THE CLERICAL COLLAR

Some people wonder why I tend to wear my clerical collar quite a bit when out and about (I wore it on Tuesday afternoon (28th March), and took it off to preach in the evening at St Paul's Hammersmith.

Short Answer: I find it a wonderful tool in being a Missional priest. I nearly didn't wear it, but I'm so glad that I did!

Because of wearing it I got to have two lengthy conversations about the Christian faith, Jesus and the Gospel with two people from totally different worlds.

Ed (20) is a very bright, middle class atheist, who is a politics student at Cambridge University. He started by asking me "Why do you believe in God without a rational basis?" My answer prompted more questions and he asked me so many questions, he kept apologising and said "I'm Sorry - can I ask something else?"

Mohammed (43) is a Bangladeshi immigrant who is a devout Muslim who prays 5 times a day. He said to me "the mosques are full and the churches are empty. this is because people are confused about Jesus. Tell me - I read the New Testament and it spoke more about Jesus than God - why is this?"

Both are fearfully and wonderfully made and precious in God's sight!