Great Expectations!

On Thursday (22^nd March) in preparation for a preachment on the following Sunday I wrote my first sermon draft. (I usually preach from full notes). However I watched the fascinating series on BBC 2 ‘Reverse Missionaries’ on the Friday and felt compelled to rewrite my sermon.

Friday’s ‘Reverse Missionaries’ followed Pastor John from Blantyre Malawi to Blantyre Scotland. In particular John was retracing the steps of David Livingstone. In Malawi Pastor John has grown a large lively Church and he is overflowing of praise and thankfulness to Livingstone for having brought the Gospel to Africa. He spent time with the Congregational Church in Livingstone’s birth place, Blantyre.  Pastor John was astounded to discover the lack of faith in the people of Blantyre, especially the young people. He was also disappointed by the lack of zeal of the members of the Church who appeared to be into managed decline with little hope of things being different. 

In some ways this also linked in with my having caught on TV part of one of my favourite films ‘Sister Act.’

Added into this mix on Tuesday and Wednesday I was taking part in a Rural Ministry Course organised by the Arthur Rank Centre.  www.arthurrankcentre.org.uk

Here again we shared and discussed struggling rural churches where there appeared to be resigned acceptance of continuing decline, although there are enough innovative enterprises and community engagements to offer  some hope.

So – my sermon was based on ‘expectation’ which I am convinced is very important for the life and health of the Church. I asked ‘just what are you expecting to happen this morning,’ perhaps some hymns you like, a short sermon, being able to sit in your favourite place and all done and dusted in under an hour. This is hardly the stuff to change the world and very little recognition that each and every faith community is called of God to be active in the redemption of the cosmos.  We read, as we did today, the story of Jesus, today it was from John 12:20-33, the story of Greeks seeking an audience with Jesus and John (the Gospel writer) portraying this as sign of the unfolding plan of God for the redemption of the cosmos. Jesus in this passage speaks with passion about the path he knows he is called to tread, to be rejected and suffer an ignominious death as a common criminal. (Today is Passion Sunday) But it is through this way and on into the resurrection that opens up God’s ongoing plan. And we, as Christians, individually and corporately are invited to play our part.  

‘You are a unique and irreplaceable actor in the drama of human history, and Jesus Christ has need of you to make known his salvific work in this particular place and at this particular moment in history.’

Michael Quoist in his book ‘The Christian Response’

Expectation is also linked with experience - we need to raise our expectations, see our endeavours as part of God’s unfolding plan and experience God’s hand at work in our lives and in our communities, which is exactly what we ask for every time we pray the Lord’s Prayer.  But do we really believe it?

      

Jesus loves coasters!

Reflections on a fun filled fortnight in Florida

Okay first admission – I love the Parks and I love riding the Coasters, the scarier the better although I do love the fun ones particularly when you end up getting soaked!

That’s one reason to love the Parks in Florida. Although we did have some cold, wet and windy weather, on the whole it was up in the 80’s and that’s in February.  If you get wet you soon dry off; well if you have canny enough to dress in clothes that will dry easily, so no jeans.

The other thing I love about the Parks is the way you rarely hear a raised voice which is truly remarkable given the vast crowds, the sun, the waiting in lines for rides and shows, etc. (In the USA you line up, Brits queue) There is also little bad language no boozy folk shouting and carrying on, just truck loads of folks of all shapes, sizes, ages, creeds and colours just out to have wall to wall fun. You do see the occasional person all funned out though, usually flopped on  a bench or having five minutes on a wall or somewhere, surrounded by bags as others of their party are still funning it up.

The other common feature is T shirts, and again I didn’t see any that were really rude or offensive. People seem to know instinctively that this is family fun time. Of course in the lines you get to reading the messages, and some are really funny, clever or just weird and many tell you where folk have been or where they are from.

So, a question related to wearing a T shirt – do you do God on holiday? A T shirt with a tasteful Christian message can be a great witness as you line up and people spend up to 45 minutes to an hour behind you.  But it seems some folks don’t do God on holiday especially those who are directly involved in some way by being employed and working for the Church. 

When I am somewhere like Florida I find it is just so different that the practicalities of work and ministry slips away, which is great. You do need to lay them aside from time to time.  However I find God coming to me in many others ways. One of them is riding coasters. The awesome rush, the edge, the wind on your face, everything screams out that you are alive and it is wonderful, fantastic and awesome. You scream and laugh and get totally immersed for a few brief moments in a totally other world. 

The T shirt I wanted to get made would have something in the line of ‘Jesus is with me and he loves coasters!’ We have to learn that Jesus is not a puritanical kill joy. Yes there is sadness in the world and we should be mindful of that. However there are times to go on holiday and play.  That is another major plus for the Parks and if you do not know how to play you won’t enjoy them.  ‘Unless you become as a little child…’

So, we do God on holiday and that includes trying to get along to worship on Sunday which does take away a whole morning but thankfully in Florida we have found a fantastic Church in St John’s Episcopal Church. It is just great to be there in something a little more real. Yes, I accept that Parks are a fantasy world; they sell a dream, however in Disney’s world, ‘dreams can come true.’

 I for one dream that we might see something like the Park atmosphere replicated across the world; fun, laughter, awe and wonder and people working together from all across the globe.   It’s called the Kingdom of God.