Yesterday was quite an incredible day.

In the morning I said goodbye to a great pastor who has left a wonderful legacy and although not at the end of his ministry has finished the part of his journey with the church in Gillingham.

In the evening I attended AngelSpace and brushed shoulders with young people who are right at the start of their ministry with some not even believing that they could possibly have a ministry or be used by God in any way.

As I look back over the 24 hours, it is as if God is saying the cycle continues. There are times of sadness when things come to end, but if we look around us these are balanced out with times of excitement too.

An event I had to miss yesterday which I really wanted to get to were some of the Southwark ordinations in Croydon. More people, more friends, starting out on a new ministry and excited and daunted by the prospect.

The cycle continues and has been continuing for centuries. This thinking connects with The Long View poem I quoted last week as well as my trip to the cathedral roof. If we think we are going to do major stuff and see lots of things through to completion we are going to be incredibly restricted and disappointed in what we do. If we take that long view and realise we are working in collaboration, not just with our present team colleagues and associates, but also with Christians that have died before us and those that come after us we can start to understand that our role is to simply play our part.

It hit me as I was going to sleep that we talk a lot about ‘sowing seeds’ and ‘others seeing the fruit’ or ‘we don’t know what the spirit is doing’ – but in reality a lot of language we use is that of great expectation. Sometimes we expect to sow, water and plant all in one quick swoop!

I just wonder whether this can put people off of becoming involved in mission or ministry. ‘Come and be part of something exciting’ sounds good, but may be the thought scares people off. ‘Come and see how your individual gift can be used’ may be more attractive. I’m not so sure either way?

We have been called to use our gifts, to play our part, in the great master plan of the creator. Some of it may not make sense, some of what we do may not even be seen by anyone but God, but all of it contributes, all of it is valid, and all of it would be missed at some time if it was not there.

When we understand we play but a part we then grasp how unimportant we are because of our dependency on each other and upon God. If we realise this we start to be concerned that we do our thing well, which stops us looking nto ‘check’ to see if others are working as well as us! As we grasp and focus on our part, we allow others to grasp and focus on theirs. The whole process releases us to be what we are called to be – nothing more and nothing less.

This cycle of collaboration puts all in perspective and really does liberate us in our expectations of ourselves and of others.

As I move out this week to join with God in his community, I want to be conscious that I am riding on the prayers of those that have gone before me, sowing in areas that have been prepared well for others to see fruit from while I see the results of seeds sown and nurtured by others.

These words were shared with me recently – they are amazing!

The Long View

It helps, now and then, to step back and take a long view.

The kingdom is not only beyond our efforts,
it is even beyond our vision.

We accomplish in our lifetime only a tiny fraction
of the magnificent enterprise that is God’s work.
Nothing we do is complete, which is a way of saying
that the kingdom always lies beyond us.
No statement says all that could be said.
No prayer fully expresses our faith.
No confession brings perfection.
No pastoral visit brings wholeness.
No program accomplishes the church’s mission.
No set of goals and objectives includes everything.

This is what we are about.
We plant the seeds that one day will grow.
We water seeds already planted,
knowing that they hold future promise.

We lay foundations that will need further development.
We provide yeast that produces far beyond our capabilities.

We cannot do everything, and there is a sense of liberation
in realizing that. This enables us to do something,
and to do it very well. It may be incomplete,
but it is a beginning, a step along the way,
an opportunity for the Lord’s grace to enter and do the rest.

We may never see the end results, but that is the difference
between the master builder and the worker.

We are workers, not master builders; ministers, not messiahs.
We are prophets of a future not our own.
Amen.

Attributed to Archbishop Oscar Romero

(thanks to Jonnie Parkin)

I read an article in Big Issue yesterday. There was an interesting article about Christians doing work with people on streets. The writer, who lives on the street, was complaining about Christians who are out to convert people and makes the point that, in his observations, he has noticed the Christians he sees ‘targeting the vulnerable’ on the streets. He claims that these Christians deliberately target vulnerable people for ‘conversion’ rather than just being helpful.

It’s a challenging article and ends by saying ‘If you see me, be a good Samaritan and walk by on the other side as I am just not interested.’

I don’t like the language of ‘targeting’ the vulnerable but we can all see what the writer is meaning. Mny of us can agree in part as we have observed the practices of some. This is a difficult area, as I firmly believe Jesus came to reveal his Kingdom to all, but I would argue he took a particular interest in the ‘vulnerable’ of his time … prostitutes, lepors, the hungry, the outcast and so on.

But … should we take this article, and it will not be a solitary view, to heart. Should we analyse how we reach people on the streets in ‘mission’? (I think we should!) If nothing else, this article should cause us to check out our motives. What is at the heart of what we do? Yes, I want people to know that God loves them, but should we take into account the vulnerability of so many?

How do we achieve that fine line of ‘being Jesus’ as all Christians are called to be and not taking advantage of peoples vulnerabilities? I would hate churches to stop working with the vulnerable out of a fear of being misunderstood; but this writers views have caused me to pause!