What is faithfulness

The picture on the left is of Marj Wilding, whose funeral and thanksgiving service I attended on Friday. She had been a friend since around 1965.  Her late husband, Reg, was a Council Member of Mission for Christ - the mission organisation I joined in 1963. Marj was a valued prayer partner.  

Each birthday and at Christmas I would get a card.  During a visit to East Sussex on 3rd November I called in to see her and was warmly welcomed.  We talked of God's faithfulness.  Two days later she was called home to be with the Lord. Amazingly selfless she lived out a deep concern for the welfare of others.  She was a faithful friend.

I have often heard Christians say that God does not call us to be successful; but he calls us to be faithful.  Such a comment is often made in ignorance of what the Bible actually teaches.  All too often the expression is an excuse for poor discipleship.  So let's explore the concept a little  more.

In Luke 19:11 - 27 we have a parable Jesus told in which ten servants were were each given the equivalent of three months wages and told to put it to work while their master was away.  We note that they are given responsibility and also autonomy, but that they remained accountable. On their master's return each came to give account.  Two testify to the growth that came from that with which they were entrusted.  Then a man came who had feared failure and so had done nothing other than keep safe what he was given.  We need to note how each of the servants was rewarded or suffered loss. Who in this story was faithful and how did they demonstrate faithfulness.  It was the outcome that proved faithfulness but their obedience.

Now let's consider the parable of the shrewd servant in Luke 16.  Here is a man who had been given responsibility to manage a business on behalf of his master.  Clearly he also had been given autonomy.  And clearly he remained accountable for his actions and inactions.  He finds himself about to lose his job and shrewdly uses his autonomy to create a better future for himself.  (He might also have done his master a favour by improving cash flow.)  He is commended for his actions which, if he had demonstrated such diligence sooner he might have saved him from being sacked!  In verses 10 and 11 Jesus uses the word faithful (or in other versions: trusted).  Once again faithfulness is demonstrated through action.  

These two parables are all about performance. It is about demonstrating that they were deserving of the trust that had been placed in them.  Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 4:2 "It is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful"

Each Christian is entrusted with the message of salvation God wants us to share with others.  God also grants us opportunities,  and promises his power to enable us to grasp them.  Perhaps it is true that outcomes of our faithfulness might not be considered by others as successful. But before I use the faithfulness argument I need to be careful that faithfulness has been clearly demonstrated by my actions. Each of us have been given some aspect of ministry responsibility - all that we are an have is a trust from God.  Each of us is also given autonomy - we are not robots.  But each of us remains accountable to the one who hopes we prove worthy of the trust he has placed in us.

May the Lord help each of us to be truly faithful.

From The Diary
Last Sunday at Yelvertoft we concluded a series of Bible teaching looking at Jesus through the eyes of Mark. This has been interesting.  Members of the church are also writing the gospel out by hand.

Last Monday Churches Together in Harborough meeting included a review of Holiday at Home, which is a mission activity each year that I have gladly supported.  Please pray as we seek additional representation on the leadership team.

Last Tuesday proved a difficult time with the prison choir.  Please pray for grace and wisdom, especially when dealing with challenging situations.

Last Wednesday we had an encouraging (part 2) local Rural Mission Support meeting for rural church leaders.  One has since written, "Thank you for a very useful meeting. There was a wonderful sense of fellowship and partnership in ministry and I came away feeling very encouraged."  We give God praise!

Last Thursday there was a shortened Churches Rural Group (CTE) meeting at Stoneleigh, Warwickshire.  There was a lot to deal with in limited time but it felt a positive meeting.  Afterwards I set off for East Sussex for Mraj's funeral and had booked B&B.  To my delight I found my hosts were Christians and two of my Christian friends from my time in Herstmonceux were also staying there!  Was this part of God's plan?

Please pray for all of Marj Wilding's family (four generations).  It was good to meet again some Christian friends on Friday I have not seen for several decades!

The Coming week
Sunday 30th - I am taking the morning service at Gartree Prison (Leics) and then travelling to Crick (Northants to attend a United "Hope in our Villages" Service.  This is part of an ongoing mission programme in which the church at Yelvertoft is a partner.

On Monday I have a school assembly at Lubenham (Leics).  On Tuesday I have another school assembly, this tim,e at Yelvertoft (Nortants) followed by my regular work in HMP Gartree.

On Thursday I will be leading a Bible Discussion Meeting at Yelvertoft and back in the village on Saturday for a special event.  During WW2 two of our planes collided over Yelvertoft in which all the crews died.  As we celebrate the 70th anniversary of this event I will lead a simple service.  Our church is also the venue for an exhibition and refreshments through the day.  Some relatives of the men who were killed (from Canada and UK) are coming for this event.  Please pray that in what will be a solemn day there will be room for sharing gospel hope.  The Sunday meeting the following day will develop the theme of a sacrificial legacy.
Thank you for your partnership through prayer and practical support.

We are soon launching a series of interactive free on-line seminars (known as Rural Mission Webinars).  You will be able to take part in any of these from your computer, laptop, tablet or mobile phone.  There is no sign up fee.  Each webinar will be designed to last 30 to 40 minutes including question and answer session.  We are creating a list of topics that we feel will prove helpful but we welcome your suggestions on anything that might help rural churches and rural Christians in their mission for God.  Please email your suggestions to barry@ruralmissions.org.uk

Who's missing this Sunday?

WHO GOES THERE?
The familiar image of merekats alert to what is happening around them serves well for the thought I wish to share with you today.While we might want to dispute the wisdom, for many of us, regular church services are still a major route by which people come to faith.
So this Sunday I want to encourage you to take a look around and count the number of new people that are there. I suspect for many of our churches we are more likely to be conscious of who is missing!  Are we missing opportunities to help people discover a personal relationship with God by coming into contact with a community of faith?

But this also begs the question as to whether our regular services are occasions when people might say that God is there, and where the good news is both proclaimed and lived out in a loving and welcoming gathering of enthusiastic Christians.  John's Gospel records Andrew, having heard Jesus described as the Lamb of God, going to bring his brother to Jesus (John 1:40).  Later in the same chapter we have Philip bringing his brother to Jesus. These are not high powered evangelists.  Nor are they people who have done discipleship courses or been trained to run outreach programmes.  They are ordinary people like you and me but who have met Jesus and - like you and me - believe him to be very special. This is a model of evangelism that almost everyone could imitate.  But what might this mean when we relate it to our regular Sunday services? If we don't feel comfortable inviting non-Christian friends to come to church we need to ask why this is?  Is it unfriendly?  Is there a danger that they might find themselves being preached at rather than feeling God's love?  Are the service contents full of jargon or irrelevant?  Is it boring?  Is it plain embarrassing?  If the answer to any of these questions is"yes" then what can you do to change that? Church services should be exciting places where men, women and young people are encountering God.  Our love for God and one another should be obvious to others coming in.  The apostle Paul writes in one of his letters about unbelievers coming into a meeting and saying "God is in the midst".  If we get it right then there will be no need for a pointed sermon or any kind of pressure to get people to believe; they are much more likely to be drawn. But even if the services are appropriate places where people can learn about Jesus and come to know him, the other aspect is whether we care enough for others that we want to bring them to Jesus.  Why not invite someone to come with you and then afterwards come to your home for a meal (or go out for one)?  You might be pleasantly surprised?  But we won't know if we don't try. New Ministry Developments Trustees of Sunrise Ministries (the charity that embodies Rural Mission Solutions, have been prayerfully exploring ways in which this ministry might develop over coming days to ensure that its activities continue to be effective in meeting our aims.  One new development is the introduction of webinars  (interactive free on-line seminars).  A series of helpful and relevant 30 minute sessions are being planned for next year.  In addition we have offered both to co-present webinars with colleagues from other rural mission organisations, or to host their presentations. Please let us know what topics you think would be helpful From The Diary Remembrance Services and school assembly provided encouragement with good numbers attending and appreciative responses. These were part of "Hope in our Villages". It was good to meet with several colleagues in other rural mission organisations as we seek to work collaboratively where possible and encourage one another. Prison ministry has also been inspiring.  Please pray for a few rather immature men who are a little more difficult to work with in a constrained time frame. For the week ahead, please pray for our daily activities.  The office is busy each day and there will be some field activities including Prison ministry on Tuesday, I will be chairing the Churches Rural Group (a coordinating group in CTE) on Thursday, and attending a funeral and thanksgiving service in East Sussex on Friday for a dear friend and faithful supporter of this ministry.   Sunday 30th I will be taking the morning service at HMP Gartree and afterwards travelling to Crick, Northants where we have a United Service for Hope in Our Villages, with Roy Crowne (CEO of Hope Together)  as guest speaker. Thank you for your partnership through prayer and practical support. Barry

Working as Colleagues

“So they signalled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them” Luke 5:7 An alternative story Peter scratched his head as he looked at the catch.  Two boats full would bring in a tidy amount of money.  Of course they would have to get the fish sold quickly while they were still fresh.  If he dropped the price just a little he would be able to corner the market.  He needed to get runners out to surrounding villages to let them know about the Great Fish Sale. He smiled as he thought, “With the money from this lot I will be able to buy that new boat I've had my eye on”. “Hey, don’t I get a say in this?  We’re supposed to be partners!”  It was his brother Andrew who spoke.  Peter was embarrassed as he suddenly realised he had spoken his thoughts out loud. Andrew continued, “I've had my eye on a new house in a better location and a catch large enough to fill two boats will go a long way towards its purchase.” Suddenly, James interjected. “Far be it from me to spoil your dreams boys, but I’d just like to point out that you would have been in a mess if we hadn't come along to rescue you.  Your nets were already breaking.  If it wasn't for us you’d have lost the lot.  I say that we should go 60/40 in our favour. “ “But,” Peter spluttered, “It was me who let the Rabbi use the boat as a pulpit.  It was me that threw the nets overboard.  If there’s any sharing to do then I think I should at least have 80%”. “Hold on”, said John, “Aren't we forgetting that 10% of the money from this fish actually should go to God; you know the teaching on tithing.” They stood silent for a moment, the faces of his brother and their friends suddenly glum.  “Stop and think a moment.” John continued, “What is the real reason we go fishing?” “To make money!” shouted Peter.  “Actually,” said another, “I do it because I just love boats.  It’s the best job in the world!” “No!  You have it all wrong”, John insisted, “We go fishing so that people have something to eat.” A silence fell on the group as they took in his words.  He was right.  Making a living out of fishing or enjoying the pleasure it brought were by-products.   After a long while Peter spoke again. “You’re right, John.  And come to think about it, we wouldn't have a single fish if it hadn't been for Jesus.  When you think of what he was saying this morning about loving our neighbours and not being selfish…. I think I just got carried away with the excitement.” Suddenly James spoke up again. “I can think of at least ten really poor families in my part of the village.  Then there’s that colony of lepers in Gadara.  This fish has been a gift to us from God.  Let’s share what we have with those who really need it.  If there’s anything left over when everyone’s needs have been met, perhaps we can have a little fish for our supper for a couple of days.  What do you say?” Jesus looked at the smiling faces in the group, and smiled too.

It's all too easy to lose sight of what we are really about. The survival of our particular way of being church or the prominence of our own organisation can become dominant.  But it's not about us.    If God has blessed or is blessing our church or organisation it is for his purposes and not ours.  We don't know what happened to those two boatloads of fish.  We do know that the men had worked as colleagues to get the harvest of fish to the shore.  Here they received a new role in life - one that also demanded collegial attitudes if the harvest was to be gathered in. FROM THE DIARY Thanks for your prayers through the past week, especially for the trip to Sussex.  Despite appalling driving conditions I arrived at the hospital in Haywards Heath in time to make a pastoral visit to a friend who had suffered a stroke.  The following day I had a lot of phone calls and unscheduled meetings to work through.  Amazingly, I met with all but two of those I needed to contact before calling back to the hospital on my way home.  Hardly had I arrived when one of the people I had hoped to see also turned up.  A few moments later the second one appeared.  Don't you just love it when God is in control! Sunday 9th I will be sharing in the Act of Remembrance in Yelvertoft and speaking at a United Service in the Parish Church  immediately afterwards. Monday 10th - School Assembly at Lubenham, Leicestershire. Tuesday 11th - HMP Gartree Wednesday 12th - Meeting and discussions with colleagues at the Arthur Rank Centre. Thursday 13th - a collegiate meeting with representatives from four other organisations involved in rural mission. We have a Rural Mission Support Meeting this month.  Even as I write this I await final indications of when this will be held.  It is important to engage the maximum number of participants.

This week, after much prayerful consideration we purchased a facility that will enable us to run online seminars periodically on various topics of relevance to rural churches.  This specifically fits with our object to assist historic rural churches to become effective in mission in their locality.  We have offered to share this resource with others undertaking rural mission and hope that this will be another way in which we can work as colleagues.  Please pray as we begin to roil out this new aspect of ministry.  Look out for more information.

Christian Symbols worn with pride

At first I was confused at first to find this Arabic symbol for the letter ‘N’ appearing on Facebook pages and tweets from Christian friends, churches and organisations.  You may already know the reason for this, but for the benefit of anyone still confused here’s an explanation.

 As the IS forces swept through Mosul they marked the property of Christians that intended to take over with the Arabic letter ‘N’ as the initial letter to the word ‘Nazari’ - to indicate a follower of Jesus.  This was intended to be a symbol of shame but the Iraqi Christians chose instead to use it as a badge of honour.  They then invited other Christians throughout the world who wished to stand with them in this time of persecution to use the symbol as a sign of solidarity.

As one aspect of my regular ministry takes me into a muti-faith chaplaincy I was keen to ask one of my Muslim colleagues whether this is offensive.  He quickly assured me that it was not.  Like many Muslims throughout the world he is ashamed of what is being done in their name by the IS.

So the symbol takes its place alongside other powerful Christian symbols, of which the cross is the most ubiquitous.  This too is a symbol of shame displayed as a badge of honour. What was intended to be an act of humiliation and defeat became a place of victory.

By contrast, the Ichthus symbol was is generally thought to have been a secret sign for early Christians under Roman persecution. The Greek word for fish spelled out forms the initial letters for the phrase “Jesus Christ, Son of God and Saviour”.  This early symbol became popular in the 1970’s and since. 

While symbols have their place the New Testament encourages us to seek to ensure that our lives speak volumes concerning our faith.  For example, in Colossians 3: 12-14 speaks of qualities of character that we should wear like clothes with love being the final outer garment—that which the world will see.

So while it might be good to define ourselves by a symbolic badge, it is vital that our lives symbolise our faith and the One at the centre of that faith.  One of my favourite hymns which challenges me every time I sing it is “Come down O love divine”, which I commend to you this week.  If you have a good hymn book available please look it up and make space to read and then prayerfully reflect as I have done once more today.

From The Diary

Last Sunday’s ministry at the Family Service at Goodwood Evangelical Church, Leicester was on the theme of “Friends of God”.  There is a PowerPoint presentation and some notes, and even a recording if anyone would be interested.  Give God praise for the many positive comments following this ministry.

The East Midlands Area of the Congregational Federation has started a review of its support for the mission of its 32 churches.  We have two Area Workers (one position currently vacant) and are keen that we have a clear sense of purpose underlying all they do, and indeed all that our churches do.  Please pray as I work with others on this Area Mission statement, and the actions that will follow.

My good friend and colleague, Capt Cordon Banks (CA) will appreciate your prayers as he winds up his work with the Diocese of Chichester and moves to the Diocese of Lichfield.  This is a costly move in many ways for Gordon and his family.  Please pray that God will go before them, providing a new home, a new job for Gordon’s wife, and lots of new friends and a fruitful ministry.  Gordon and I have run Rural Mission Consultations. And I hope to be able to continue to do so through 2015.

This Sunday I will be conducting the meeting at Yelvertoft and afterwards I anticipate travelling to Sussex for a 24 hour visit.  I am a co-trustee under a will of a property in East Sussex which has the elderly daughter of the legatee still in residence.  This weekend I have heard she has suffered a stroke and is in hospital at Haywards Heath.

I expect to be back for the weekly visit to HMP Gartree where the men are preparing for the annual Christmas Service and have chosen to sing Graham Kendrick’s great song “Thorns among the Straw”.  This has a powerful message and I am delighted at the men’s enthusiasm to sing this.

On Wednesday we have a further mission development meeting for the East Midlands Area.  On Thursday I shall be leading the Bible Discussion meeting in Yelvertoft in the morning and a Church Meeting in the evening where we have several significant things to discuss.

During the week I will be busy on administration including preparation for a Sunrise Ministries’ Trustees meeting and a local rural mission support meeting for south Leicestershire, north Northamptonshire and Rutland.

Next Sunday is Remembrance Sunday when I will be sharing in the Act of Remembrance in our village of Yelvertoft and afterwards preaching at a joint service in the Parish Church.

My Health
I am thankful for prayer and grateful for the many messages of concern.  It is now 8 weeks since my sciatica started to get worse, 7 weeks since it suddenly went completely incapacitating with immobilising extreme pain, six weeks since I asked for your prayers and five weeks six days since the pain dramatically stopped (following prayer).  I am off all pain-killers and free from sciatica pain.  God is good!

Focus for your prayers.  This week why not set aside time to pray for your neighbours in two houses on either side of your home.  Is there anything causing them concern at this time?  Do they share your joyful relationship with God?

Thank you for your partnership through prayer and practical support.

Barry