I confess, I never thought I’d be living in Britain for nearly longer than my native USA… I haven’t surpassed that mark yet, but only just!
Finding myself in Britain has been a surprise. Some challenges, many joys, some surprises – such as the 10th anniversary edition of my first book!
My publisher asked some good questions about why this book, such as:
As you have looked back on the original book to revise it for this edition, how did you feel? Were there things that surprised you / had changed about yourself since you wrote the original?
To be honest, it was hard looking back! I think for a lot of us, the past ten years have been challenging, with the pandemic, cost of living crisis, and more global changes of people becoming more suspicious and fractious. Our own family has had its fair share of travails, so I sought also to remember how God has brought us through those times, and how he never abandoned us while we were in them. I continue to find myself in Britain!
Rob with his lovely colleague Elin Kelly, signing books at Spring Harvest, 2004
Today marks 20 years since the death of Rob Lacey – the performer, author of the word on the street, and all around great guy. I mark the occasion sharing the article I wrote after his death in the then Christian publishing trade magazine, Christian Marketplace:
I’ll always remember May Day, not for ribbons and maypoles but because it’s the day that Rob Lacey died following his ten-year off-and-on battle with cancer. I’m joined by people all over the world who are mourning the earthly loss of this amazing performing artist and author who was a deeply loved husband, father, son, brother and friend.
I first met Rob in 1999 when I had just started at HarperCollins and he came seeking a publisher for his idea related to Romans in a cockney slang. That didn’t sound like a winner, but after discussion we came to the idea of Rob ‘translating’ the best bits of the Bible into the language of the street. And so the street bible, which was later named the word on the street, was born. Or at least it would have been if Rob had traveled the usual publishing road.
Just as we commissioned Rob to write the book in March 2000 came the dreaded diagnosis of a recurrence of cancer (he had been treated for cancer of the bladder in 1996 and had been given the all clear). Even with the C word hanging over him, he threw himself into the monumental task, starting with Job for inspiration. For the next sixteen months he wrote while battling the horrible disease, enduring radiotherapy and chemotherapy. But in December 2001 the doctors told Rob’s family that they had better say their goodbyes.
Our God is full of surprises, and over the next year and a half he brought Rob back from the brink of death and cleared his body of cancer. We rejoiced and celebrated the amazing news. Rob was healed! Alleluia! The medics were stunned, even calling it a miracle. One who had nearly died had been brought back to life. His wife would have a husband; his son would have a father; and the world would have an amazing communicator to tell of God’s love and grace.
Rob went on to finish the word on the street, which was published by Zondervan just in time for Spring Harvest 2003. Following hisperformances there it was an instant hit. People wrote in saying that it was ‘out of this world’, ‘awesome’ and ‘fantastic’. The Bible was coming alive for those who had read it too much and for those who had never encountered it. To God be the glory.
Fast forward to late 2005. My job with Zondervan had just been eliminated, but the upside was that I now had the time to edit Rob’s new book The Liberator, a fantastic harmony of Matthew, Mark and Luke in his street language. And then the joyous news that Rob and Sandra were expecting their second child – wow and hooray! But then Rob’s email with the gut-wrenching news that the cancer was back. We all were shattered. Oh Lord, why?
For anyone in our business, and especially for me as his editor, Rob was a dream author. Creative, funny – and his books sold by the boatload. Even when he was frustrated he was still gracious. He was always funny, and I would hoot with laughter during our phone calls, whether we were discussing swear words, his latest show, or the phrasing of Jesus’ commands. We were both chuffed to be paid to write and edit the Bible – how cool is that?
But of course Rob was so much more than an author, what some might think as a commodity who puts together a product to be packaged, marketed and sold. He was a flesh-and-blood human being who loved his family and friends, who followed the Creator as he brought forth words of life and grace into the lives of so many.
So as we think about the life of Rob Lacey, perhaps we can take a minute to remember the flesh-and-blood people behind the books, music and films that we create, market and sell. Who are they? What sweat, blood and tears goes into the making of their projects? And as we think about the fragility of life, maybe we can take a moment to value the people we work with and those whom we love.
Rob, in your words, halle-blinkin’-lujah anyway. We miss you desperately. We ache for and with Sandra and your children. We’re down here in a world of cancers and decay, but you have a new body that will never wear out. No doubt you are using it relentlessly to entertain Jesus and the angels. How we wish we could be watching that heavenly performance. You’re living out Psalm 30:11:
You turned my tears to cheers, My moping, through coping and on into dancing. You made me take off my funeral gear, And suddenly vibrant colours appear. (the word on the street)
During this Easter season, I welcome you to join in imaginatively with Jesus in the upper room. There, after Jesus had died, the disciples hid in fear. But Jesus — the Risen Christ — appeared to them and gave them the Holy Spirit, breathing on them and sending them out to share his love.
Join me with this imaginative prayer practice of entering the story from John 20:19–22. The images come from St Jerome’s cave in Bethlehem.
Feel free to pause the video at any point as you ponder and reflect with God.
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In the Easter season, we should be drinking bubbly and shouting alleluias! So says Tom Wright in his book Surprised by Hope, and I agree.
I talked with the lovely Lydia Bennet yesterday on Premier Christian Radio about the art and discipline of celebration – of living a resurrection life. Have a listen!
And, I get to have a monthly slot on Daytime with Lydia, so do let me know what sorts of subjects and prayer exercises you’d like us to explore….
How thrilled am I to have my dear childhood friend Kristen Rubow coming to England in May to co-lead a retreat on embodied prayer. Here’s a bit about her:
Kristen is a mind and movement coach, based in Colorado. She used to be a professional harpist, which helped her understand more deeply how God awakens our senses. She developed her studio 15 years ago, with her movement curriculum on neuroplasticity, and now encourages people to use movement to develop connection within themselves, creating a stronger sense of self and wholeness.
While based in the gorgeous surroundings of Lee Abbey in Devon, we’ll use physical movement in prayer to clarify and connect what’s going on in our hearts and heads through the body. We encounter God as we pray, including with our creation in Genesis. We can attach to God through stories in the Old Testament, and receive Jesus’ love through the gospels.
It’s so amazing how neuroscience is now telling us what God has always known – as embodied beings we encounter God through our through our soul, spirit, mind and body.
All are welcome, and we’ll work gently within the limitations of our individual bodies. Come and worship the Lord in spirit, soul, mind and body!
As one of those tasked with caring for Oswald and Biddy Chambers’ books and resources, I love sharing from their wisdom.
Here is my adaptation of “The Relinquished Life,” from My Utmost for His Highest, the wonderful new modern classic edition recently published that shares the goodness and authenticity of their message in today’s language.
How is God’s Spirit calling you to surrender? What will you gain in doing so? (Spoiler alert – everything.)
Feel free to pause the video at any point as you ponder and reflect with God.
Join me in this prayer from the Church of England as we begin with Lent, the 40 days of prayer, fasting, and giving as we prepare for Easter.
Holy God, our lives are laid open before you: rescue us from the chaos of sin and through the death of your Son bring us healing and make us whole in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Artwork by Leo Boucher; used with permission; all rights reserved.
Easter is early this year, which means that Lent of course starts early too! Ash Wednesday is on 18 February, just over a week away.
How might you spend this time leading up to Easter? Feel daunted by the traditional approach of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving? Lent can be a time for those practices, of course, but God is pleased with any and all of the ways we seek to draw close to him.
I have some resources for you to help.
• Tomorrow (11 February) I’ll be on Premier Christian Radio at 11am (UK time) for an hour discussing with Mal Pope some strategies for staying close to God during Lent. [Edit: you can find the recording here, including an imaginative prayer exercise with Jesus in the wilderness.]
• On Saturday 21 February, I’ll be leading an online retreat sponsored by Coracle on Friendship with God, looking at the story of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus with Jesus. So much of the key events of their story in the gospels comes during Lent, and I trust you’ll be encouraged. You can find my full exploration in my book Transforming Love.
• My book The Living Cross is a through-the-Bible look at forgiveness, half in the Old Testament and half in the new. I’ll be giving away a copy of this book with my next newsletter.
• The Prayers of Jesus is a small-group course that explores 6 of the 7 prayers of Jesus recorded in the gospels. So many of these occur during Lent. There’s a prayer exercise included for each week. And…
• The online course for the above is a great resource as I so enjoyed my conversations with the amazing Micah Jazz, who has now gone to glory. Wow – I think this is now free!
Jesus said, “Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it” (Matthew 10:39, NIV). But these feel like hard words – self-sacrifice for ultimate gain? How can we even embrace this invitation, even if we want to?
It’s one of the upside-down truths of the kingdom of God that he gives us the ability to lose our lives and then to find them through his love. As Thomas Merton, the Trappist monk, observed, When we look for God, he’ll sow during every moment of our lives, grains of his life that one day will spring up in a tremendous harvest.
Join me on the shores of the south coast of England (near Milford-on-Sea) to pray through Jesus’ startling invitation to find ourselves when we lose ourselves in God. We’ll incorporate some of Merton’s insights from his book, New Seeds of Contemplation. Feel free to pause the video at any point as you ponder and reflect with God.
These themes of losing ourselves to find ourselves are those I explore in my award-winning book, Still Finding Myself in Britain. Please consider joining in my through-the-year look at life in the UK as we engage with themes of faith, home, and identity.
