Knowing When To Let Go

One of the difficulties with church work is knowing when you should stop doing a particular job. It wasn't long after joining St Martin's that I started helping Jessica with the children's group, a task I did for quite a long time. After being involved in something for a long period it can be very difficult to let go, particularly when there doesn't seem to be anyone to take over from you. But its important to be aware of God's leading because it is possible to go from being an asset to a work to being a hindrance, so some time ago I gave up working with the Sunday Groups.

Around the same time I made it clear that I felt it was right for me to come off the Ministry team, due to circumstances this didn't happen at that time, but now Phill and Penny have joined the ministry team I feel it is right for me to resign, which I have done.

It probably appears now that I gave up these tasks to become churchwarden, but at the time I had no thought of being churchwarden in fact I was worried that if I gave up these jobs I would be doing nothing. It was only when I was prepared to trust God and let go of these jobs that I realised (rather reluctantly) what the next job God wanted me to do.

Its our human nature that tends to want things mapped out, but I think God calls us to take steps of faith one at a time trusting Him not necessarily knowing were they are leading.

Priorities

Kath and I often go to church when on holiday, but earlier this year we went away with friends who always go to church when on holiday, even looking on the internet to find one suitable. So it had been agreed that we would travel approximately ten miles to church on the Sunday, but on the Saturday evening we went for a walk and just round the corner was a church. But this church hadn’t appeared on a website, the notice board didn't look as if it had been changed for ages, and the overall impression was far from inviting. A discussion ensued about a twenty mile round trip versus a ten minute walk. The walk won, so on Sunday morning we walked round the corner to church, I personally thought we would be sitting with about six old ladies. I couldn't have been more wrong, there were lots of people, in fact they had so many attending that they had two services to fit them all in. Due to the out of date notice board we had arrived between the two services, but we were encouraged into the community hall next door where they served coffee and made us very welcome while we waited for the second service. The actual church was old, in fact they still had pews with doors on. They did use PowerPoint and had a small music group, but it was the worship, the message and the atmosphere that was so striking it was alive and buzzing.

It might be nice to have a comfortable attractive building but as we consider reordering our church, and struggle with the problem of the Parish share it seems to me the really important thing is the spirit and attitude of the people who make up the congregation in that building.

Mick

Newsletter: July 6th 2008

I was reading Matthew recently and in chapter 20 Jesus tells the disciples he is going to die - this bombshell seems to be completely missed by the disciples . Why? Because they are absorbed with their concern about who will be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. So Jesus tells them the one who wants to be the greatest in God’s kingdom must be the servant of all.

‘This, however, is not the way it shall be among you. If one of you wants to be great , he must be the servant of the rest;…’

Paul in his first letter to the Corinthians chapter 12 says the church is like a body ,one unit with many parts, each part necessary for the whole to work.

Our church has many parts/people :- vicar, church wardens, church council, ministry team, musicians, flower arrangers, pastoral visitors, homegroup leaders, children's group leaders etc. All necessary and important to the life of the church, lets be careful, that like the disciples, we don’t miss the important point of what the church is really be about because we are too concerned with our own position and status.

Mick

Newsletter 11th November 2007: Just Remembering

Today is Remembrance Sunday when all over the country in churches and at war memorials there will be services and ceremonies, but why do we remember? There are very few who can remember the first world war, more who remember the second, but for a lot of us these are just history. So is it time to forget, to move on as some argue? Or should the remembrance be for all those other conflicts which sadly have taken place since, Suez, Korea, Bosnia, The Gulf and those conflicts which we are still involved in Iraq and Afghanistan. Personally I think it is right to use this day of remembrance to include all those members of the services who have lost their lives in any conflict serving their country. We might or might not agree with our involvement in Iraq or Afghanistan but these soldiers are there in our name. But if we say that we remember them with respect and pride then surely that should affect how we act, I have been quite saddened lately to read how poorly the injured are treated when they return to this country. In an interview, rather bitterly, a young soldier remarked that the public would know about the two dead their unit had lost but they would not hear about the twelve injured, those who had lost arms, legs, sight, hearing, disabled for life. Surely the greatest measure of respect we can show is not just in remembering the dead but also in treating the injured with dignity and fairness, and with justice.

As Christians every time we take communion we remember the importance and significance of Jesus’ death, but only if we allow that to affect how we act are we truly honouring that sacrifice.

Mick

Rejuvenation

Recently I was walking past a derelict building site on the other side of town and noticed how many weeds and plants and grass had grown there. It’s amazing isn’t how quickly nature reclaims land for itself if man does not interfere. It doesn’t seem to matter what we do to the environment, we can build on it or poison it, but ultimately it is still able to recover, and still becomes part of the natural world again, part of God’s creation. An example of the power of God in the world.

An example to of what the power of God can do for us. Nothing that we can do to our relationship with Him is irreparable. We can build walls between him and us, and he will build a bridge for us to cross if we want. We can poison our relationship with God by our negligence or by our sin, but His forgiveness is eternal and the offer of it is never taken back. God’s love is able to repair any damage we can possibly do. Therefore do not think that anything in your past or present is too big an obstacle to a relationship with him. His powers of rejuvenation are unstoppable and he will reclaim us as his own if we don’t interfere with his healing process.

“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)

An opportunity?

Most people if they have the opportunity like going on holiday. For some being on holiday is a reason for not going to church, to have a week off, and if you are regularly involved in organising and leading services I can understand this. But it can also be a great opportunity to go to a different sort of church, to experience a different way of worshiping. I find it a real thrill to meet with people I have never met before but know we share a common bond because we love the Lord Jesus.

In recent years Kath and I have shared in the excitement of an Anglican church joining with a Baptist church to build a church community centre for the town, been challenged by the vision of a Methodist church that is completely revamping their church and building a big extension as a youth centre, even though they are small congregation and have very few young people, but feel this is what the Lord is calling them to do.

Two weeks ago we went to church in a Cornish fishing village where once a month several churches come together to share breakfast at nine o clock followed by the service, we didn’t make breakfast but we did get to see and hear Bishop Bill ( of ‘Seaside Parish’ fame ).

Over the years we have been to a few really duff services, but most of the time its been a real joy to share fellowship with other Christians, and it’s usually a really good way to start a holiday.

Mick Pymm