The Blog on the Street

3rd April 2019

In a bid to slip into the sandal of Christian charity, I have recently started taking myself on a wander about town of a Saturday night as a Street Pastor. Perhaps you know of them. Perhaps they helped you out in your local town when the night has a grip upon the wear of your heal? Perhaps you’ve just said hello while passing along the thoroughfare and asked for a lollipop. You can do that by the way, we’re well down with doling those out.

I feel as though I should explain. Street Pastors exist to bring the Holy Spirit into your town. I mean, there’s more to it than that in a pragmatic sense. We’ve got bags with flip-flops, bottles of water and blankets. There’s also a van called The Donkey. Mostly what I took in from the training though, is that it is trial by Holy Spirit, which it is, which also happens to be the short way of saying that it is tremendous. Like a spooled turbo charger for the heart. Now that’s explained, let’s colour in the scene.

It was a rainy night. Well, it was dry all night to be honest, and my goodness the blackbirds were excited about that. Perhaps it was the dry weather, or perhaps it was the streetlights, but those guys didn’t quit it all night. I was preoccupied about this; by about 2 a.m. I was pretty much ready to yell that the whole town quiet down and listen, lest I was hearing things. I had to ask a post-clubber about it in the end. He said that it was perfectly normal before wandering off to catch a taxi home that probably only existed in his mind. Regardless, you can’t help but wonder about what the blackbirds are buying round the back of Boots after dark.

I have learnt a lot as a Christian these past months and you can chalk blackbirds at night to that list.

To be clear, it is a strong context to take out into town all night long. Incredible to see how much help you can be with so little equipment at hand, and amazing how much fun you can have with people under those circumstances. That we are His children, when you wander the satsuma glow of the thoroughfare, is not in doubt. Nor is the glory of that.

No one likes a do-gooder but everyone likes a lollipop and some water after closing.

I am sorry if that is a poor effort at explaining Street Pastoring. We won’t even get into some of the ideas I was talking at my pastor about that same morning. Anna says that I was going on about an urban baptism bus where pastors throw water bombs at the public and announce their presence unto the majesty of the Trinity, right while they are at the zebra crossing. I had slept really very little up to that point. I was going on about the blackbirds as well apparently, although not unjustifiably. What are they up to?

In other corners of my participations, I have unanimously decided with myself, and then with Anna, that I am going to distribute my Olde Sea Tale of apologies, The Brine in Me, to whatever device happens to be within your vicinity, entirely free of charge or else at cost price. By cost price, we’re talking about if you want an actual real copy because like me, you find e-readers demeaning. You might think that I’m just trying to get on good terms with you before we meet in heaven, and that’s probably about it, but it is also a little bit because the writing of it has been great and I want you to have fun with it, without taking from you. Fill your boots on me. You can grab me a double single malt from the bar in the Lord’s lounge when I see you later if you like, but I ain’t gonna take no more out of you. We can have a catch up for a little while, but when John the Baptist comes in before last orders, I’m going to wander over to his stool. He’s always got news from the front.

Reach for the lasers…
JW Bowe xx

---

If you enjoyed this blog, and you’re impatient for something else to read, feel free to bunch up close to a free sample chapter from JW Bowe’s debut novel, The Meifod Claw, which is available now at Amazon, iTunes and on various other international eReaders.

You can also double up your sampling by following this link to the forthcoming fictional autobiography of The Meifod Claw’s wheelchair-in-chief, Derek Gainsborough. His life and apologies will be released this year under the sail of The Brine in Me.

JW Bowe can also be unearthed on YouTube and in various other ways through the Serious Biscuits homepage. Scroll down for further links, action and disclaimers.

Are you the kind of person who likes a solicited email on a regular basis? Then come closer… Even more than that if you like! Just click here.
Serious Biscuits doesn’t bite but it will update you on what’s going on and what’s been released into the wild.

If you like Serious Biscuits please share, rinse and repeat with others ↓