I have learned the secret of being content in any and every
situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.13 I can do
all this through him who gives me strength. Phil 4: 12-13
Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual
fervour, serving the Lord Rom 12:11
In
one sense this last year has been a consolidation of the changes that made it
possible for us at Zion United Church to build and now utilize the Beacon. On the other hand although
I believe contentment, especially with godliness (1 Tim 6:6), is great gain I
would be disappointed if we feel that the right thing for us as church is to
sit on our laurels, happy with what we’ve achieved. There is no question that
the work of building the beacon has been good. People seem to love the building;
certainly I suspect that our finances for rentals will show that people have
been using the building. I am delighted to see the many ways that people are
creatively using the spaces we have available: Crash, Knit and Knatter, Ladies
Fellowship, Girls Allowed, Forgetmenot sing along, to name but a few. However
the church in this country has long since had some wonderful buildings, but as
we are aware the decline in the life of faith has continued unabated. Building
a building, even using a building will not change that.
I remember well
the moment that an elder shared the thought that we must become beacons in
order to build the beacon. This is the aspect of our life that truly excites
me: the dimension of faith and spiritual zeal for the kingdom of God. I know I
bang on about it all the time, but I really want to be involved as a Pastor in
a church where the many blessings we receive are as water off a duck’s back… ie
they are being poured out and lived out in the world. Jesus himself was a
radical and beautiful announcement of good news. I want to be part of that. My
role is to help cajole and coax you into co-operating with God’s Holy Spirit so
that you too are a living announcement that God is good and God’s love is
present and alive.
The
trouble is I can’t do it. Much as I love you and pray for you, and indeed pray for
my own witness, we are as the Psalmist said ‘a stubborn and rebellious
generation’ (Ps 78) and we think we can work out how to live our lives on our
own: we can’t. I can’t make you slow down and give time to God in prayer and quietness;
I can’t make you open your eyes to see what God is doing around you, in your
family and workplace. I can’t make you become aware that God’s kingdom is all
around us, if only we’d learn to turn the other cheek and go the extra mile in
generosity. I barely seem able to persuade myself of these things. Herding
people must feel to God an awful lot like herding cats: we are independent to
the bone…. Oh miaow…please will you give me my water and my food exactly when I
want it! In order for us to grow and
become as beacons, lights shining in the world, a daily decision is needed: the
decision of covenant and commitment. We must confess our need for God; indeed if
we are to develop as disciples I honestly believe we need one another. This is
the reason that I am so passionate about the work that goes on in our
fellowship groups, and also why the dissertation for the Master’s Degree that I
am undertaking will seek to assess whether the Inspire Bands among us (small
groups of three or four who meet to encourage and challenge our walk with God) are
really helping us to grow in this ‘accountable’ and beautiful discipleship. We
could not have built the Beacon alone, we needed to work as a body as a church.
I am also of the belief that we need one another to nurture and inspire us as
disciples. This next year one of our core themes will be Shelter, with the
catch phrase: ‘It is in the shelter of each other that people live.’ -Irish
Proverb. Still that is for next year. For this year, thank you again for the privilege
of sharing with you the sometimes bumpy journey of faith.
Stephen
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