New Inspiration

Earlier this week God sent an angel to me - in the form of Stephen, a colleague! Steve sent round a link to a YouTube video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=StEDAjhuiTo. It is a clip from the Chris Moyles show (BBC Radio 1) reflecting on a service he saw on BBC TV on Pentecost Sunday, and in the background was a portion of the televised service from the Kingsgate Community Church in Peterborough. The service was a very lively one with people dancing and enjoying themselves, and this clearly had made its mark on Chris and his co-presenters. To hear them discussing that church can be fun - and talking up church on prime time Radio 1 was wonderful, as indeed the portion of the service we were able to see & hear.
Suitably enthused, I passed the link on to one or two folk in my churches with the comment, "Please can I have one of these?"
Anyway, yesterday I got a call from Goole Circuit asking if I could help out at New Inspiration, their fortnightly modern-style evening service, as the appointed preacher has gone down sick. After a short conversation it was agreed; I would use what I already was planning for other services this week, based on Acts 3, the story of the beggar at the Beautiful Gate.
This evening I went out to cut our huge hedge, and while clearing up was thinking about what angle to put on the passage at Goole. Then I got the new inspiration! The beggar came expecting one thing - money - but God had something much better for him - healing, forgiveness, wholeness! I was toying with suggesting that sometimes we are more like the beggar than Peter - we know what we want, but so often God wants to offer us something much better.
But then came the realisation and challenge! I was no different! I had said earlier in the week that I wanted a big, lively, bouncy church - what gall! What right had I, even in jest, to expect that. As the parables of Jesus remind us, I have to prove myself faithful in small things before I can expect to be trusted with big things.
So, okay God, I willingly accept what I have and I will be content to try to show myself worthy of your trust in those, so long as I can continue to have the help of your Spirit, please.
This is a sobering post - I know I spend a lot of time knocking the Methodist Church - today I accept fault in myself in all humility. As it happens, I love my comparatively small churches to bits and love the one-to-one interaction with folk - I would probably drown in a large church and find the lack of personal contact with everyone, which is bound to be mark of a very large church, hugely frustrating.
Having been meaning to visit Goole for months to experience their New Inspiration service, but never managed it, I felt very honoured to be asked to contribute to it. I half expect God to now take away that opportunity and honour, to reinforce the lesson about humility, but whatever you will, Lord, I accept it.

Postscript - Sunday 3 pm

This is weird - really weird!
I've just received phone call from Liesl, the Mission Enabler in Goole who had arranged for me to help out at New Inspiration. She explained that they were going to have to cancel this evening's event because half of the worship group had been in contact with someone who may be suffering from Swine Flu! Now considering the last sentence of the main post - that is really weird. Needless to say, I hope it is a false alarm for the sake of those involved, and my thoughts and prayers will be with them for the next 48 hours as they wait to see if any symptoms occur.
As for what the Lord is telling me, I am not sure - but He hasn't half got my attention!

Amended lives or amended organisations?

The more I read about Wesley and his model for church growth, the more I realize just how wrong the Methodist Church and my own Circuit and District have it (oops, another black mark on my file!). Everything at the moment is about organisational change, getting into the right shape for mission, getting fit for mission, boundary changes, mapping a way forward, Circuit shape with less Ministers, etc. And has it done any good? Of course not, because the people haven't changed, and they have no vision for change except in structures!

In his book "A Model for making Disciples" Michael Henderson points out that Wesley's concern was only for holiness - his own and his those to whom he preached. He was right - structures don't save souls, bring hope or offer forgiveness. But a people striving toward perfection, looking to encourage one another to become better people and followers, helping those most in need (and poverty isn't just seen here in financial terms!), now they can change the world and, through God, bring all these things to those around us.

This way, that way, the other way? If we spent less time on structures (buildings and organisations) and more on seeking holiness for ourselves and other Christians, I am sure we would see things turning round and we wouldn't then need to worry about how we cope with decline - it might not even be as inevitable as we seem to be telling ourselves it will be!

(Sorry this is the first post in so long - I have been rebelling - just quietly as I am so very busy! That said, three modules down; this Wesley one to finish!)