Andy Flannagan says, “Let us play”
This article was published in the May to August 2026 edition of Rapport magazine.
In a functional, utilitarian world, our natural desire for play and beauty can be buried under the mound of worthy things we could be doing. Have we lost something of the childlike wonder in our relationship with God? Could that be rekindled, so we mature into play? Perhaps our wounds have made it difficult to explore freely, or responsibilities have dampened joy in the unexpected? Do we want the view from the top of the hill, but aren’t so keen to climb it any more?
We asked ourselves these honest questions last summer at Lee Abbey Devon. Scripture indicates moments when God seems to hide from us, because he loves it when we search for him. Have we ever stopped to think that this is not just a functional thing, and that it is in God’s very nature to be playful? The reassuring thing is that God is always bigger than whatever he might be hiding behind!
‘I love those who love me, and those who seek me find me’
Proverbs 8:17
‘But if from there you seek the Lord your God, you will find him if you look for him with all your heart and with all your soul’
Deuteronomy 4:29
We are made in the image of God, so if we have this childlike drive to play games, what might that tell us about the creator of all things, who could have simply made a functional world? He chose to spoil us with more species of insect, more variations of leaf pattern and more varieties of people than we could possibly need!
So I hid postcards – poking out of books, mirrors, light switches and cupboards – not always easy to find, but that’s partly the point. People were encouraged to receive the Scripture written for them and pray about who to pass it on to.
We played board games, had a pub quiz, solved escape-room puzzles and riddles. We saw great joy; the laughter was infectious! We worshipped. Comments included, ‘Thank you. I haven’t had
this much fun in years – it has rekindled something in me!’
We made a list of characteristics of childlikeness: playfulness, not worrying what others think, shrieking, crying, innocence, joy, wonder. Jesus says come to him like little children, so how are we doing with that?
We also listed characteristics of childishness, and reflected how we often steer away from childlikeness in an attempt to avoid childishness.
What is your attitude to traffic? Is it stopping you from getting to the next important thing? I often have to remind myself that God is just as much present in my car as at the next destination, longing to connect with me. Have we become purely functional in relationships? What practical use is music?
“… if we have this childlike drive to play games, what might that tell us about the creator …”
Surveys show that romance is the key factor in how kids turn out! What kind of design is that? How can we play while there is such carnage in our world?
We looked at how King David counted his armies for security instead of trusting in God (2 Sam. 24). Gad gave him the worst multiple-choice question ever: three years of famine, three months fleeing from enemies or three days of plague? David chose plague, but God relented. David went to the threshing floor of Araunah, where he is offered everything he needs to build an altar of repentance. But David refuses to sacrifice something he got free. It made me think, ‘How often does my worship of God cost me nothing?’ I love singing – that’s hardly a sacrifice. With others who think the same as me – hardly a sacrifice. How often does worship cost me time, respectability or credibility?
Am I prepared to look ridiculous, to stick out from the crowd? Jesus praised Mary’s outrageous act of devotion in Bethany (while ‘respectable’ people sat and chatted). I know I see those undignified moments of supplication and joy from children more often than from adults. There is something beautiful about kids who are happily caught up in the moment, not worrying what others think, or if some loud lament or exuberant praise will compromise their position in the community.
Control versus sovereignty
Lurking behind all this is the nagging question for adults – can we let go of control? Can we follow the God who is sovereign but not controlling? Our actions often spring from our perception of God’s character. Have we got this one a little bit wrong? All through lockdown we were reminded, ‘God is in control. He is still on the throne.’ I agree with the second statement, not so much the first! Does he programme us or do we have free will? God is the ultimate authority and absolutely sovereign, but that’s not the same as ‘in control’, certainly not how we usually mean. God is not a control freak, but so often we are. For example, King Charles has authority over the UK but people still commit crimes. He cannot stop that. Those crimes do not change the fact that he is sovereign. Can we learn to love God not because there is a roadmap for us but because he is love and he longs to creatively use the threads of our lives to weave something beautiful. God is an artist, not a programmer. He loves to play.
‘When in response to our natural instincts we seek to understand in a conceptual way, when we seek to possess something, and when we seek to control our relationship to things so as to remain secure, then we never fully attain the sheer gaze of admiration, and the full gift of wonder’
Ronald Rolheiser, The Shattered Lantern, 1997, Hodder & Stoughton
Sit in wonder like a child – find a place to stay absolutely still for ten minutes, choose one thing (e.g. tree, cloud, person) and use the three V words: SAVOUR, MARVEL, REVEL. Let design and detail wow you. Let the glory of the mundane blow you away.
The best way to enter this playful state is just to do it. We all did a treasure hunt/pilgrimage at Lee Abbey Devon. Next time you are here, you could try it, or re-interpret some ideas for friends in your church. Enjoy the adventure!
Seekers
Obviously feel free to just do ‘your own thing’ but these little bits of steering may give us some more shared experiences at the stations.
Library
Find Exiles (Michael Frost) p66. Take a seat and confess to God using the prayer.
Pick another book (at random or with a nudge from God), read a chapter and let it speak to you.
Find the postcard I hid. Follow its instructions. And please put it back, for others to find!
Give yourself five minutes to enjoy the view and WONDER at what you see; look at one thing for at least a minute before moving on to something else. Give thanks for it.
Lastly, read the Scripture open on the lectern.
Small Lounge
Sit and stare at the grandfather clock.
What is your attitude to time? A space to explore or a harsh taskmaster?
How has your relationship with time changed as you have aged? Think how you interacted with time as a child. Was there freedom from deadlines? Were you even aware what the time was? Do we spend too much time in chronos, not kairos?
Do a jigsaw or play a board game – it may have no purpose, but enjoy having fun. Did you know you are allowed to have fun? Consider your attitude to fun where you live.
Find the hidden postcard. Remember to return it, for others to find.
Benches
Remember childhood experiences of discovery: plants, trees, birds, etc; appreciate their microscopic precision and their huge majesty.
Enjoy some time with God using the V words: SAVOUR, REVEL, MARVEL as you gaze at the variety of creation you see here.
Prodigal
Find a picture in the house depicting the return of the prodigal son. Stare at it for a few minutes.
Do you feel more like the prodigal son or his older brother?
Either way, are you coming to the party?
Can you make the journey to being the Father? The one (in any context) who is less concerned with receiving and more concerned with offering unconditional love.
Beautiful big tree
What kind of tree is it in front of the house?
Stop for a moment and enjoy the shade of God, against the glare of life’s challenges.
Remember time spent climbing trees as a child. Why do kids love to clamber higher and higher, further and further? What connection do we have to the ground? Reflect on whether you still want to risk ‘climbing’ above sea level in your life …
Chapel
By ‘the hands’, kneel down in humility, offer up your hands and ask God to fill you …
Attach a leaf to the tree: first, write on the leaf something you feel you have learnt or experienced from God this week. May it be a prayer of thanks for his action in you.
Have a go on the piano – make a joyful noise to him. What a wonderful opportunity to be an amateurish child before God. It doesn’t matter whether or not it is in tune or time. Just have fun in his presence and be loud if you want!!!
I hid a postcard in the chapel. See if you can find it! Follow its instructions. And please put it back for others to find.
Hall of fame
Take some time to look at the photos of everyone connected to the Community at Lee Abbey Devon. Smile at their smiles. The discipline of smiling is underrated. It has been proven to improve our mood and outlook. Try it now!!
Choose someone and pray for them.
There is also a postcard hidden here. See if you can find it! Remember to put it back after you’ve read it.
Swings
This is a great test of our journey into childlikeness! Sit on one of the swings beside the croquet lawn and SWING; enjoy the adrenaline and the whoosh of the wind in your hair (if you have any)!
Alongside this, enjoy a few childlike moments in the playhouse! You may not make it fully into one of the little chairs, but enjoy the fun of make-believe, and memories of days when food and drink didn’t have to be actual food and drink!
I have hidden a postcard for you here. See if you can find it, and remember to put it back after you.
Post box
Can you find it? This time it’s your turn to post a card. Is there a friend or family member you need to communicate with – to say sorry to, encourage or reconnect with? Use one of the postcards here to write them a short note. If you have a stamp, you can post it now, but if not, just keep it and give it to them ASAP.
Special bench
Can you find the bench of resurrection?
Are there parts of your life that feel a bit dead at the moment? Sit on the bench and pray for some new life to spring up in those areas. Be ruthlessly honest with yourself and God. It may be time to grieve some things that have been lost, and to celebrate that one day ALL will be made new …
Fish
Can you find the ICTHUS fish?
Do you remember the meaning? Jesus, Christ, Son of God, Saviour.
Bring your prayers to Jesus. Think of five aspects of his personality you love most.
Make your own symbol with the initials of those five words, in a shape that connects with your everyday life (if you’re a fisherman/woman then it’s easy) …
Place dedicated to Leslie Sutton
This is a fairly level walk from the house and has a breathtaking view.
Look around and find another plaque here encouraging you to ‘raise a song’. Do just that. Stand, looking out to sea and belt out something for God (and the Welsh coast!) to hear.