A weekly chat about life together as the people of God here on the East Coast
Let’s have a mardle. A what? It’s a good old Norfolk* phrase that basically means ‘do you fancy a chat?’ Over this coming season, I want to write a short weekly email that is mardle-like, conversational and chatty. Why? When we read the New Testament, so many of the key discipleship moments that are recorded, those spectacular moments of change and transformation, take place in the context of an ordinary, everyday conversation. Take for example John 4, where we see Jesus mardling with a woman who seems to have been shunned by her community and clearly, her life has been shot through with pain and sadness (see 4:18). Yet through Jesus’ conversation, transformation starts to spread, first in her own life (4:25-26) and then outwards into her community (4:28-39). This is God’s transformational power at work in the everyday mardles of everyday people.
This may come as a bit of a shock! Why? Because in our culture, transformation and change are often linked with either a professional (make sure you see a specialist) or a performance (go to a festival where you can get a transformational high). However, Jesus seems, again and again, to upset this cultural apple cart by, well… mardling. Jesus would have been (and in fact is) very at home having a Norfolk mardle… because he understood that spectacular transformation can take place in very ordinary circumstances and conversations.
As a result, I’d love to try and craft these weekly emails into a mardle (a conversation). To help with that, why not drop me a weekly email (mardle@wearekingsgate.org ) with questions? It can be about anything: ‘Why do you think Rugby league is ‘proper’ rugby? Why do people sometimes speak in strange words on a Sunday? I didn’t understand what was meant by x or y on Sunday? Why do we take communion almost every week? Is there any way that God can help me with my anxiety? Since the pandemic I find myself being so angry at things, what’s going on? Why does the Bible talk of God as three persons and yet one (that seems a bit weird to me)? I don’t enjoy praying, is that a problem? How can I help my adult child who has walked away from the faith? I’m lonely and all this talk of church family makes me mad, what can I do about this? Why does Jesus seem so ‘down’ on money? Why don’t we see more miracles at Kingsgate? I don’t like the violent bits of the Bible (and so ignore them), does that matter? Who is your wife and how long have you been married?’ These are just examples of conversation starters, but it’s over to you now to share what you’re wanting to ask.
Over the weeks, we can move from theme to theme as you send me your questions and, well … mardle. How does that sound?
Come on church family, Let’s have a mardle!
Email: mardle@wearekingsgate.org
God Bless
Adam Bradley
*For all of our dear Suffolk brothers and sisters, I hope you will forgive my use of this fun Norfolk colloquialism. I wonder if there is a Suffolk equivalent of ‘mardle’? Do let me know!