If people can't see what God is doing,
they stumble all over themselves;
But when they attend to what he reveals,
they are most blessed.
(Proverbs 29: 18; The Message)
I sat in a Church Council meeting last night listening to a familiar story; finances are squeezed at both Church and Circuit level, and the conversation turned inward as the group struggled to see how they might survive as a church for the next 5 years. There was talk of reducing the staffing levels by loosing a Minister, they are already loosing a staff team member as Tim and I move to Yorkshire this summer. The mood of the meeting at this point was bleak.
I am reminded of the story of the river Jordan which flows to first the sea of Galilee which is fertile and filled with fish, and then on to the Dead Sea where it stops because it has no outlet. The Dead Sea is well known for living up to its name! Churches have the capacity to be filled with life, bringing life to the communities around them. They also have the capacity to become places where the flow of Gods blessing is allowed to stop and stagnate, especially when the main concern is for the preservation of the status quo.
Some interesting hall marks of the church in question came to light when Harvest was discussed; Harvest is seen mainly as a time for fund raising, and although the service might be one of thanksgiving you might be right in wondering quite what we are giving thanks for.
There is a deep need for vision; but it is not a new vision that is needed, instead there needs to be a refocusing on the love of God revealed in Christ. I am convinced that if the focus of the church is its own survival then it will perish. What it needs to grasp is the depth and width of the love of God poured out upon it, shown in the sacrifice of Christ, and then again in the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost....
The church needs an outlet, and that outlet can only be created by love. So how does a church get itself to a place where the love of God and the wonder of the gospel message is not its first concern? I wish I knew the answer and the solution, for I see a group of people stumbling over one another, afraid of the future and unable to look up and catch the truth of what God is doing amongst them, and what he wants to do through them.
I wonder how it is that we in the rich west are so blind to what God is doing, and then I remember the lines from Timothy Dudley Smiths hymn "spirits oppressed by pleasure wealth and care"; the western church is in too many places, and last nights meeting was a good example to oppressed by its own concerns, and its wealth (dwindling though it may be) to dare to seek fresh vision.... it cannot even see its way to making the Harvest celebration a free gift to the community.....
But I was complicit in the lack of vision, because I stayed silent, but I cannot continue to do so; for we have a God who can do immeasurably more than we can ever ask or imagine, and so what if we get down to the last penny in the bank account.... and yes I realise that I risk going unpaid if that is the case...
But we need vision, we need to catch a fresh glimpse of God, we need to allow his love and his power to flow into out lives, we need to pray and not to procrastinate... so come on church, let the love of God compel you to action. Allow that perfect love to cast out fear. Consider your ways both corporately and individually; and put your hand to the plough without turning back for the Lord of the Harvest who calls workers into his harvest field knows what we need, and he challenges us to follow him!
