Pleased to say I have escaped the worst hotel I have stayed in at the bottom of a runway with a lot of activity coming through the wall from next door. There is only so much “Yes baby, come on baby, Yes baby” you can take at such a screeching pitch! No, I have re-entered civilisation here in a new city.
Another first, never been to Chicago before, and loving it. I am doing a couple of speaking gigs here for the Episcopal Diocese of Chicago, and staying with the Bishop and family through the connection of Katherine Lee known to some Mooters who I know through the Trasnmission Group in New York.
I love this city, people are friendly and the place has a great art nouveux feel. The condo I am staying in is absolutely beautiful and right by the Lakes. I could so work here!! This morning I was interviewed on a Radio Show about my book, which was fun. It is great having an English accent here – they love it! So I am milking at as far as I can. So I am going to drift round Chicago today, and then speak this evening and tomorrow culminating with leading an Alt Worship Service in the Cathedral which I am doing jointly with Isaac Everett from Transmission, New York. So should be fun. The Bishop is a fantastic guy. He has spent a lot of time in Seattle and has supported Karen Ward and the development of our Sister Group COTA for sometime. If only all Bishops were like Bishop Lee!! I do find it really refreshing that there are a number of significant Bishops in ECUSA who get the whole Emerging & Fresh Expressions of Church agenda, particularly about contextual forms of mission. The other thing about this city, the people are beautiful!! So feeling a bit pashed up – and feeling a bit of a Neanderthal amongst such beauty! I promise to be good!!
And before I go, by a strange set of coincidences, I keep meeting people who know people in Moot. Clare C – apparently Nick Brotherwood and his wife new you well in Nottingham, they are now doing Emerge in Montreal, Jonathan Mosedale, you have a lady admirer from a while back in Buffalo, Aaron has obvious connections with the Lees in Chicago, and I bumped into my first ever girlfriend in New York…. So I am prepared now for this to go on….. Oh and Yes, I have just met one of my neighbours in Osprey Heights in Starkbucks in Chicago, and someone else in Jamestown who used to live in the flat next door….. its getting a bit eerie.