40 Acts - SELFLESS COMMITMENT

“Give generously to them and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to.” Deuteronomy 15:10

While on patrol with a small four-man team from my SAS squadron, out in the deserts of North Africa, we were waiting for a delayed helicopter pickup. A delay like that, when you’re nearly out of water and in the roasting heat of the desert, can be life-threatening. We were all severely dehydrated and getting weaker fast.

Every hour we would sip another small capful from the one remaining water bottle we each carried, carefully and methodically rationing the little we had left. To make matters worse, I was sick.

The call came in; our extraction would come at dawn, some 20 miles away. We loaded up and began our slow and tortuous shuffle across the mountains, weighed down by kit and fatigue. I was soon struggling, with each footstep a monumental effort of will.

My sergeant, Chris Carter, could see this. He stopped the patrol, came to me, and insisted I drink the last remaining capful from his own bottle. No fuss, no show, he just made me drink it.

It was his kindness, that extreme of practical generosity that gave me the strength to keep going when I had nothing left inside me. No ego. No bravado or show.

Simple goodness.

The kind of goodness that Jesus talked about when he told us to love each other like ourselves; putting others needs above our own.

Mother Teresa said: ‘Never worry about numbers. Help one person at a time and always start with the person nearest you.’ Carry that with you today and don’t underestimate the power you have to change lives, to show others a little glimpse of Jesus, as you give in practical and powerful ways.

Bear Grylls

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Acts 40 - MIX IT UP

 

"After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands." Revelation 7:9 (NIV)

Newham, the East London borough where I live, is possibly the most diverse borough in the country – more than 160 languages are spoken by the children in our many schools and our list of 600+ worship buildings and groups includes everything from Anglo-Catholicism to Zoroastrianism.

There is, thank God, very little inter-faith strife and lots of inter-faith conversation in Newham and I believe it’s such a blessing to us. Here, you don’t need to be shy about your faith – you are positively expected to have a faith and to practise it; most faith groups do not proselytise but are very glad to welcome visitors and proud to talk about their traditions, especially when they’re having a festival.

We are often surprised by the things we have in common – we all want a safe, clean and happy environment for our children and elders; decent, affordable homes and satisfying jobs; respect and freedom, peace and health, physical as well as spiritual – and it’s fascinating to share our hopes and ways of achieving those aims.

We Christians have been amazed to learn that you can go into a Sikh Gudwara at any time and there will be food and drink to welcome you; the tranquillity of our Quaker meeting house is a lesson for those of us who think that faith has got to be about words; and many of our public buildings now have a prayer room, thanks to our Muslim neighbours who pray five times a day, every day. We have had to consider carefully what the Christian church has to offer and are learning to be more open about our Bible and our history.

The Revelation to John is very clear that the New Heaven and the New Earth are like a city, full of people – ’an enormous crowd that no one could count’ – and I believe that life in Britain these days can be a foretaste of that Heaven.

Canon Ann Easter

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Back in the groove

Normal service has been resumed and the holidays are fast on their way to becoming a memory as dawn breaks and the first service of the day beckons as I ponder the challenges, opportunities and blessings before me. After the early communion elsewhere we have a joint service with the local Methodist church a joyful event indeed in which we say goodbye to one of ours as they head for a gap year in India.

My diary has been steadily filling over the past few days and my dance card is almost full, and that's excellent on one hand and frustrating on the other, if only there were more hands to man the pump and free me up to do more. All-member ministry is an essential 'must have' if the Church is to function as it should and the role of the clergy in training, equipping and releasing the members is obvious as a practical measure and even more so as a spiritual one. My biggest desire is to see people come to faith and fulfil the calling on their lives. The joy of seeing people take up the challenges before them is something that never diminishes.

Today there will be so many people doing so many things in the services that will be taking place and I thank God for them and the common life and purpose we share. Today people will lead, read, pray, preach, hand out hymn books, make refreshments, teach Sunday School and do communion. They will carry crosses and candles swing thirubles, sing in choirs, play organs and more besides and I thank God for them and their selfless commitment and service as we, the Church, come to worship.

As the day unfolds may the power of the risen Christ touch you and His Holy Spirit enable, heal and bless you.

May we stand together as one and live in the reality of Church as family and friends.

May God bless you richly :-)

Mission and Ministry go together in perfect harmony ...

Side by side on the church's keyboard ...

Mission and ministry - two words that naturallly occupy the same space and yet, like all siblings, fight and struggle for dominance.

You can't build Church without mission - but you can't sustain church without ministry.

We can't grow church without pioneers - but you can't establish church without settlers!

The problems crowd in when we start to divide up the Church into job titles and work areas, skillsets and roles, but the reality is that many are gifted and called to excel in certain areas and these are often the same areas that our passions lead us to. I guess it's the same conundrum that musical ability presents:

You play on the piano as a child and people affirm and applaud because you are 'musical'. This leads you to play more and learn because you enjoy the attention, approbation and it's becoming part of who you are and what you do. Eventually the question comes:

Are you good at music because you love it Or do love love music because you're good at it?

(After all, you might not feel the same about geography, history, music or administration)

One of the challenges in the world of calling and ministry is that although we have giftings, calling and passions - there is a church to be put, and kept, on the road and though this is a job for all-member ministry, there is a need for those who would be collared to appreciate and, when the need (which often) arises, perform and otherwise enable, support and release others I to the many areas of need in the busyness of church.

The need for Ministerial Development Reviews that inform and help in the discernment of future paths before us is obvious and the task of equipping those who come from the cathedral, newly ordained, with much, or little, in their hands is obvious.

The need for those who will stand and preach the Gospel in the streets and marketplaces; those who will gather together the ones and twos such that church us found, and having done so lead them into the twin realities of bath and bread - the twins who are ever in concord and upon who - looking to the Cross and the return of Jesus, the Christ.

This week is a week of revelation for me thus far as I avoid hearing the words from the front perhaps, putting them aside to hear the heartbeat of God, and hear the words (from the heart) of many around me. Hearing the passion of those who are on the ground reflected in the path that has been trod and the ministry of managing from those in the diocesan offices.

One going the other growing so that more may go - partners, co-workers, each fulfilling their part (and living 1Corinthians 12*)

And the good news to those whose ministry is different (and perhaps strange) from ours:

We love you and value you - Thank You for being faithful where you are

Pax


*Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ.

Meat-Eating Vegetarians

Seems to be just one issue in the news at the moment after the Church of Scotland (CofS) voted, as one of their spokespersons put it, 'to uphold traditional views and support diversity'.

This appears, at more than first glance, to be akin to a Vegetarian Society approving and endorsing the eating of meat, the caveat being that each of the local groups must approve of one of theirs being a meat-eater. Not for them the understanding that they might have meat in their cupboards and 'fridges but were still keeping to the Veggie code as long as they never ate the stuff - now apparently, using the CofS it is now possible to uphold the 'non-meat' mantra of the vegetarian and partake of the hitherto forbidden fruit as well - excellent news as one can't beat a bacon sandwich in the morning!!

I am troubled because the wording in so many places speaks of 'affirming the traditional teaching of the church as favouring vegetarian ministers  yet permits local groups to select meat eaters in leadership roles should they wish'.

I'm not sure I'd be comfortable with the 'favouring' because I dislike the 'having favourites' mentality, it speaks of something unfair. Still, they continue:

'This has been one way or another, a massive vote for the peace and unity of the vegetarian community,' said a spokesperson, 'For here we have 'a compromise' and now vegetarians everywhere can live at peace in a 'mixed economy' - which oddly they always have done, it's called the world; a place where meat eaters, vegetarians, vegans, burger fans and others have always mingled on an 'whatever floats your boat' basis. There are two places - the world and the club and both live, think, feel and act differently from each other.

I asked a staunch veggie friend whether they could work in such a setting and they admit that whilst happy to live in a world where others make their choices, they choose to be a vegetarian and work on the theory that you either are, or are not, a vegetarian. 'You can't be a bit vegetarian, ' they said, 'But then again we live in the world where there are many choices, preferences and tastes. It's not like it's Church because they're not the world but in it, aren't they?' 

Interestingly they also said that they were really frustrated at people who claimed to be veggies and yet, in reality, weren't - 'The two are very different and it's not just about what we eat, it's about how we view things and see ourselves. If we had veggie clubs (which I don't think we do) then we would not be permitting people to eat meat within it because that's not what we believe! is right or healthy'

All very interesting stuff isn't it? Tofu or A Big Mac - if that was the choice I'd opt for tea and toast ;-)

Church growth - throwing mud!

I have always been told that when it comes to reputations that, "If enough mud is thrown at the wall, some of it ends up sticking," and this is , human nature being what it is, a fair assessment of things.

My problem is that whilst the method (throwing mud) works when considering defaming people - it's not quite as effective when it come to Church Growth. Confused (of course you are - remember what you're readings and who wrote it!)?

I am coming across more and more people who work on the principle that offering a myriad number of things will make their church grow. I see them doing coffee morning, parents and toddlers, prayer services, reflection services, pram service, social groups, fitness classes, Bible reading groups, secular book reading groups, house groups, ALPHA, bereavement groups, cancer support groups, clubs for the older people, clubs for the kids, men's groups, women's groups and (phew - surely not) more besides. Now I don't know about you but I'm knackered already just by thinking of the groups (and I've left some out!).

"Look at us," they cry, "We are offering so much - watch them come in!"

But they don't because there's already a cancer support groups and the parents and toddler's groups have been long-established and are popular. Not only that but no one reads in the area the church building is set in and the old don't come out in the evening but they do during the day when they go to already established groups and do outings with the U3A (University of the Third Age).

The problem is that diversity is great but it only makes money for businesses when they product they diversify into is something that the customer wants. They don't waste time, energy and money (their reason for being usually) by placing products that won't sell into the marketplace.

There is an increasing sense among some church leaders that diversity and volume are the keys to getting footfall (the feet on the ground that is theirs) but this is only true where what is being offered is what the people are seeking. It doesn't matter how much is on offer, or how good it is, or that it is free if people aren;t interested in whatever it is - for they just do not come.

And the people who put the stuff on? They get more and more disillusioned and frustrated and tired and depressed and rather than build the church it  weakens it and those who were willing slowly fade and fail and leave too!

So here's a plea from a missioner type to all my brothers and sisters out there doing the stuff:

1. Know your audience - do social audits to find out what is already offered and what the people around you really want and need (and remember that they aren't the same thing!).

2. Offer what is wanted and do it well - better to do one thing and succeed rather than many things and fail at them all.

3. Do it for the right reasons - if you're doing it to win 'scalps' then it might start well but will fail because people know when they are being cared for rather than merely counted!

4. Do it with prayer - great plans, marketing and the like are all necessary, but we are called to be a people of prayer (and praise)!

5. Remember who we are doing it for (and with) - If what we do doesn't have the Gospel (stated, acknowledged and lived out) then it's pants people! And finally:

6. Do it with a loving, servant heart - for we serve because we copy Jesus, the Christ, who came into the world to serve it (not condem). A servant heart is essential.

Never mind the quantity - feel the love, life and move of God's Spirit.

Pax