Thought for the Month
"Surely, You don't mean me?"
September 2011
During recent weeks, our Gospel readings have taken us through the stories and parables that Jesus told to both his disciples and all around him about sowing seed, about the collecting in of the resulting harvest, the sending out of the disciples into not only their own communities but those much farther a-field, and the doubt that we all sometimes suffer when we are confronted with the unexpected, reflected in the story of Peter walking on water.
As we have listened to these stories, and perhaps re-read them at some stage, I wonder where we place ourselves. Are we just the listeners and observers, or are we the people Jesus is talking to, caught up in the theme, yet still uncertain how we go forward?
As we start this time of Interregnum, some of us will feel uncertain about the future, and that may stretch beyond the future of our Benefice and into the role of the church and its connection to the social times in which we live. Yet as members of the church, we take on, not just the responsibility of looking after our wonderful buildings, but also in sharing the word and teaching of Christ to those around us. You will of course have heard this all too familiar theme before, and yet events we have seen in the press and around us recently, prompt me to raise this message again, and consider how we would react personally if we felt God tapping us on the shoulder one day to ask us to do a little job for him.
"I've a rather urgent job for you to do, can you nip over to this place I'm about to tell you about, have a chat with a few folk and tell them to turn over a new leaf, make a fresh start in their lives. Don't waste time collecting baggage to take; the need to go is far too urgent. I'd like you to tell them all about me, of course, and my Son Jesus, tell them about my love and forgiveness for them, but don't stress too much detail the first time you meet them, it might put them off. If you're successful, stay, teach some more and get them to invite their friends around, then move on, and spread the Word to others. Now if they won't accept you be sure to let them know their negative attitude isn't going to stop us."
My interpretation here of Mark's passage on discipleship (6: 1-13) may be a little on the liberal side for some, but when we condense the message, this is what Jesus is saying to his disciples, and says to us all.
So how would we react in such circumstances? Would we say, "well Lord, I'm rather busy at the moment, I've a few jobs to get through here first, lawn to cut, wash the car, and meal to get for the family. There are many reasons why we can't go, for God's timing and our own are often at odds, and we have to sort out the priorities. Yet despite all our commitments we might equally say, "Well Lord, I wasn't expecting this now, but yes I'll go, just tell me what to do as we go together, because there is a lot I'm not sure about at present".
The one thing that Christians and Non-Christians have in common, is that 'Evangelism', is something we dislike doing, and for those yet to join us, it is the one thing they dislike receiving. So we face a challenge in the ways we begin to bridge the gap between 'us and them', and the ways we connect with people where they are now, not where we hope they might come to in the future. Jesus taught the people in parables, stories they might relate to through their own lives, but he also took the time to teach his disciples separately, making sure that they really understand who He was, and what his message meant to all of them personally. That personal commitment to his Father and to those around him brought the people to him, for he made many feel valued for the first time in their lives, lives that were often broken, lives that were seen as valueless by others, just as we see many treated today.
Through the Gospels we read, Jesus explains to us how our roots need to be deep and firm if we are to withstand the challenges that come to us, challenges that can erode our faith in Christ, and that can erode our ability to grow the community we call 'church' Like any plant that is grown to produce abundant fruit, we also need to be nurtured. God's love for us, his word, and our relationship with him, are all personal, and it should be deep and always trusting. Through Christ we need to nurture one another, if we are to begin to nurture those around us.
Jesus knows what he asks when he calls us to go out in his name, for he too was rejected both in his own town, and by those around him. He knows not all will listen, but he knows some will, and although we see much ahead that may cause us uncertainty and concern, we should not allow these uncertainties to cause us doubt regarding the direction Christ asks us to go. So when you feel God giving you another tap on the shoulder, how will you answer? May we all find the strength to say, yes Lord, I'll go.
Michael Ellard.