Being Church where we are!

Christian speak is full of profound and challenging thinking. Take the mission statement that forms the title of this piece.

Christian speak can be so deep that we need to take our shoes off for surely we must be on holy ground! Then again it could be so shallow (or even puerile) that we merely need to take the originator off to the funny farm!

Some time back, whilst on a course, we were assailed with the wonderfully challenging sound bite, "God only speaks in dialect!" This had the whole place buzzing and none was exempt from a feeling of challenge, awe and  . . . and I don't know what actually. It was one of those 'WOW!" moments until someone realised that perhaps the Emperor had no clothes. (I'll leave you to work out what it means for you and to see if it has worth).

Recently I strayed into it myself during a sermon with a wonderful statement that we ,"It was important to hope for the people we love but we must never give up loving the people we hope for!" Everyone, "Oooh'ed," and nodded vigourously at my wise words. It was only afterwards I realised what I'd said and even though I know what I meant and what I meant is contained in the words, we tread a very fine line between making challenging, encouraging and factual statements and entering the politician like world of 'sound bite' and posturing. There is a small step between exhorting people and actually placing before them a stumbling block for these clever little words and the catchy catchphrases and epitets are so simple (or simplistic) that in handing them out we might be condemning people to miss the bigger picture - that larger reality about God, Jesus and man, and thereby actually fail in our task and fail those we shepherd and seek to lead.

I was listening to a sermon recently where the catchphrase was, "Whatever the question. The answer is Jesus!" It was great, I was singing along with the chorus, putting the name of Jesus in whenever the prompt came (in my mind, didn't want to frighten those outside my earphones) and enjoying it until the preacher brought the discussion to war and he asked who was at fault. A small child shouted out, Jesus!' The congregation laughed and the sermon continued. But I go to thinking that Jesus was the answer to the world's needs but wasn't the reason for them and we needed to be careful about not just what we ask but how we ask it too.

If Jesus is the answer isn't that enough? Our kids are starting the GCSE mill (School exams for those outside the UK) and they are being taught that the answer is everything. I see little ability to dialogue with the question and the epitome of success is the right answer regardless, it seems, of how it was reached. If Jesus is the answer then there is no need to ask anything else. No need to investigate and seek to understand why or ask questions as what this 'answer' brings.

I think the time has come for us to stop with the clever phrases and the smart one-liners and to ensure that we feed our people good solid Bible verses. That we point to the truth about Jesus and how by God's love and His (Jesus')  obedience we can live by the power and enabling of the Holy Spirit each and every day of our lives.

Jesus is the answer - do you know why?

Jesus is the answer - do you know how?

If not, I and those who carry the calling of Christ upon us have, sadly, failed you - and for my part in this, I apologise.