I also met over the weekend and it was good to have a very long venting time about the frustrations one can feel in London, but it was also a time of encouragement and we spoke of how we both feel God really wants to transform the soil of this place to make it his field again... to rejuvenate the spiritual soil of this very hardened place...

Doing church the way we've done church by default just isn't going to cut it anymore. God is calling for us not to rethink church and try to go head-over-heels trying to make it "relevant" for people and unbelievers, but I truly feel he's asking us just to be who we are - go to the streets, be WITH the homeless, be WITH the broken, mourn WITH them but also encourage them and experience joy with them... not sit in a building, once a week, and feel like a Christian by default... because that's not living for God! That's thinking "I've got a ticket to heaven, so I'm just going to go through the motions, live my life the way I want to, and then play Mr. or Mrs. Christian every week!" No no no!

Okay, I'm starting to preach now... but, you catch my drift...

Much to pray about, consider and just rest my head upon for now... I miss all of you back in Minneapolis. Have a fun and safe week... I and the people at Freedom House church are going to stand in front of Camden Town Station for Halloween with a Confession Booth... and we're going to dress up and I think we're going to do something along the lines of confessing things to people as they walk by... pray that God makes that something effective, whatever we do! =) I'll be bringing my guitar and doing some songs too...

Oh, I just want you guys to know that my original intention for this blog was to just update you on what I've been doing, but since most of you know I'm a follower of Christ, I just have to share the things my heart feels... and if you feel things the Spirit of God is showing you, they are often very distressing things... there has been a bit of distress in this country, but it's normal for me to feel that because I'm among many other Christians who feel the war waging in the realms we can't see... but, believe me, no matter how up or down I may get, God NEVER CHANGES and his purposes are always for our good and for his glory... =)

It's been MORE THAN WORTH IT to be out here, my friends and family...

Random photo from August...

2007-10-23T07:51:00.000-07:00

Back in Minneapolis, I helped my friends Keith and Lizzy (the ever so famous former bachelor duo) clean out their garage which was full of all kinds of crap!!! =)

Here's a picture from that day - Lizzy hitting me with a big cardboard tube of some kind...

Filming the Camden Scene...

2007-10-21T11:07:00.000-07:00

I spent some time this afternoon boldly raising my video camera above the crowds of the energy-fired Camden market areas - most notably the Stables. You're literally walking through a seemingly endless maze of shops of all kinds all around you with food places of all varieties at your choosing. It was quite fun to be in the midst of and although it was crowded, it wasn't like walking down a typical London street expecting people to constantly run into you. That's what it's like over here... people pushing, shoving and getting in your way moment after moment...

The sun was out, I sat next to the Camden Dock bridge and admired the old cobblestone and other very old things making up most of this very exciting part of northern London.

I came back from a service at the Freedom House church not too long ago. Brandon, the pastor, is from California and he and his wife came out here three years ago. He spoke about how we go through seasons of life, how their church has been through it's many seasons, and how they're entering into another one as they will be moving to a new location to join with another church, the Beacon (another church in Camden, which is where this church has their prayer meetings throughout the week), starting on the weekend after I leave. I look forward to visiting the Beacon fellowship this coming Sunday.

This trip has had its highs and lows, but I much expected that. Out of all my weeks here in England, I've never had a more "bringing it all home" kind of week other than this last one. Today was a good start to another week, which I will be spending in Camden since my hostel will be right in Camden... so, tomorrow it's "goodbye Lewisham and hello Camden!" Lewisham is in way South London... kind of a hike from Camden... but, a good guy Matt, whom I met at one of the churches, has let me stay at his place for a few days. Thank you, Matt! Be blessed! You've helped out a traveller like me and it is much appreciated!

So, I've only got two minutes left on this computer! More later! Miss you all in Minneapolis! I speak of you guys a lot and Salvage Yard family, old Rock friends, and my family family (mom, dad, Cosmo, grandma, Tom, Rick, Jennifer, etc...) - you know I miss you lots as well!

Craig

"Do not let your hearts be troubled..."

2007-10-18T11:17:00.000-07:00

Jesus said some very profound things and his words can reignite a tired heart and mend the brokenhearted... I just want to post an e-mail that I sent out to the Salvage Yard, my church back home in Minneapolis. It's an update, but I think it's worthy of being a blog entry... so, you can know how I'm doing!

Hey everybody! I thank you so much for your prayers for my journey out here in England. I have exactly three weeks until I return to much missed Minneapolis. The Lord has carried me along through sometimes frustrating circumstances, but like a creepy walk through a dark forest, there have always been patches of landscape where the light shines ever so brightly and I can see why I've needed to go through certain obstacles to get to things really worth waiting for...

Camden, in North London, is pretty much a multi-cultural hub where you go to shop for every kind of clothing garment you would ever need, in every kind of style... and it has an underground, hippy-ish "alternative" vibe to it... and at one point, I felt like was walking through a forest of food franchises of every culture you can think of! Lots of artists hang around Camden and I found myself getting into an interesting trivia discussion about the Beatles with this t-shirt merchant who was very eccentric and loud.

On Tuesday night, I felt like I followed the Lord into another beautiful landscape that emerged from a dark corner of this enormous spiritual forest I've been in out here. I tagged along with my friend Chinelo to this prayer meeting in Camden of a church called Freedom House, which normally meets on Sunday afternoons. The church is pastored by this guy, Brandon, from California who's been here for three years and I believe there is another American who leads it with him. There were a few of us there for this prayer meeting and when he asked Chinelo and I why we were there, I think we all mutually felt the pouring of the Lord's Spirit upon us all. I felt apprehensive at first, but then I just spilled out how my first five weeks here have been a bit difficult and lonely but that God has been faithful in connecting me with people, churches and ministries... and I shared with them my SEARCH BEYOND (Spirit-Empowered Alliance of Radical Churches Bridging Endeavors for Yahweh's Omnipresent Network of Divinity) vision... and I told them that I believe I'm only a piece to something that God is doing and that there are many other pieces... and that the Lord wants to rejuvenate the spiritual soil of England and the whole world... so, we all prayed together and it was great...

I feel very encouraged to have met them. As I shared with Chinelo, I don't think I would've appreciated this meeting as much if this had happened at the beginning of the trip... I think the Lord needed to bring me through some rough waves in order to appreciate the experience... I've been invited to share one of my songs at Freedom House ( http://www.freedomhouse.org.uk/) this coming Sunday. There is another church I'm going to be playing guitar at this Friday in Wimbledon, where my new friend, Yuri Pires, whom I met through the Artisan Initiatives online forum, is a pastor. I also met Steve (part of the 24-7 Prayer staff), who is a church leader at another Camden church, the Beacon (which is the building space we met in to pray last night), and he told me about a ministry called the Bridge that I should check out while I'm here in London. From what he told me, the Bridge is a place where you'll see punks, goths and a huge focus in street ministry to the homeless... I spoke to Rob, one of the guys putting together this new ministry, about the Bridge over the phone yesterday and they are actually just getting it started... I guess their first meeting will be on November 11th - I won't be here! Oh well, there's a time for everything... seasons for the things we do, the places we go and the people we meet... perhaps next time! =)

There is so much going on that I don't know how to articulate in words at the moment, but all I can continue to ask for are your prayers... pray pray pray... I feel a kinship with the people I've met because it feels like the same kind of courage and love for meeting people where they're at as if I were at extensions of the Salvage Yard over in England... I've been getting imagery that "the church has legs"... "the church has feet"... the church no longer shall be buildings where we meet... it's people carrying each other... bringing the light where the darkness is... mobile bodies, mobile churches... faith with action... that's how the Lord will rejuvenate this English soil...

Craig

"Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow..."

2007-10-10T03:41:00.000-07:00

...and then some days from now, I will be seeing a Saturday evening performance of Shakespeare's Macbeth, starring Patrick Stewart, at the Gielgud Theatre in London's West End. Everybody's been telling me how good it is and that if there is one theatre perfrmance I should go see right now, then this is the one!

Next year, everybody will be flocking to get tickets to see Patrick Stewart play Hamlet's father to David Tennant (the 10th incarnation of the good Doctor) in his interpretation of the Danish prince.

As for Macbeth, nothing like a little bit of Shakespearean tragedy (and what I think is probably Shakespeare's best play) and foreseeably a brilliant portrayal from a heavyweight British actor to send me off on my upcoming final weekend out here in the UK - Sat. Nov. 3rd - 7:30, the world will be a stage...

More than the "Midas Touch" at Goldsmiths College...

2007-10-07T14:00:00.001-07:00

My friend Chinelo invited me to join her at this free concert at Goldsmiths College in Deptford on Saturday night. It was quite the show! From what I hear, Goldsmiths is an art college for people who are a little more eclectic and experimental in their tastes... a different way of saying it would be calling them postmodern hippies... well, I was quite happy to have come along because it was a certain group of graduate students displaying the result of their 3-year Pop Music degree. There was an odd film of a dinosaur head oven mit exploring parts of London being projected on this screen in back of the everchanging line-up of musicians/singers, wearing anything from tathered t-shirts to more interesting garments. They played their instruments and belted out their songs in such a way that was rather tribal and led right into the next line-up of people who had another theme to add to the zaniness of the "dinosaur oven mit adventures".

I felt very at home in this crazy atmosphere because ever since I got to London a few weeks ago, everybody has been playing hip-hop everywhere like they do in America and I absolutely detest it! It's about time I heard something that had a mixture of tribal, jazz and ambient sounds thrown into the rock driven backbone of amazing little concert... I'd say it was quite alternative... =)

I just wanted to tell you about my Saturday night out. I'm off to another hostel tomorrow and I'll be checking out this unique church called the Community of St. Jude's and possibly one of their ministries - the Earls Court Community Project. Everybody keep me in your thoughts and prayers and of course, I miss all of you back home in Minnesota!

Pete Townshend: A Night of Who's WHO? =)

2007-10-06T02:39:00.000-07:00

So, I write this post not knowing where to start. Okay, it's also been a few days since you last heard from me. London is feeling more natural to me, as if my feet were always meant to tread upon the many cobblestone streets in an upbeat sort of curiosity. I feel like I've become a modern adventurer, a postmodern explorer, making headway in something that is still so mysterious to me but yet so real... a very real mission that God has set me upon... and in these last few weeks, though I've struggled with doubts like anyone would on a trip like this, there have been those moments that no one can ever plan for... and sometimes they come in ridiculous forms... I know that some of you are getting sick of hearing about Doctor Who, but I simply cannot get away from it out here in London... the town is filled with fandom and people who work for the BBC and the various media outlets that promote and discuss the show...

I was able to "fall" into another moment like that of the "Tom Baker Encounter" that occurred nearly three weeks ago. A friend here in London somehow found out about a lead to a Doctor Who meet-up at a pub in London called the Fitzroy Tavern. They apparently have held these "meet-ups" the first Thursday of every month since 1984. So, I thought I'd venture up to this event... when I walked in, I looked around the pub and it didn't take me long to notice where the Doctor Who table was... as the night went on, there ended up being a few of us sitting at the table, as the pub began filling up and the noise level increased... one of the gentlemen sitting at the table, Tony, was well-dressed and held a folder that contained some sort of story or script. He told us that he was an aspiring writer (with one book published already) and he was hoping that he could talk to a particular Doctor Who book publisher who actually ended up being at the pub that night. It was a night filled with many Doctor Who fans, probably a few people involved in the making of the show - including Stephen Moffat (major writer for the new series and possible replacement for producer Russell T Davies), who I introduced myself to and shook hands with. I also met the former lead editor for Doctor Who magazine who resigned recently because the hours were too gruelling. I can only imagine! The most interesting encounter that I had, which I didn't really have because my back was facing him, was sitting right next to Pete Townshend (lead guitarist for the Who, and soon to be back-up guitarist for the Led Zeppelin reunion concert happening in London next month)... yeah, apparently, Pete Townshend was a little man whom I didn't notice and I had to get up and move out of the way for him to get in to the corner seat in the pub, which was very packed... Tony, the writer, after finding out that I'm a musician and all of that, told me that the famous rock guitarist was right next to me for all of five or ten minutes...

Not to make an idol out of him or these other people, but what a night and only in a place like London! =)

If it worked out that I was able to say something to Pete Townshend, I was ready to mutter to him: "You know, Pete, this is the Doctor Who meet-up, not the WHO meet-up!"

not silent for long... Waterloo and other things...

2007-10-01T12:01:00.000-07:00

I love to take the tube to places around London. My favorite is the Bakerloo line... probably because I enjoy it when the train stops at Baker Street and I see the Sherlock Holmes head profile (with hat and pipe) as the tiled design in that particular station. I've been moving around quite a bit since I got back from Wales last Thursday.

As I've been out here, many of you have probably been wondering where or what I've been doing besides the things I speak about in my blog posts. Most of the time, I'm meeting people at the hostels I've been staying at, getting leads on churches that I could visit, events or places to possibly check out and just taking one step after another, moment by moment... and much of the time, praying over every other aspect of my being out here... I would be lying to you if I said this trip was without its frustrations - there have been many indeed. Yet, I expected that to happen before I came out here.

If there's anything I've learned so far, it's that London is certainly rich in its history, but like every other major urban metropolis, it is a very hard city. It's not too kind... filled with people who rarely smile and when someone does intentionally get out of your way when they're walking toward you, it's a rare occurrence! =) Being out here alone is a very hard journey as well, but not one that is set up for failure. I'm not always alone. I do have people that I meet along the way and hang out with for a pint. Paul, a Londoner from Deptford, whom I met at the first hostel I stayed at, is hungry for a change in his life... and he's interested in God filling the void in his life. There are a few others that I've met who I've had conversations with that I'll never forget... and even when I've been met with disagreements in beliefs, I and the people I've spoken with have never entered into fierce debate but endured through a respectful chat... deep inside, I might be steaming and wanting to get the right words out and desperately longing to help them to understand what I'm really trying to say, but I need to learn not to depend on myself and my own opinions as much anymore and just wait for God to prompt me...

I visited a great church last night in Marylebone. St. Mary's Church is a part of the Church of England. Being in the midst of a lot of younger people, probably more so in their early twenties, I felt like I was at a more evangelical service as the music was very upbeat with electric guitars, drums and everything. It reminded me a lot of an English version of the Rock (www.rockthechurch.com), my former church I was a member of for a number of years. It really warmed my heart to be at this service. I also felt very at home because a couple of weeks prior, it was this very church where I met with a bunch of other people who are a part of this Christian group called Artisan Initiatives - filled with Christians from all aspects of the entertainment and media industries. I will be going to the next meeting which is the third week of this month, which I'm very excited about... oh, and along those lines, I want you to know that I put up a post on the London Artisan forum about SEARCH BEYOND, who I am and why I'm here, etc. etc... well, I got a reply from a guy here in London who helps run this organization that is getting started that is within the same vein of what I'm speaking of... so, hopefully we'll meet up for a chat and at least throw around a lot of ideas... his organization, which I believe is called Crosswaves Initiatives, involves reaching out involving the arts, possibly broadcasting over the internet... I still have yet to find out more about it! It sounds like a great thing though...

Oh, and as for the "Waterloo" part of the post... I'm moving to a hostel near the Waterloo station tomorrow - the Journey's Waterloo Hostel. I'll be there until Sunday, then who knows where after that. Speaking of Waterloo, the Westminster Bridge area and all of the places around there, I had a good cup of tea this morning standing across the street from Big Ben... so, you could say that Big Ben and I had tea this morning. Well, he just stood there as he always does with one of his four faces and gave me the time... splendid chap, that old Ben! It was raining too. It rained... and rained... hello October! =)

Craig

"Keep-ing" Busy on my Final Day in Cardiff...

2007-09-26T07:02:00.000-07:00

Hello from the end of my short few days break in Cardiff, South Wales...

From wikipedia.org:

Cardiff Castle (Welsh: Castell Caerdydd) is a medieval castle and Victorian revival mansion, transformed from a Roman fort, in the capital of Wales.

I shot a bit of video during my late-morning walk from the hostel, through the busy shopping area filled with street merchants and a few musicians, over to Cardiff Castle. It was certainly a good "last day experience". I recommend that everyone visit a castle wherever they are during their last day somewhere...wherever that may be. Even if where you are doesn't have a castle, then build one!!! No royal blood needed...well, perhaps a little bit of ingenuity was needed to design the Victorian interiors of the beautiful medieval-era war machine. Here is a shot of the Keep (sorry, I didn't take this picture. It's from Wikipedia! But, it was a sunny day with clouds today as well... so, it's as if I could've taken it...)

The tour guide, finding out that I was a Doctor Who fan, mentioned how the BBC had recently filmed some scenes from the new series of "Sarah Jane Adventures", a spawn resulting from the success of the newly revived "Doctor Who" series. "Torchwood", another spin-off, has also been filmed at numerous locations in and around the castle. We stepped foot in a room where a BBC crew recently filmed an episode of the "Sarah Jane Adventures" which previously had a set including some cauldrons and other creepy things. Our tour guide told us that it actually added a bit of character to the room. The BBC apparently made a cheeky offer to leave the set up inside this particular room, which the castle management of course declined! =)

Cardiff has been an interesting time. The hostel I've been at, the Nomad, has been excellent - the staff, the cleanliness of the room I've been staying in and reasonable access to everything around me has been wonderful... I began my time here last Friday and since then, I've visited Cardiff Bay (where I found the Doctor Who shop and exhibition, which was fantastic!), I visited a catholic church where a Doctor Who episode was filmed and I've spent a lot of time just walking around town within the main shopping district and even along the river next to Millenium Stadium... My right ankle has been a bit sore though so I've kept my walking times down to a minimum while I've been here in Cardiff. I must say though that it is quite a different pace than London... much more laid back and it's not as humid and muggy...

I'm taking the bus back to London tomorrow and plan on staying at the Bird's Nest for a few days, going back to the BEAR Church for another service to see the people I've met there and also attending other churches within Central London... and who knows what else... or where else I'll go... but, six weeks are remaining for me over here in the UK... Enjoy these pictures of me from atop the Keep! You'll see Millenium Stadium in the background... (sorry, the one with me is kind of dark... don't have access to photo editing programs here)...

Cheers! - Craig

Crossing the divide...

2007-09-21T15:07:00.000-07:00

So, yesterday, I shuffled my tired body out of the Hyde Park Inn hostel, took the tube most of the way to Deptford where I landed my belongings at the Bird's Nest, then took the train to Mottingham where I met up with David Pott and company. What were we doing?

Copy and paste this link to the article:
http://www.newsshopper.co.uk/news/topstories/display.var.1706776.0.jesus_for_sale_one_careful_owner.php

I arrived in Cardiff, Wales this Friday afternoon and the weather is wet but it feels great. So far, the Nomad (the hostel I'm staying at here in Cardiff) is a very cool place. Nice staff and nice people...very clean environment, too... I look forward to walking around, exploring some hillsides and updating all of you about my few days here in beautiful South Wales...

Here is a picture of David, Heather, Angela and myself... the cross-carrying crew! =)

Random Pictures and Thoughts...

2007-09-19T09:21:00.000-07:00

I was able to change my reservations this morning and luckily, Thursdays are when they do the financial stuff so my money should be refunded for the last five days I would've been at this hostel here in the Hyde Park area of Westminster. I tagged along with a few people from my hostel to go do things in London the last couple of days. Last night, I met this girl from Portland who knew about a singer-songwriter guy from Texas involved in the indie music scene, somewhat known of in Portland, who was in London on a UK tour. So, I tagged along with her and saw the show. It was fun and her explorative spirit and sensibility for connecting up other artists reminded me of a certain other female friend I have in New York!

So, today, I hung out with some young German girls and guys who I met at the hostel. We walked around many parts of London today. It was great to get out and have a laugh with these Dresden kids.

You'll see me in front of Albert Hall... I haven't figured out how they knew how many holes it took to fill it up... (Reference: A Day In the Life)... =)

The other photos are of me at the Thames Festival last weekend. Tonight is my last night here before I head out tomorrow morning to Deptford for the day...

Learning not to Hyde... Dropping into a Bird's Nest... bussing over to Cardiff...

2007-09-18T11:12:00.000-07:00

Okay, my title this time was probably going a little too far as far as length and attempts at cleverness! I must say that the Hyde Park Inn Hostel is not for the faint hearted. It is littered with youngsters from near and far bent on accomplishing the common theme of getting drunk, stumbling into rooms in the middle of the night and running into things, developing a bodily stench that feels a bit acidic when inhaled, and keeping light sleepers like myself up all night long. Also, I was given a lead of something that might be a little better to do in the next few days. So, I've altered my plans. It's more interesting, believe me... =)

I'm going to be helping a church leader fellow, David Pott, carry a "cross sculpture" (yes, something very artsy made into the shape of the cross!) from an art college (or to an art college, I forget!) to somewhere else... the distance being about a mile or two... I forgot what he said... anyway, I'll be doing this on Thursday and since he's in Deptford, I thought it would be good to spend one night at a hostel there - the Bird's Nest... not the hostel I was at before, but one closer to the rail station that will take me to Victoria the next morning where I can catch my bus off to Cardiff, Wales on Friday! It's only 10 quid ($20) for a bus ride which is only a little over 3 hours. I'll be spending a few days there but mainly for Sunday when I'll be attending a church which has gotten a lot of press in the world of Doctor Who fandom. In fact, if you want to read the article, here is a link:

http://www.metro.co.uk/news/article.html?in_article_id=65823&in_page_id=34

I will be attending this service with a guarded heart, taking what is said about comparisons between Christianity and Doctor Who with a grain of salt. Believe me, I love to make comparisons as well and I've actually been getting some ideas about something I'd like to put together as a presentation piece in the future (maybe just for video, or possibly in front of a congregation) that compares themes of Doctor Who and other science fiction concepts with the common struggles and victories of living out an authentic Christian faith.

I intend on doing much more in London but I felt that the next place I should go is Cardiff, thanks to a tip-off about this "Doctor Who-themed service" from someone. I'm sure I'll have a report about the service and I hope to have more pictures and stories of other things God is doing in the near future!

Craig

Left Foot in the East, Right Foot in the West...

2007-09-14T11:19:00.000-07:00

I walked to Greenwich yesterday and had some fantastic fish and chips at a classy old pub called the Royal Arms. It's right down the street from the park that leads up to the Royal Observatory. Greenwich reminds me a lot of upscale Edina, Minnesota. It feels much cleaner than Deptford and it has a nice street shoppes selling maritime-related items...anything from a compass to a pocket watch.

Once I walked through the park to get up to the observatory, the path up to the observatory offered many views of the London skyline. I have to say that this event was quite extraordinary, for a time walker... =) To stand upon the two hemispheres at the same time was a beautiful moment. Knowing where the prime meridian is and actually standing in the area where countless scientists have researched the earth and the universe for centuries was what made it all the more meaningful to me.

The other thing that impressed me about the Royal Observatory is how there was a newer facility right next to it (I've forgotten the name of this building). It had a spiral staircase with two floors full of rooms that had interactive panels about the universe. The first room I walked into let me look at a computer screen image of the Orion constellation... on the screen, you could drag each star to a box where it would explain everything about that star. There were other displays which were quite fun... felt like I was on a spaceship at times!

Mid-week Ponderings... Deptford Downtime and Hyde Park

2007-09-12T06:56:00.000-07:00

I've been in England for about a week now. I thought I'd just spend some time resting today and not being too busy walking around exploring things or running into more celebrities. That's a full-time job, ya know! =) Like back home, I always have a day out of the week where I feel like reflecting and laying down letting my head process everything. We all need that. London is a very engaging haven of all sorts of things to do and look at, and being in Deptford, I feel like I've seen quite a bit of this area just by walking up and down New Cross Street a number of times.

Last night, the hostel management moved me into a new room and it is much better. It's a bit cleaner, the people I room with are much more respectful of space and the hanging ceiling light bulb in this room isn't a bright, blinding thing but rather a more subdued candlesque light which throws off much less light, but just enough to help us navigate around and not be irritating to the eyes... I'm on this top bunk near the door and right at my feet's end, across the way, is a window that lets in a nice breeze. Over to the left of it, a sketch drawing of olde time London from the vantage point of the Eye (where the big ferris wheel is these days) gives a charming glimpse of what this place might've looked like a hundred or so years earlier.

I spent some time yesterday booking my next London location after Deptford. Next Monday, I am off to Hyde Park - more specifically the Hyde Park Inn and comparably, to the other hostels and availability in London at this time, I will be getting a good run for my money and a free continental breakfast every morning... I strategically decided to move on to this location because next Monday, there will be a prayer meeting of Christians involved in any aspect of the entertainment industry at St. Mary's Church in Marylebone, which is close to my hostel...it is part of the Artisan Initiative... not too much further away, on the Strand, is a City Gates Church that I look forward to attending a week from this Sunday. From what I understand, they're connected with 24-7 Prayer and Paul, church leader from the BEAR, knows the fellow who is the church leader at this church. It's also a much younger congregation, not as family-oriented.

So, I look forward to my Hyde Park days next week... it might be some quality time for me to bring my guitar out a lot more and do a little bit of busking around there... I'll also be close to the Soho district which is a little bit east of me. All in all, the heart of London won't be too far away from where I'm staying...

We watched Die Hard 4 at the hostel last night. Every night at the hostel is an "international night" indeed! It feels a bit surreal watching American movies at a London hostel with a bunch of people from other parts of the world. By the way, if you think American TV is bad, try British TV... I look at it this way - they have made their mark in comedy and various crime dramas which I've loved over the years - but on the other hand, you have these other shows that are very disgusting and blatantly rude... much more disgusting than our programming... it's unbelievable what they get away with over here...

How a Broken E-String Led to TOM BAKER!

2007-09-10T08:22:00.000-07:00

I tell you, England has been FULL OF SURPRISES!!!

Okay everyone... this is really exciting... believe me... there is a reason we go through certain things, end up in places we didn't even imagine and along the way, meet people we never would've dreamed we would EVER meet! Well, that happened to me today at Charing Cross Station near Trafalgar Square near the heart of London... I met none other than the most famous science fiction actor, probably comparable to meeting the Star Trek universe's Leonard Nimoy who played Spock - yes, none other than DOCTOR WHO's fourth doctor, TOM BAKER! Hahahaha... I still find it quite amazing that this happened!

It all started with a broken E-string as I was busking outside a pub called the Hobgoblin here in Deptford yesterday. I was playing away, only made 50p (big deal!), then all of a sudden my high E-string breaks... so, I attempted to find a music shop close to me but with no luck. So, I just kind of casually planned to find one today because both a girl at a pub and pastor Paul from the BEAR told me that if I take the train to Trafalgar Square, turn left and walk a little bit, I would find a whole street-full of guitar shops on Denmark Street. It was another typical morning at a cafe or somewhere where tea is served... this morning, it happened to be the BEAR Cafe again... so, after I ate my toast with peanut butter and had my tea, I just reclined back in the black leather sofa and told God, "Lord, I don't know what to do today. Please direct my steps."

After that short prayer, and shortly after Paul telling me that shops near Charing Cross station would be a good place to look for strings, I got up and began this journey... so, I bought my ticket, took the train to Trafalgar, walked around for quite a bit - it was very very very busy with tourists... so, I asked around, finally made it up to Denmark Street where I got my guitar strings... then, at that point, I decided to call some friends back home who I told all the good news about the BEAR Church to - and by the way, I had just a fantastic Sunday of checking out the BEAR and I met quite a lot of people and felt very welcomed... anyways, moving on, I finished making my phone calls, which unfortunately got cut off by poor reception or something like that, so I just decided to get up and go back to Deptford...

Upon arriving back at the Charing Cross Station, I knew that my first stop had to be London Bridge station, because that's where I had to stop on the way out of New Cross Gate station, meaning on the way back it would be the same... just as I was about to walk through the gates to go over to the many platforms where different trains were leaving at different times for different destinations, I did what I have been doing a lot of on this trip - asking a random person how to get somewhere... so, I found the nearest person next to me... he could've been any tallish grey-haired man with a suit on... but, it wasn't just any fellow... it was Tom Baker!!! Hahaha... once he turned around, I slowly began to realize who this was as I asked, "Excuse me sir, do I go through here to get to the London Bridge station?" He kindly said something like, "Yes, I believe you go through here," pointing at where I was looking at. Then, I said, "Are you Tom Baker?" He sort of smiled and said, "Yes, I am." Then, I responded with, "Well, hey, I don't mean to give you the stardom treatment, but my name is Craig," and I shook his hand... then I showed him my Doctor Who patch on my jacket. He sort of smiled at that and I asked him, "Have you been watching any of David Tennant?" For those of you that don't know, David Tennant is the current 10th Doctor in the new Doctor Who series. He responded with something like, "I haven't been keeping up with the new series. As you might know, I've been in France and I don't get up here that often." Then, at that point, I asked if I could get a picture with him and he was cool with that... so, I just asked a passing gentleman in the station to take our picture. It was quite a British moment... and one I'll never forget! As he left, I said, "God bless you..." He smiled and walked away. What a fellow he was. Very much a gentleman to take time to let me get a picture with him... what are the chances of that?!?! Hahahaha...

It's quite interesting how a little thing such as my guitar's E-string breaking could lead me to go to that part of London to eventually run into one of my favorite actors of all time! I've had quite an eventful day... I'm at a loss for words about other things... more later!!!

I'll tell you once more - England has been FULL OF SURPRISES!!!

Learning to BEAR it in Deptford...

2007-09-09T07:54:00.001-07:00

I'm in Deptford, London now - sort of East, South-East comparably to all the main attractions of the Waterloo/Westminster Bridge area of London... I arrived at the Journey's Deptford Hostel last night and it is a bit of an adjustment being that I'm rooming with people from different countries. It's also a bit loud around me where I'm at and everybody goes to bed at different times. So, being that I'm a light sleeper and probably the only American in the hostel, I feel a bit out of place... I could look at that as a negative thing but actually, it's something I can say I've never done before and because it is considered the off-season for travelers, I will probably be seeing more nationals from other countries residing in the hostels I stay in because they are cheaper than hotels and flats as they are trying to work their low-paying jobs in hopes of getting higher ones someday.

To segue into the BEAR Church service I went to this morning, the pastor, Paul, was describing to us the "vision" of the Bear Church in Deptford and he spoke of how he is passionate about building things and creating community buildings for Christians to be able to live in affordably so they can do their ministry work in however they're led. I found that very encouraging, being that SEARCH BEYOND might benefit from help like that. During the week, the BEAR Cafe is open for sandwiches (ploughmans are my newfound favorites!), tea or something light - it is the place I stopped in when I landed in London back on Tuesday (before I went to Manchester for three days)... and it is when I had my first ploughman sandwich - a certain kind of cheese with pickled sauce and vegies... mmm... very good...

I made 50p doing some light busking on New Cross Rd. in Deptford today. It was great seeing passerbyers in cars, buses and on foot either look at me with a smile or an expression of disillusionment... I arrived at a point of not really caring because playing music to people is something I really let loose in and it's one of those things I'm just made to do so more and more, I am learning not to bother with what other people think of me... it's just something that has to die... during the busking, my high-E guitar string broke, so I'm going to have to find a music store sometime this week to get some new strings...

Other than that, I guess my main news is that I'm in Deptford and I had a good time at the BEAR Church and look forward to this evening's service where Pastor Paul said there might be some guys I can mingle with who are involved in street ministry... so, I'll see what comes of that! I plan on being in this hostile for the rest of the week then after that, I may go to a different one or be taken in by someone or a family for a while... whatever happens, I know that God will always provide and he has given me everything I've needed so far... so, no need to worry...

Craig

Liverpudlian Kindness and the Cavern...

2007-09-07T06:12:00.000-07:00

I can't even begin to tell you the wellspring of early era Beatles songs that flew through my head as I approached Liverpool on the Mersey Rail train (which is the oldest rail system in the UK, from what I was told) and just the beauty, splendor and charm that this city reflected back to me once I set foot in it! I felt right at home once I settled myself to an English breakfast at a restaurant chain over here - Witherspoon's... the funny thing is how everybody is drinking beer or having wine at 11 a.m. in the morning. I smiled greatly at that because being part Danish, my dad told me how having an alcoholic beverage is just a part of the culture "over there" (from your perspective!)... of course, right now, everything for me is "over here." =)

It was yesterday that I was in Liverpool and I had the chance to meet two older gentleman who both remember the hot, packed and early rock & roll music energy-driven days of the Cavern Club, where the Beatles made their mark and went to the next level, shortly before stardom. It is quite true that Liverpudlians are very kind and helpful. The second gentleman I met just came up to me on the street, probably assuming that I was out-of-town with my camcorder in hand. He proceeded to show me how to get to the Mersey River and the famous Albert Dock. It was absolutely one of the most charming places I've ever visited. I could imagine what it was like 40 years earlier, when pop music was starting to take precedence over other forms of music, when styles were changing, hair was getting longer and when the world was about to see dramatic changes in the 1960's and beyond.

So, before I left, with my Martin Backpacker straddled over my shoulder the whole time, I finally took it out and played about a 25 minute set right in front of the Cavern Club. I played a couple Beatles tunes, a Smiths tune, a couple of my own, not to forget Chuck Berry and Buddy Holly! "Peggy Sue" really got this little kid dancing in front of me... anyway, all I can say is that I was definitely in my element playing right in front of the very club that made the Beatles big! So, that was my first BUSKING experience! =) I made some good money for my first time, too... not that I'm doing it for money, because I would absolutely do it for free, just to play to people... of course, when people throw shiny things at you that aren't sharp, it's definitely a bonus!

By the way, walking down inside of the Cavern Club is quite an experience... about 4 flights of stairs, descending down into a dark, mirky cavern of flying buttrices of old bricks with the writings of many people who have visited over the years. It was a great day indeed.

Now, I'm sitting in Manchester on my last full day here typing away to you all... I look forward to venturing down to London tomorrow where I have a hostile reserved for me for nine days... I look forward to going back to Deptford (south London) to explore the streets and do some more busking with my guitar... jet lag is finally dissapearing and I'm feeling much better than on day one... more later!

Craig

I'm in Manchester...

2007-09-05T04:18:00.000-07:00

Hello everybody. It was a very smooth ride on the Virgin train line as we rode up to Manchester and arrived around 10:30 p.m. last night. The city is very modern and very busy. I've been staying in a flat over at the university not too far out of town. There has been a huge element of "culture shock" in trying to get a proper cell phone connection so I can contact people locally here in England but also ocassionally call back home. For those of you that have been waiting for me to call, I will do that but having just got here, there are obviously many things one must learn and adapt to in a foreign culture. So, there have been a few things that have been rather frustrating but that was to be expected! Besides that, I must say that I'm really excited to be here and I think it's good to kind of get "initiated" in Manchester so I can be a little more prepared when I get back to London this weekend. So, as for anything profound or worthy of talking about a lot, I have to say that these past two days have really just been my orientation into modern 21st century England... like back home, in the States, one can let things get to them but I'm learning to realize that the details can be overcome and I anticipate that I will feel a bit more settled in once I'm back in London over the weekend... of course, I'm still recovering a little bit from jet lag... but, it's not too bad...

When I'm more "altogether" I'll try to take some pictures and get some posted up on here in some way. Hope all is well with everyone back home... it's a nice mild day here in Manchester and I'm about to catch some lunch here in a bit before going back to the flat to figure out what to do the rest of the day...

Cheers!

Craig

London is Older and So Am I... I've Arrived!

2007-09-04T08:00:00.000-07:00

I've arrived in London! Quite honestly, as I'm sure we call all attest to, flying is not a joy anymore. Those days are far gone. Increased security measures, both in the Minneapolis/St. Paul and London Gatwick airports, created for a bit of "feeling like the bad guy" to a greater extreme. It's easy to get mad at the security and customs agents in how they treat us these days, but when I think about it more, they really are doing their job in response to a world filled with more uneasiness like never before.

Aside from "entrance tensions", I got off the plane, found my luggage and guitar (in one piece!) met up with my friend Chinelo, and we've been off walking about through parts of London. In Deptford is where we strolled into the Bear Church space where they have a little cafe. I had a delicious sandwich and a tea as we sat outside and I admired the building in how it was very old and eclectic with an interior created to also hold church services... and where I am going to make a point of visiting hopefully this coming Sunday...

Off to Manchester this evening! I plan on taking a train to Liverpool later this week and then back to London on Saturday! I just got here so I haven't had a chance to take any pictures yet... I'm recovering from jet lag quite well actually so I'll sleep well tonight!

Cheers,

Craig

London Calling: The Night Before I Fly Away...

2007-09-02T18:41:00.000-07:00

Hello to you all! I'm typing to you from my dad's laptop in a classy cafe in Minneapolis called the Spyhouse. It's been a rather hot, yet not too humid, day here in Minnesota. Looking at the week's forecast for London, it looks like a fantastic array of partly cloudy days with temperatures in the '60s!

All in all, I know that whatever I learn in London will be well worth it - whether through trials or triumphs. I will try to update this blog as much as I can for the next two months I've planned on being over there for.

The only word I can think of this evening is surreal. Conceiving this trip, seeing how God has been leading me to do this and actually going through with it has not come without a bit of feeling "in way over my head." But believe me, putting my own interests aside, I would not be doing this if it hadn't been for a clear revelation and prompting from God to take two months out of "normal" life to embark on a journey in a foreign country...and without a clear itinerary of what I will actually be doing most of the time. Of course, there is the part of me that has always loved England (and the entire UK for that matter) including the TV I've always enjoyed and been a fan of - Doctor Who, Monty Python, various detective dramas - not forgetting the rich history, the wonderful people and the gorgeous landscapes...

Plans and goals are very important but as a follower of Jesus Christ, I realize that my plans will only go so far and the Lord will inevitably direct my steps. I've planned to go over to Europe (specifially England) in order to see where God is leading me with this vision of SEARCH BEYOND (Spirit-Empowered Alliance of Radical Communities Helping Bridge Endeavors for Yahweh's Omnipresent Network of Denominations). Inevitably, it may not remained titled as it is. It may be reshaped, redefined and molded into whatever God wants it to become. I am only one piece to a very big puzzle in the body of Christ. Everything I've thought about what this ministry is supposed to become and what I actually end up doing in England could be quite opposite of what I had thought. I am preparing myself for that. Consider this to be a "put out my feelers" mission. But, whatever I do, please pray for me to be a man who does not have the fear of man in his heart, but a holy fear of God.

I do intend to check out a number of churches while in London and perhaps surrounding parts of England and elsewhere. If anything, I want to learn from the people I encounter and see firsthand what followers of Christ are doing in their neck of the woods and what changes they're longing so deeply for. Being in a place of listening and trying to understand what the needs are will help me see what God might want me to speak about or what kind of service he might lead me to be involved in... and how we serve communities and help build bridges between people and church bodies can be accomplished in a variety of ways... if there is one thing that the church has been awfully bad at, it is doing a lot of talking but very little action... and I can be the first one to attest to being a part of that problem... just imagine though if we were "walkers" instead of "talkers." Perhaps that's part of the reason I call myself "Time Walker". =) There's never been a better time than to learn to love and serve God right this moment... time slips and ticks away as we slowly fade away in this earthly life, but to truly transcend above all that is of this world is to recklessly abandon ourselves to the path of walking in the eternal with our heavenly father... for that is truly a life worth living and one that will not end in destruction but go on and on in His glory forever...

I'm also bringing my little Martin Backpacker guitar... it's traveling in a cardboard box filled with peanuts below the plane - it's just a bit too big to be a carry-on. Please keep me in your thoughts and prayers regarding the music I share and possibly the people I play music with. In tribute of my good friends Noah and Nikolas (of Breaksea Caravel), I hope to do a bit of street busquing! (if that's how you spell it!)

So, that's it for my initial update. I'll be flying out tomorrow night (Monday) at 7 p.m. and arriving at Gatwick Airport, London around 9:10 a.m. on Tuesday morning.

I will continue to send the e-mail updates linked to the updates on this blog from: searchbeyond@gmail.com

I can't guarantee that I will get back to you immediately if you write me, but please feel free to send any e-mails to that account or to my initial, more personal account: timewalker1@gmail.com

Till next week... and in the words of late Christian music artist Rich Mullins, "Be God's..."

Craig