I have just returned home from Lancashire Methodist Districts' Inspire Conference, the theme this year was Telling our story, fitting in with our year of evangelism. The keynote speaker was Phil Summers from Applecart, and we were treated to some of their wonderful storytelling in the morning session. I loved the way they brought a freshness to the Scriptures through storytelling, reminding us that Jesus himself was a wonderful storyteller.
In the afternoon 3 particular sentences resonated with me, they were:
1.Let the story do its work...
2. Use the language of your life...
3. Step out of the way...
It all got me to thinking about the way we worry about church, almost as if church is the point, but in doing so we miss the point, because church is not the point at all. We worry whether our institutions will survive, we become so concerned about getting new members into our club that we forget what we are or should be all about! We forget that we are disciples ( learners) of Christ, called to follow in his ways empowered by the Holy Spirit, so how is it that rather than stepping out boldly and turning the world upside down we are worrying about our own survival?
During the day I led two workshops on reaching spiritual seekers, and in both of these I was reminded that we too often feel that we need to defend the gospel from an evil onslaught, as if God needs our help. Quite simply God does not need our help, and the gospel does not need defending! We really do need to learn to get out of the way, to remember that we are not the point, and to let the story do its work...
So what is the story? How could we forget the story of the God who left the glories of heaven to be born among us frail and vulnerable? How can we forget the one who broke down barriers and pushed aside conventions to include those who others excluded, the one who welcomed the outcast, healed the broken and calmed the storm? How can we forget the stroy of ultimate sacrifice and ultimate triumph shown to us in the cross and resurrection? How can we forget the one who invites us to join our story with his story, longing to share his life with us?
It seems inconceivable that we would forget, but sometimes I fear that the desire for our own survival blinds us. At the risk of repeating myself I will quote Max Webber from the book The Human Face of Church by Sarah Savage and Eloine Boyd-McMillan:
“Weber argued that any great vision require a human process to carry it through time, sometimes in the form of “a man, a mission, a movement, or a monument”. Even with the Body of Christ, the life giving charism has to be embodied in a routine – in some form of human organisation. Yet, life giving visions do not fit easily into neat boxes. So the very process that gives the vision continuing life also begins to kill it. When the maintenance of the institution (which protects the charism) becomes the institutions primary purpose, the death of the charism is on the horizon. Only spiritual revival or reform will re-ignite the gift.” (Savage and Boyd-McMillan 2007. p4)
Maybe then it is time for us to tear down the walls of our neatly boxed thinking, time to begin to mindfully live out our relationship with God in its raw and real state, complexity and beauty. For surely then our lives will speak, and the relationship will be the point not who put the flowers where or which particular hymn tune we are using. Maybe when we break bread we will be more concerned with meeting with the God who was broken for us than whether we have the right cloth on the table! Maybe then we will be reawakened with passion for the one who has the greatest passion for us.
MAYBE the survival of the church involves us getting out of the way like Jesus did in order to allow the amazing depths of love that God has for HIS world to be revealed, maybe in giving ourselves away we will experience resurrection, for in us the story does its work, the story is full of life and truth and frees us from ourselves...
More likely the church is not the point, the relationship is...
Jesus resumed talking to the people, but now tenderly. “The Father has given me all these things to do and say. This is a unique Father-Son operation, coming out of Father and Son intimacies and knowledge. No one knows the Son the way the Father does, nor the Father the way the Son does. But I’m not keeping it to myself; I’m ready to go over it line by line with anyone willing to listen.
... “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”
( Matthew 11: 27-30)