Other people – mini series

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There is nothing I like more, than to pray for myself! Those of you who know me, might think, that is the best use of your time, you need it. In my prayers I spend some hard time self evaluating my last 24 hrs or so. I bring to mind, those things I have done, said and thought that were wrong, sin as the bible calls it. 1 John chapter 1 verse 8 (sadly) reminds me that “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.” I might think, “well over the past 24 hrs I did nothing wrong!” I then consider things that I haven’t said, thought and done that I should have done. Yeah, I can’t claim to be without sin.

Is my inactivity just as bad as my activity? I would like to argue that it is. Jesus, in teaching his disciples about prayer (Matthew chapter 6 verses 9 – 13) tells them, that you are to ask for forgiveness AND to forgive those who have sinned against you. Not easy.  But this is part of my inactivity, and can stop me from moving on. This, in time will lead me to bearing a grudge and eventually lead to having malicious thoughts and hatred will consume me. I need to forgive and I need to be forgiven. So how can I do this?

My prayers continue, I ask God, “help me to forgive other people as you forgive me.” It’s an ouch moment. Thankfully there is a verse 9 in 1 John chapter 1 that tells us, ‘If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.’ The psalmists tells us (chapter 32) our sins are not counted against us and (chapter 103) that God removes our sins as far as the east is from the west. Phew! But what a challenge! Can I forgive someone just as God forgives me?

I pray for myself a lot, because I need the help; to be the person God know that I can be.

Being a missionary in your own village.

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Whenever we think of missionaries, one of the first things that pop into our heads is going to a different country, often far away and hot, where the language isn’t English. Then some sermon you heard once races forward and reminds you that everyone who professes Jesus is Lord is a missionary. You remind yourself that you are a missionary doing God’s work wherever you go.

This blog is in essence part two of my last blog ‘I’d go but…’

Most Christians who live in a village do not go to their local village church, whether it be Anglican, Methodist or Baptist. This will be for a number of reasons, the first one will often be about worship, the second will be about average age and the third will be about (if you have them) your children’s spirituality. Other reasons might be about theology, disagreements with the vicar / other church goers or the size of the congregation being small.

Here are a few reasons not to go to your local church

Your spiritual growth will be stunted. The sermons will just be ‘nice’. You will be singing songs you will never get the tune of. You will be sitting in the cold. You will be pounced on after three times attending to do a job, like be the treasurer or church warden. There will be nothing for your children, which they will hate you for, if not now, in years to come. You will be constantly be asked for money to repair some part of the building. After attending 6 months, you will be on the rota for everything. And you can add and add to the list.

If all Christians thought about their own needs, when looking for a group of worshippers to be joined with; would there be people (and areas) in Britain today that would be unreached by the gospel? I believe there would be. We are needing people to stop being inward-looking, to stop making God smaller and weaker than their issues of going to a local church. Do we believe in a God who takes cares of all our needs, do we believe that God is the father who gives his child a stone if he asks for bread or a snake if he asks for fish? Will God, if you ask, provide for all your needs?

You will be totally living out one of the last instructions Jesus gave us. Acts chapter 1 verse 8 ‘But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.’ This command starts at home, it starts where the disciples were. For us being a missionary should start with the places we live, and I believe that this is not a job to be done by ourselves. The church is the bride of Christ and as imperfect as it might be where you live, those people are your fellow workers in Christ. But remember this, God does not call the equipped, He equips the called. If you take seriously the calling of Jesus to be missionaries in your village, I solemnly believe that God will sort out the rest. The work will be hard, it will be frustrating and you will be envious of those you see driving past you, going off to a large church in a town or a city. You will think bad thoughts about them. As Isaiah says chapter 50 verse 7, you will need to ‘set your face like flint’, but with the promised Holy Spirit working through you, after time you will see fruit. To quote Isaiah again, chapter 55 verses 10 and 11, ‘As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: it will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.’

This is a challenge that I am finding hard, to put my faith in practice. What about you?

I’d go but…

Row upon row of empty seats?

If all the Christians in one village or town went to their local church, what would the local church look like? What could the local church do?

I do live in fantasy land and my glass is always half full, but I will take the time to step into reality and pick apart some negative statement. (This is not a book, just a blog, they are short and therefore not full answers)

• My family need to have good worship, solid teaching and others their own age, so I don’t even consider the local church.

This is a big statement to solve, but not insurmountable. My first question back, is always; what are you doing for your child’s faith outside of a church service? As a Christian parent you (by God) have been charged to bring up your child. It is not the youth or children’s workers job to convert and disciple your child, their job (for your family) is only to assist you. What other Christian families live in your village or town? Talk to them and be a catalyst.

•  The worship isn’t to my taste.

We’ve all sat through services where either our legs start aching after the 6th time through the last chorus of the 7th song in a row or, we have become so bored, we can tell the person in front, just like God knows, how many hairs are on their heads. And yes, we did count twice to be sure! When we go to a church that isn’t our particular style of worship, it can be a painful experience. Have we engaged in dialogue with the church about wanting to go local and styles of worship?

• I used to go but…

This one stings; past hurts, failings and fall outs make us move from our local church to ones further away. We can all say, “As a Christian, we do as Christ did and forgive those who have sin against us.” The truth is our practical faith and theoretical faith is different. Whether we have been walked over, lied about, put down or our gifts have been constantly over looked, these wounds penetrate and cause trauma. Prayer is the beginning of healing. Praying for yourself and for those who have ‘done’ the damage. who know what the God of the impossibility can do?

We have looked at a few reasons why we don’t go to our local church, but the question remains, why go?

• The blessings you bring to the church.
• Mission done locally by locals.
• Being devoted to one place to live and worship
• Being a ‘member’ of the village/town and church is witnessing without doing anything!
• All the believers (and non believers) had lots in common
• Greater insight into the needs of a community
• Meeting together becomes a lot easier
• What can you think of?