2013: New year, new adventures - so we (5 of us) decided to begin a few hours early. Last night’s late hours and this morning’s early ones saw us venture out onto the Foleshill Road, in Coventry, down the dark back alleyway to the ‘Stag and Pheasant’ on Lockhurst Lane. We didn’t exactly creep in quietly by the back door; our pockets were stuffed with chocolate bars to give out and that we did as well as delivering sprinklings of prayers to those who said they wanted it. We then moved onto the ten pin bowling alley at Walsgrave. Some seemed rather taken aback as we sang to them, ‘we love you (their name) deep down in our hearts’ but there were smiles and ‘thank yous’ before we sped on to Spon Lane in central Coventry to snatch the last few minutes of 2012 and the first of 2013.
We went to the ‘Old Windmill’ pub and I don’t know how many kisses and ‘happy new years’ we got between us. The gig was in full swing and I spied an empty seat by two middle-aged women (I bet they wondered what I was doing there in my Jesus Army jacket) but we got chatting and found out one was a vicar! An unlikely meeting, I guess, but despite the thud, thudding of the electric guitars within a few feet of our ears, we managed to have a fragmented conversation about Christian community and Jesus Centres.
A good start to a new year, I would say; exciting, even exhilarating, hanging hard on God, enjoying the daring together and the team dynamics. May it be a year when we continue to run into and with God’s opportunities. Movements that are tame, attract, if any, the tame but adventure, adventure, adventurous living attracts the adventurous and how we more than need those in the church.
2013: end as you began! May we collect a crowd of God-mad, holy adventurers this year – and some, at least, from the most unlikely places.
I believe in friends ...
I believe in God, the Father Almighty … and in Jesus Christ, His only Son ... the Holy Spirit, the Holy Catholic Church etc. etc. I’ve said it many times and what a noble statement of faith.
There’s only one thing, however: I wouldn’t mind just adding as an appendage at the end (or maybe it fits in alongside ‘communion of saints’): ‘I believe in friends.’ What I mean is, yes, Father, Son and Holy Spirit are all most essential, vital parts of my life - and so also are my friends. If God has rescued me BIG TIME in a redemptive sense and in a million practical ways, my friends have also rescued me again and again from all the things that tangle me up and send me off course. There are times when I have just placed myself in their hands and trusted them to the uttermost with the most painful parts of my life. The strange thing, though, is that in the middle of all this is – God. I come away and my spirit is refreshed and renewed and lightness enters my soul once more. I feel full of fresh energy to serve Him, I who was so full of weariness. God Himself has nurtured, rescued me – through my friends.
I believe in friends. There’s nothing on earth like them. Give me a million pounds and that would be nothing compared to having a group of true friends.
Those who lack friends are, I believe, living in poverty, poverty of soul, of spirit.
That brings me on to this: enjoying friends must lead onto seeking to be a friend. To be a friend, a true friend, is a high calling indeed. O to be a good friend - as others have been good friends to me.
O I do, I do, I do: I believe in friends.
Luke 5: 1-11
Can you imagine the scene? A tired Peter, first weary from a fruitless haul and now exhausted by a massive haul of fish, throws himself down at Jesus’ feet saying: “Choose someone else better than me – go, leave me!” and Jesus’ heartening words: “Don’t be discouraged or afraid; I’m bringing radical redirection to your life: you will be fishing for disciples." (My paraphrase).
I reckon, in that moment, for Peter, Jesus ceased to be an exceptional rabbi; He became the one who demanded nothing less than everything and life would never be the same. What Peter perhaps did not realise was that his sense of unworthiness was the very thing that qualified him for the task He felt so unfit to do.
This was one of Peter’s conversions - I reckon those who, like Peter, choose to continue to follow Jesus have many such 'conversions' when we make an inward realignment, a choice that alters the course on which we are set, plunging us into a deeper surrender to God’s will.
Peter, Peter, two steps forward, one step back. We see that pattern in your life but I guess we’re all a little like that. But even two steps forward, one step back is progress – and look where it got you in the end!
As long as these ‘conversions’ continue to take place, I’m happy.
Now, the church I belong to is a second generation church; 'chapter two' of the story, we call it. Perhaps you get the picture, the fire has died down a bit - we all acknowledge that.
I've noticed the tendency is to panic a little to preserve; there's an inclination to a knee-jerk reaction to create rules to safeguard what we have; I can understand this but believe it's not the best way to stoke the fire.
I think we need pace setters, front-runners in the race, people we can follow. Yes, we know who they are. Steven, the first martyr, was one in the early church; he wasn't an apostle but he was a pace-setter. People like that around convict us of our selfishness, show us we've slowed down and hopefully make us want to run faster too. After all, the writer of Hebrews didn't say walk the race, jog along as best you can; he wrote, 'run the race'(Hebrews 12:1).
“Hey, hey I can't keep up;” “I feel, well, just a little threatened by this one’s zeal.” This is no time for feelings of inferiority but rejoicing in another's strength; followers become leaders. One of the marks of Christ-likeness is the joy in seeing others do better than ourselves: John the Baptist was a true hero when he said of Jesus, “He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30 NKJ).
Isaiah, prophesying Messiah’ s golden age said: “The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb ... and a little child shall lead them” (Isaiah 11:6 NKJ). These pace-setters need not be recognised leaders; they’ve just got to be lovers – of God, of His people, of every sort of person.
Young generation lead us on; we’ll try not to mind being followers; we just want to get there together!
“I feel wanted!” Those words are the best I’ve heard for a long time. “I feel wanted.” It’s sort of music to my ears, my spirit. I’ve gone over those words a few times in my head and fed with joy upon them: “I feel wanted.”
Me thinks we’ve just got to be doing something right at Promise* for a homeless 21 year old, thrown out of home by mum, to come and stay with us and say that.
It’s not what we’ve said because we haven’t really said anything very much.
Wanted, wanted, wanted. Just imagine how many more unwanted people can come and stay amongst God’s people and say, ‘I feel wanted. I’ve found family.’
You know, this is what pleases God. He loves our worship, He loves our praise and He loves it when He knows He can send the unwanted to us and they will feel wanted. And we know, He will, in His time, send us more!
* a Christian community house in Coventry where I live.
Driving along this morning, I’m musing ... mmmm ... I think I’ve decided how to recognize a genuinely ‘holy’ person. My definition? People who treat others as though they are really special.
My first thought, on encountering them, is ‘I feel so special to them’ and this makes me feel great inside; then, I realise that actually everyone else they come into contact with has just the same feeling.
It’s holiness; it’s Christ likeness. Why? Because that is how I reckon Jesus made people feel. Every individual was so important to Him, so loved, every one made in the image of God.
In fact, I reckon, if you could just step into heaven right now, you’d probably feel God made it all for you, you’re so special, but then you’d look round and realise He made it for lots of others too – all equally special.
I want that sort of holiness, the sort that is not aloof, retiring, distant but that makes people feel when they meet me, ‘well, I just gotta to be someone special.’
That sort of quality of love, of holiness, is rare and I think this is the way to get it: go for an exchange – my paucity for His riches! And then practise it, practise it - until it becomes me! Hey, I'm in God's school so I'm going to learn.
I have a self-imposed, inward principle I try to follow:
Catch inspirations
while they're here
act on them quick
they'll disappear!
Inspirations appear, often from nowhere, like wispy, little clouds appearing in the sky, swept along by high winds and so, so soon, blown out of sight. So … grab hold of them and act on them. If not, they may well disappear and even if you remember them sometime later, they may seem empty and it’s easy to find an excuse not to do anything with them.
Ah, let me quote Amy Carmichael yet again: “Don’t only read and pray; LISTEN. And don’t evade the slightest whisper of guidance that comes. God make your very sensitive, and very obedient.” (Whispers of His Power.)
It is often our response to these wispy clouds, these tiny whispers, that opens doors to new opportunities, bringing joy, fruitfulness and fulfillment – not only to ourselves but to others as well.
