Thursday 27 December 2018

Facing a Risky Future


There were four of them.  Their dreadful disease had rendered them outcasts from society, shunned by anyone who saw them, and forced to live outside their city.  They had survived on meagre scraps for several weeks, but even that was drying up because of the siege.  They faced a difficult decision.

Even if they could find a way to get back into the city, the siege was so effective that there seemed to be no food there.  People were starving.  So trying to get into the city was pointless.

Staying where they were was equally pointless.  Sure, they had managed to survive in the past, but now they faced inevitable decline and certain death.

The only other option was to move out towards that which was the source of their problem - the enemy encamped around the city.  It was dusk as they set out.  Perhaps, they thought that the fading light would hide the consequence of the disease from which they suffered.

The strange thing was that at precisely the time these men set out for the enemy camp, the enemies heard a sound like that of two armies coming towards them.  They fled leaving all their supplies behind, so the four men ate what they could and also passed on the news to those inside the city, thus bringing an end to the famine.
While this could well be a contemporary story from any one of the parts of the world affected by warfare, in fact it can be read in 2 Kings chapter 7.

My experience in rural mission leads me to conclude that this biblical story has contemporary relevance.  Far too many churches seem stuck in a situation of decline.  Some realise that very soon the church could cease to exist.  But what can be done?  We cannot turn time back, so no matter how much we might desire a return to “the good old days” when churches had better attendances.  Going back to where we were before things got this bad, is not an option.  Neither is staying with things the way they are, facing ultimate demise.

Like the four men, we need to face up to what appears to be threatening us, and - also like them - take the risk that comes with change.  Many churches that have done so, have experienced a reversal in their circumstances, but it comes with a cost.  The cost is that we have to be willing to leave the comfort of the old familiar ways, and the familiar structures of our church services and meetings.  But you probably know that the final words of a dying church were recorded as “We have always done it this way!”

If your church did not see numerical growth in 2018, you need to ask why.  Churches that are static (not to mention those in decline) are contrary to the experience of the vast number of churches throughout the world.  It ought not to be tolerated.  Usually, the cause of a church becoming static or in decline is resistance to change.  Such is the state of resistance to change in many churches that when I am asked, “Why don’t people come to our church?” I am tempted to say, “Because of the people who are already there!”  This is not because I would want them not to be there, but because I long that they would become instruments of change.

Being willing to let go or to move aside is vital.  Holding things tightly under a control that denies change is a death sentence.  Of course things might be done differently, or at different times, or on different days, but it’s worth the risk.  Staying as we are, when that means we are gradually declining, is not an option.  Some will say, “There is noone to take over if I give up!” but is there an honest willingness to let go and step aside?  Sometimes, it starts with a willingness to let change happen.  I know that it’s hard.  My experience in three episodes of pastoral leadership of churches, has always involved those who have been faithful becoming willing to allow (or even encourage) change.  But where this was combined with love and prayer, we saw God at work in ways that might have been hard to imagine.

So, as we enter 2019, please do not sit still.  If you are not seeing God at work through all you do at church: take the risk.  Are you willing to be open to God doing new things in new ways?  If not, is it time to re-dedicate yourself to God who brings life and change wherever he is welcomed.  Give yourself to earnest prayer that anything and anyone resisting change (no matter how sincere their motives) will be changed or moved.  The work of salvation is far too precious to be hindered.
Make 2019 a year for taking calculated and prayerful risks for the sake of the gospel where you live.  Please!

Barry Osborne - 27th December 2018.

Sunday 2 December 2018

Are You Ready?

OK, it’s time I confessed:I’m one of those people who leaves everything to the last moment.  I usually arrive where I am expected, but only just in time. Far too much is left to the last possible moment - or even later.  I can trace this back into my childhood. I lived close to my primary school but was late almost every day. Apart from one day I never had a reasonable excuse.  That day I had no excuse,my teacher was so shocked by my honesty on the matter that he awarded me two house points!

We have moved into the season of Advent as run up to Christmas.  I’m sure that you know that this is about being prepared for the coming of Jesus.  We should all be standing on tiptoes looking expectantly for Christ’s return.

A few years ago I wrote a revised version of the Parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins for use in a school assembly.  I thought I would add it here, with apologies to any who have heard it before. Versions vary slightly.

George, Henry and John, Mary, Jane and Sue were six young teenagers and friends who lived in the village of Opting-Under Water.  One day, the girls had been browsing the Internet, looking for anything about the Spice Girls when they discovered that David and Victoria Beckham were planned to be attending a special event in a village not far from where they lived.  There was no way they would be able to go but they worked out that there was a strong possibility that if they were traveling from their home in Holland Park, they would have to pass right through their village.

They knew the date, and the time of the event, but could not be sure what time they would be arriving. Mary thought it would be a good idea to camp out at the roadside in the village to see if they could spot the car,probably a limousine, she thought.  So it was agreed to meet up in good time to see if they could spot the Beckhams.

The next day, at the appointed time, the six friends met up at an ideal place where there was a green close by. The boys had brought a football, in case they could get it autographed by David, thought this seemed quite unlikely.  The girls had brought three large banners they had made themselves with words such as “Victoria we love you” written on them boldly.

“That;s a really good idea”, said Henry, “Why didn’t we think of that?”

“Because, as you know,” replied Sue, “Everyone knows girls are smarter than boys.  It’s all about preparation. We spent several hours last evening making these.”

Henry just shrugged.  Experience had taught him that arguing got him nowhere.  Instead he suggested that they had a kick-around to while the time away.  So the boys set up a goal with their jackets and played football while the girls settled down at the roadside.  They had chosen an excellent situation as they had a good view a long way down the road to a bend in the direction from which the Beckham’s would be coming, if they came at all.

After a while the boys tired of playing football and joined the girls.  All they had seen was ordinary cars, some vans, five large lorries and Mr Ford’s tractor and trailer.  John noticed that the girls were getting packages from their backpacks. As the girls unwrapped sandwiches, the boys realised they were feeling hungry.

“Are you going to share those?” enquired John.  

“Certainly not.  We only just have enough for ourselves.  You should have come prepared.”

With that the three hungry boys decided to hurry home and bring back something to keep them from starving.

Hardly had they left when Jane jumped up excitedly, pointing down the road.  “Look!” she exclaimed with what was a squeal of excitement. “It’s a posh car.  I think it’s a limousine. Get ready everyone.”

The girls stood in line, banners on display and waved madly as the car swept past them.  Then,,,, they could not believe it…. the car stopped and began reversing towards them. As it came to a final halt beside them, to their delight David Beckham stepped out and opened the door for Victoria.  The girls screamed and jumped for joy. 

“Hi!  However did you know we would be coming this way today? She enquired.  The girls explained how they had seen it on the Internet and worked out they might come that way.

“How long have you been waiting?” David asked. The girls told them everything and were rewarded with autographs and selfies on their mobile phones.


All too soon David checked his watch and suggested that they had better leave if they were to arrive on time.  The Beckhams climbed back into the car and it slowly drove off, disappearing from sight round the bend at the other end of the village.


It had just disappeared when the three boys returned.  Boy, were they cross with themselves!

"Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming" (Matthew 24:42).
Barry Osborne - 1st December 2018

Saturday 10 November 2018

Hard Butter and Church Services

A recent experience of Bed and Breakfast caused me to think about how those of us who lead or preach at church services prepare. Not for the first time, I found myself struggling to spread butter, apparently fresh from the fridge, onto toast. It refused to spread. What was worse was that my effort resulted in the toast being spoiled. While there was good reason for keeping the butter in the fridge, it was of little use to me at the table. Of course, melted butter would have been of little use also , but if only it had been softened a little by the time I wanted to spread it.

I began to wonder what thought processes had taken place in the kitchen. Did they, I pondered, want me to be impressed with the fact that they kept the butter in the fridge, or that they kept the fridge temperature extra low? Had they considered whether it would be fit for purpose when it arrived on the table? Might they not have thought about it at all? After all, the butter is always kept in the fridge! Was there a ‘Chef knows best’ attitude?

So, let’s compare the church service to breakfast and the sermon to the butter. We might have carefully prepared each item ‘on the plate’ to our own satisfaction. The contents may have been freshly prepared (not as an old friend used to describe second-hand sermons as ‘cold meat with warm gravy!’). We may have arranged the different items carefully and attractively on the plate. We may have cooked them just the way we like them. But, have we carefully considered whether the members of our congregations will find them enjoyable, easy to digest, not too much but just sufficient.

It is all too easy for the chef to know best what makes a good breakfast, and to impose the set menu on the guests. At least I was able to swap black pudding and fried tomatoes for some baked beans. But I would so have liked to have been able to spread that butter on my granary bread.

A few days after my B & B experience I attended a men’s breakfast where my fried egg was not quite fried. Again, it made me think about how much effort we put into preparing a meal for the congregation. Could the hymns have been selected better? Might our prayer have been better if we had shortened it by two minutes? Might the sermon have been improved with a relevant illustration?

The sad fact is that some of us enjoy leading worship and preaching, but risk not thinking through whether what we are serving is what is wanted as well as what is needed. Far too often over my 50 plus years of sitting in churches I have come away uncertain as to the point of the whole service. Was there actually a purpose behind it all or was it merely an exercise to give the minister something to do!

I quite like the advice given to public speakers: “Say what you are going to say, then say it, and then say what you have said”. In other words, have a clear purpose behind what you are doing, and be clear about what outcome you expect.

So, if you are preparing the meal for next Sunday, please make sure that everything is properly cooked, chewable, and digestible. Make sure the butter will actually spread!

I suppose I could have sent the butter or the half-cooked egg back to the kitchen with a polite request that they do something about it. After all it should have been prepared with the customer in mind. Send it back to the kitchen?!! How would I feel if members of the congregation provided some honest feedback? What if someone said, “I learned nothing new today”, or “I got lost halfway through your sermon”, or “I missed the purpose of this morning’s meeting?”!

It is always helpful to get feedback on the reflections in these Prayer & Praise News. The last few have been quite challenging. I probably enjoyed writing them, and I hope they have not left a bitter taste. Writing for an invisible audience is rather different from taking a service or preaching a sermon, but I hope that some found the butter spreadable. Dolet me know please.

Barry - 9 November 2018.

Saturday 3 November 2018

What is Discipleship?

At a recent meeting of the Churches Group for Evangelization the subject of discipleship was frequently mentioned.  It became clear that how discipleship is understood varies from denomination to denomination. I think that many of us have been using the word with little thought as to how it might be defined and described in different contexts.
A few years ago I was invited to speak on Discipleship in a Rural Context and carefully prepared my talk and the slides that illustrated it.  Since then I have given it more thought and I am sure that were i to give the same talk today it would be slightly different.
Discipleship has been a common topic across the Churches for several years and, it seems, it still is an issue of concern.  Does this reflect, I wonder that we focused on making believers rather than making disciples?  It also seems to me that we have often understood that discipleship is something that develops after people have believed.  The Great Commission is expressed by the gospel writers variously as proclamation of the gospel, bearing witness to Jesus Christ, and making disciples.  But nowhere is it described as making believers.
The term believer had significance for the early church, operating in an almost entirely Jewish context.  The issue was whether people believed that Jesus was the Messiah Therefore the use of the term believer was a useful shorthand.  In a Gentile context we tend to use the term believing as a substitute for the more accurate word, trusting.  We encourage people to put their trust in Jesus Christ and his atoning work for salvation.
It is in Matthew’s Gospel that we find the first disciples of Jesus commissioned to go and make disciples of all nations, teaching them to observe all that Jesus had taught his disciples.  So, if that provides a context, perhaps we need to explore what discipleship meant to Jesus and those first disciples.
At which point did they become disciples, and what did that mean at that point?  Clearly, for some, becoming disciples was something that preceded believing that Jesus was the Messiah.  It began with an invitation to commence a journey with Jesus that was much more than a physical journey. They became pupils in a mobile classroom, watching and listening to this extraordinary person who could heal the sick, deliver the oppressed, raise the dead, still the storm, and feed a multitude with a few loaves and fishes.  For some of them, lesson one was seeing water turned to wine. Impressed by what they saw, they gave attention to what they heard. Along the way, they reached a point in which they had accepted that Jesus had the words of life. Later still, came Peter’s confession, “You are the Christ, the son of the Living God” and Thomas’ confession, “My Lord and my God”.
This leads me to wonder whether, in the cultural context in which I am operating, the call I give to others to become Christians should be more about a call to enter a journey of discovery, rather than taking a leap of faith.  Of course, such a journey needs repentance at its start or near to it. It could also be argued that taking the journey is, in itself, a step of faith.
As an example of what that might look like in the context of evangelism, Elim has adopted a new framework for evangelism which provides the possibility of three different responses.  The gospel is clearly explained, following which the three options are presented. A ‘Big Yes’ is an immediate decision to make a commitment to Christ. A ‘Little Yes’ might be a decision to go on a Christianity Explored Course (or similar).  But a ‘Healthy Maybe’ is a third possibility and asks no more than an expression of a willingness to be open to change views or attitude.
I include this example to illustrate different ways in which a journey start might begin.  When I started out in evangelism, the cultural context in the main was at least nominally Christian with a degree of knowledge of the Christian faith.  We therefore called for a response to make a full commitment there and then. In some ways it was an appeal to an emotional response to follow Jesus. These days, we find it necessary to set out the gospel in more of a teaching mode.  This accords with the way the the gospel was presented in Acts to both Jews looking for the Messiah, and to Gentiles needing to be saved. The New Testament Greek word used implies reasoning. It engages the mind.
One positive aspect of encouraging a response as a start of a journey is that it makes it easier to travel with uncertainty or doubt.  This is not the same as disbelief. Faith gets tested and it is not unusual for even those who have been Christians for many years to have off moments of doubt.  Wrestling with uncertainty on a progressive journey is a more healthy approach than seeing it as a failure of faith.
In my early Christian life discipleship was measured by attendance at four church meetings each week (believers’ meeting, gospel meeting, prayer meeting, and Bible study).  I think that becoming a disciple might also have been described as moving from trusting for salvation to a commitment to go 100% in following Jesus. While I still feel the need to teach and preach for real commitment, I see the wisdom of a less binary approach.  If, as I have suggested here, that discipleship in the gospels began before belief, perhaps it is true in our own time and the UK context. In which case, we need programmes that affirm journeys regardless of how far they have travelled.
When I travel by train or by bus, the vehicle usually stops several times before I reach my destination.  Usually I check where we are and decide whether I intend to travel further.
I would be interested in hearing from you please describing how discipleship is understood and measured in the context of your church.  How does a disciple differ from a mere believer? How do you feel about the idea that discipleship has a beginning before a faith commitment?  Please drop me a shortish line to barry@ruralmissions.org.uk and put ‘Discipleship’ in the subject line.
Barry Osborne - 25th October 2018

Lessons from the Stores

Woolworth, Toys R Us, BHS, MFI and Focus all have one thing in common.  They have disappeared, having once been a prominent presence throughout the country.  Other well known chains have also struggled, closing a number of their stores in order to survive.  Of course it was not always thus. At one time they had been popular outlets, supplying goods that people wanted.  In every case the decision to close and render thousands of people without jobs will have been preceded by a series of Board Meetings at which the directors noted the steady decline.
In many cases the decline has been linked to changes that happened around.  Sometimes businesses have failed because of online shopping. In other situations they failed to keep their businesses in touch with the changing culture surrounding them, and lost out to competitors.  Some of the big businesses that have survived have done so because they have recognised that the cost of the floorspace was disproportionate to the amount of sales.
Reflecting on this I am aware how the Christian witness in the UK has similar problems, not least in rural areas.  Churches that once saw many more people attending Sunday services, now have relatively few people attending, while the cost of maintaining our premises has become ever more disproportionate.  In many situations where once a building served the purposes of a congregation, now the congregation serves the building.
It is generally understood that 11.00 am services were established as a suitable time to allow the cows to be milked and essential chores to be done before church gathered.  Now, it has become a convenient time that demands little and fits conveniently between a lie in and an extravagant lunch. Consequently, congregations dwindle and those charged with responsibility hope that somehow the decline in footfall will be miraculously reversed.
In my Open University Business Studies we were repeatedly taught that the main thing is that the main thing must remain the main thing.  Jesus left his disciples with one task. They were to proclaim the gospel and make disciples. Clearly, that is the main thing. Of course, having premises where Christians could meet, makes sense, but many of our buildings were erected to impress rather than simply serve a purpose.  In the past they also became places where the gospel was proclaimed and where people came to faith. When was the last time that happened in your church building?
It is not only commerce and churches that have inherited buildings that are no longer ideal for the main purpose.  Hospitals and schools have also had to adapt in order to remain efficient, where efficiency is related to what is the main thing for them.
Simply shutting down stores will not cure an ailing business.  Shutting down church buildings will not cure what ails so many of our churches today.  What is essential is to return to first principles. If our churches (i.e. the believers who meet in the building) do not have a clear sense of purpose - a commitment to the main thing - then messing about with the building is like rearranging the deck chairs on a sinking Titanic.  So the most important thing we can do, if we have buildings that are taking most of our money and energies, is to ensure that everyone in membership or who has a regular commitment to the life of our churches recognises that the main thing is spreading the gospel and making disciples.
Having done that, we can then evaluate whether or not our premises are enabling that purpose or, possibly, hindering it.  Sometimes making some adaptations could make a difference. But not change for change sake; but change that enables or enhances the main thing.
So, here’s the challenge.  Make a list of the resources of your church both in money and people hours.  Calculate how much is being spent on the ‘main thing’ and how much is being spent on your building (maintenance, heating and lighting).  If things have got out of proportion, then consider ways in which a proper balance could be restored.
Now I suspect that some purists may be thinking that this is all ‘business speak’ and seems to have discounted the work of the Holy Spirit and the importance of prayer.  But I have not done so. If Jesus were to turn up in your church next Sunday and ask you all how you are getting on with what he asked you to do, I don’t think he will be very impressed with answers such as we have raised funds to decorate this old building or to instal a better heating system (though they could be useful!),  God has entrusted us with his message to share it with the people he wants to receive it.  How are we doing with what he has asked us to do?
As to prayer: are we sitting around, praying that God will turn up and do for us the very thing he has asked us to do for him?  Some churches do not even have prayer meetings! Imagine that! Faced with serious threats and opposition, the first Christians met for prayer.  The focus of their prayer was greater effectiveness in their witness; not for deliverance from their problems. (See Acts 4: 23-31).  It’s a model we would do well to follow.
I find myself wondering about these mega-businesses that have disappeared from our High Streets.  If they still had products that were needed and which they could supply, could they have re-imagined their businesses to move from what was inherited to what would still be effective.
Almost all our inherited churches need reviving, and probably some need radical action.  Watching the decline and loss of engagement with the surrounding community is not an option if we want a future.  If what I have written here strikes a chord with you then I would love to take this conversation further, if you would appreciate my advice on how to move things forward,  I am only an email or phone call away (07720 322 213).
Yours for a more effective witness in the land,

Barry

Monday 3 September 2018

Nobody's Perfect

You may well have heard someone say at some time, “Church would be great if it wasn’t for the people in it!”  I have been pondering recently, how often people have been stumbled in their faith by bad behaviour in a church context.  Sometimes people do fall out and some more easily than others. While that might be a fact of life, most of us would not want to find it happening at church.

But the Bible does make allowance for - but does not excuse - bad behaviour among Christians.  Most of us would not want to confess to being difficult to get on with or the cause of friction.  It always seems as if it is the other person or people who are to blame.

This reminds me of my time working in a small Valuation Office as a young man while in training as an evangelist.  Back in those days we had a tea break both morning and afternoon. Although there were only twenty of us on the staff there was an interesting mix of personalities, and tea breaks provided an opportunity for some to complain about others.  Through it all, an elderly valuer, Mr Jones, would quietly mutter, “The faults we find in others are most often found in ourselves”.  I must have heard him say that at least once a month.

But spotting the problems in others seems to be easier than spotting the faults in our own lives.  Jesus addressed this issue in Matthew 7: 1-5 where he uses the hyperbole of someone removing a speck of sawdust from a brother’s eye while ignoring a plank in their own eye!

I wonder whether some of the problem is that we expect perfection from other people, especially our brothers and sisters in Christ.  However, problems are often made worse because we do not know how to deal with imperfection. It is all too easy to ignore problems and hope they will go away or to be so offended that we walk away hurt.  Neither response is appropriate.

A good place to start would be for anyone who has been offended by a brother or sister (or even someone who is not a Christian) to take a moment to reflect on why they feel offended.  Is there any truth in something that has been said, or a good reason for the offending action? Before we exacerbate a situation, a better course of action might be to reflect on whether the cause lies with us.  I knew a man who once became upset when a neighbour’s drain caused some flooding on his property. It wasn’t until after he had complained that he discovered that they shared a common drain and that there was a blockage on his side of the drain that was the cause of the flooding.

Sometimes one person’s (we’ll call him A) unhelpful behaviour towards another (we’ll call her B) is a result of what was perceived as previous unhelpful behaviour by B towards A. If only the problem had been addressed before it started to get out of hand!
After searching our own hearts to see if a problem or cause might lie in us, we need to consider whether an offence is sufficient to make a fuss about it.  The apostle Paul writes about a love that keeps no record of wrongs (1 Corinthians 13:5).  The apostle Peter also writes, “love covers a multitude of sins” (! Peter 4:8).  Sometimes all that is needed is the grace to love and forget, and then move on.

However, doing nothing about it is not always sufficient, but any consequential action or words still need to come from a heart of genuine love. If we cannot find sufficient love of ourselves then we should pray for the Holy Spirit to enable us to help us love others as we are loved by God.

Writing to the Christians in Rome, Paul declares that he believes they had reached  sufficient spiritual maturity to be able to admonish one another. The NIV translates the Greek as ‘instruct’ (Romans 15:14).  This implies that not all are perfect, but perfect enough to be able to both give and receive correction.  To admonish, in the biblical sense in which the word is used, is not telling someone off, but lovingly, gently, and humbly providing instruction.  Colossians 3:16 has more on this.

So behind the concept of admonishing is ensuring that motives are correct. Again in Romans we read, “Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.”   Romans 12:16-18

Jesus, in his ministry, made only two references to the church.  One of these was about the management of offence. It is recorded in Matthew 18: 15 -17 and shows a process towards reconciliation, and what to do if all fails.  We note that it begins with an honest conversation between the one offended and the offender. Often when there has been a difficult relationship between two people that is lovingly properly resolved, there is a wonderful friendship that develops.

Going back to Mr Jones, and the words he so often muttered, reminds me to add that we all need to recognise faults in ourselves.  For none of us are perfect. The words of James 5:16 about confessing our sins to one another, has proved controversial over the years.  But if we simply understand this as an encouragement to acknowledge that we all mess things up from time to time, might make our relationship with one another more healthy.

“The faults we find in others are most often found in ourselves.”  Great sermon, Mr Jones!

Monday 23 July 2018

The Ministry of Encouragement


The Ministry of Encouragement
I am writing this particular piece at the encouragement of my wife.  In some ways it follows on well from the previous one, which generated a lot of interest and requests to re-publish.

Throughout the week we have been following an ITV series called “The Voice Kids”.  As a singer I have found this series enthralling and I am looking forward to the final this evening.  Three people from the pop world, Danny Jones, Pixie Lott and will.i.am are three coaches searching for a singing star of the future.  For the benefit of those who are unfamiliar with the programme, individual children have performed a song to an audience while the three judges sit with their back to the performer.  They make a decision on the basis of the voice alone as to whether they are willing to coach the singer.  If the child gets through this stage they can choose their coach.  This is followed by a stage in which the children compete with one another.  Some are eliminated.  Just six children will sing competitively tonight.

There are several things that have made this series special for me.  Firstly, the vocal talent of the children, Secondly, the lack of pretentiousness from both the children and the judges.  Thirdly the love and support of the families.  Fourthly - and for me hugely important - the encouragement given by the three pop superstars.  The love for the children blends with sensitive mentoring.  There is no condescension or patronising.  The children are given respect and the best performance drawn from them.

There are some 39 references to encouragement in the New Testament, and I feel that this is a neglected ministry in which we should all be involved.  Writing to the Christians in Rome, Paul exhorts them to be humble and use the particular gifts God has given them.  Included in this list is a gift of encouragement (See Romans 12: 3-8)  The thought that this might be a ministry gift is very interesting, and I wonder whether you can spot the person or people in your church that have this gift.  In some situations it might be a gift exercised from the platform; but it might be a ministry of some in the congregation.

But while some may have this particular gift, we are all called upon to take part in this ministry of encouragement.  Twice in his first letter to the Thessalonians, Paul writes about encouraging one another. (1Thes. 4:18 and 1 Thes.5:11).  If this ministry of encouragement is important we need to ask ourselves when did we last receive encouragement in our faith and when did we last give some encouragement to others. Encouragement stimulates and motivates the receiver.

It is also worthwhile considering the form in which encouragement might be given.  It could be as simple as a “thank you”.  As a preacher, I am grateful for kind words from members of the congregation regarding what I have said.  The best encouragement in that connection is when someone says that they have learned something new of felt challenged.  But all in the church, not just the preacher, need occasional encouragement, including those who do the menial tasks.

But I want to return to the inspiration from “The Voice Kids” that started me on this subject.  The caring and supportive attitude of the three judges is a perfect model for what should be seen in our churches.  It is clear that the children admire their mentors, but the judges do not exploit that.  They adopt a humble approach and pour out encouragement in equal measure to the unsuccessful as well as the successful.  It brought to my mind the occasion on which for the first time, I encouraged some of the Christian children in our church to serve the communion elements to the adults.  Think of all that was communicated to those children by that act.  So actions as well as words are important.

While all need some encouragement, those who are younger or newer to the faith, and those going through tough times, should be our focus of concern.  Saul of Tarsus was still a relatively new Christian when he benefited from encouragement from Barnabas.  (Acts 9:26-28)

The wisdom and encouragement given by the three popstars, is given to those who will eventually replace and outshine them.  This should be our aim in the church context too.  We should be encouraging those who may well outshine us.  In a recent sermon by a colleague on the feeding of the 5,000, he suggested that we might consider ourselves to be bread, broken to meet the needs of others.  The disciples on that occasion may have shared in the miracle, but it was the bread that was spent.  Perhaps encouragement motivated by love should always have a sacrificial character.

I was just 17 when I was asked by local ministers to give my testimony in an open air meeting.  A year later, during a mission in a Salvation Army church, the Officer in charge insisted that I should speak at the Sunday Morning Service (much to the disapproval of the mission team leader).  Some 26 years later I hesitantly sang a gospel solo for the first time, and was amazed to be asked by members of the congregation whether I had any CDs for sale.  Would I still be preaching and singing today had I not received encouragement?

So, please join with me encouraging others.  Who knows what such an investment might earn!
Barry Osborne - 20th July 2018

Sunday 1 July 2018

Free for All at the Point of Need

Yesterday I watched an inspiring TV programme entitled “To Provide All People: Celebrating the NHS 70 years On”.  The one-hour programme was produced for BBC Wales and was involved interweaving the story of the launch of the NHS, with contemporary stories in the form of a poem (but not a rhyme).  It involved some amazing actors providing excellent performances in a presentation that was brilliantly directed in every aspect.

I found it profoundly moving at times and very informative.  But I was left wondering how much it had cost and whether the producers had though through how to maximise the benefit provided by the programme.  It was aired at the same time on BBC One Wales and BBC Two. But if that was all it was a terrible waste as audience needs to have been multiplied many times.

The programme deliberately, though slightly subtly drew a comparison between the start of the NHS in the face of opposition and times of austerity, with the current situation, which is not entirely dissimilar.  It also asked some hard questions as to whether, with the changes brought about in recent years, the founding vision might have got lost.

They say of evangelists that (to paraphrase a hymn) “ten thousand, thousand are their tests but all their sermons one”.  In a similar vein, I found myself reflecting on how this TV programme provided commentary on church life for most churches in the UK.

It is almost certain that the majority of our churches came into being as a result of an evangelistic vision that believed that the good news of Jesus ought to be heard and enjoyed by all regardless of status in society, age or gender (much like the NHS).  They might also have been established at significant cost and sacrifice. They were not established because they could be afforded but because they were needed (much like the NHS).

Like the NHS much has changed since our churches began.  Generally we also face the challenge of limited and shrinking resources.  But the circumstances that brought our churches are unchanged. So what is wrong?  Why are so many churches declining and so few showing signs of genuine growth (rather than transfers from one church to another)?  What might be missing?

The film spoke about compassion; that responding to the needs of those who are unwell comes before all else.  We live in a society made sick by sin and sinful selfishness and individualism. We need compassionate churches.

The film spoke about confidence that there was a better way.  Have we lost the confidence to speak out about our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.  The Bible tells us that it is the message about Jesus that is the power of God to salvation.  We have a message that could change the lives of thousands of people for the better, including our neighbours.  Why are we silent when we are called to be witnesses - to speak out in evidence of the truth.

The film spoke about change, and the importance of responding to the world around us as it changes.  Are we still sitting in pews and running services almost exactly as our grandparents did? If so, no wonder people are voting with their feet and looking for something better!

The film spoke about passion.  Are we passionate about Jesus Christ.  Are we passionate in our worship? Are we passionate about the message that changes lives?  Would you describe your congregation as a people who are passionate about their faith? If not, why not?

Finally, the film spoke about vision.  It asked the hard question as to whether the founding vision still existed in the NHS or whether somehow it had been lost.  It suggested that if the vision had been lost then there was no future for the NHS as an institution that provided a free service for all at the point of need.  It suggested that if that vision is lost then those involved would be un-motivated.

All of these points were woven into a film which also told real stories of the impact that the NHS has on real people from birth to death.  But as it ended I was not only lft saying a “Wow” but also wondering how the message of this film with its encouragements and its challenges could reach those who did not see it when it was broadcast.  I also wonder, somewhat cynically, whether everything that went into this amazing programme would impact our society so that we will demonstrate by sacrifice and commitment just how much the NHS means to us.

My ministry through Rural Mission Solutions is committed to helping rural churches become effective in their mission, with congregations that passionately love Jesus and love their neighbours so much that they find appropriate ways of mission, and live out the same vision that brought them into being against much the same challenges that face us today.  But, like the makers of the film about the NHS, I wonder what the alternative will look like if we fail to get the message.

If you share our concern, please ensure that you find ways to partner with us through earnest prayer, or through financial support, or through doing what you can where you are to make a difference.  We know we cannot manage without more active help, and I’m sure the same will be true for you. Can we help one another?

Barry Osborne - 1st July 2018

Sunday 24 June 2018

A Fascinating Window


Shop window dressing is an art.  I live in a town with many high street shops, yet most seem to have either never heard of the art or just do not possess sufficient imagination.  Have you ever wondered why there is such a thing as window dressing?  If the purpose was merely to inform potential customers what is in stock, that could be done effectively with a printed list.  If the purpose is to display what is in stock, that would make more sense.  Clothing shops seem to presume this, so their shop windows have dummies variously dressed in the latest fashion (hopefully).  But the fact is that the purpose of window dressing is more than that.  It is about promoting sales.  Used intelligently, that space inside the window could be the secret of a successful business.

I grew up in Hastings and St Leonards-on-Sea where some shops knew a thing or two about window dressing.  One of my childhood delights was to stare into the window of a seaside toy shop.  It was full of toys and games, surrounded by a model railway.  There was a slot on one side of the window, and an old penny pressed into it would start the train with its various carriages and trucks running on a circuit around all the other items in the display.  It would have been interesting if the train ran all the time, but the fact that you could interact with the display – you could make it run – added enormous value. If there wasn’t already a small crowd at the window, one would begin to form as soon as someone inserted the coin.

The town also ran an annual competition on the best dressed window in its town centre shops.  And a strange competition where we would have to spot shop windows that included an item that was nothing to do with the shop.  For example, a potato in the window of a clothing store!

For many years I have been teaching that a key purpose for the existence of the Church, and each of our churches, is to be God’s shop window.  I was therefore intrigued to read J.B. Phillips’ translation of Colossians 3: 12-14, which appears under the heading, “The Expression of the New Life”.  It reads:

“As, therefore, God’s picked representatives of the new humanity, purified and beloved of God himself, be merciful in action, kindly in heart, humble in mind. Accept life, and be most patient and tolerant with one another, always ready to forgive if you have a difference with anyone. Forgive as freely as the Lord has forgiven you. And, above everything else, be truly loving, for love is the golden chain of all the virtues.”

The whole chapter is fantastic, but it was the word, “God’s picked representatives” that jumped out at me.  It seemed as if he was saying that we are what God has selected to put in his shop window.  The way we live and behave not only displays the work of God’s grace but, if we get it right, promotes the gospel and attracts people into ‘the store’.

I started this piece by stating that shop window dressing is an art.  A great shop window will have employed creativity to take the display to a higher level.  There is a Christmas film I have enjoyed over recent years, called Window Wonderland.  A young woman is given the opportunity to design a big store’s annual super-window.  As she struggles to come up with a good idea, life is further complicated by a competitor.  As I don’t want to spoil the story for those who have not seen it yet, I will only share two points from the story.  The first is that the window must present the traditional values of the store.  The second is that it must engage the interest of the contemporary public.

Similarly, our lives as Christians, both individually and corporately, must present the core values of the kingdom of God.  There needs to be holiness, integrity, and the beauty of love, worked out within an ungodly, often false and self-motivated world.  But if this is incorporated into a culture that belongs to a bygone age, it will be ineffective.  Those responsible for running the store on behalf of its owner could do with a great deal more creative imagination to ensure that there is a window that attracts because it effectively communicates the product to a contemporary world.

And, just in case the point has been missed, the ‘window’ is not Sunday church at 10.30 (or whenever), though it certainly should be part of it.  Church is a 24x7 living entity and needs to be something much more than a statement about the good news in Jesus.  It needs to be an honest display of the power and the qualities of the good news, lived out in a way that a passing world will stop and wonder and – hopefully – be attracted to come in.  And in that shop window, we would rather not have an object that is alien, like that potato in the clothing store.  Let there be nothing out of place.

Barry Osborne – 23 June 2018

Saturday 5 May 2018

What would an effective missional rural church look like?


Our most recent webinar in Rural Mission Solutions was on the theme of how rural churches could become missional.  As usual, it attracted a lot of favourable comments from those who attended including one from a vicar who had watched it with his curate and plans to increase that circle.  It occurred to me that it might be helpful to reflect on what an effective missional rural church might look like.

Before I get into that, you can see the recording and find the supportive papers on the Rural Mission Solutions website.  It is not the actual recording, as the technology failed us.  It is a recording made afterwards when my voice was tired and dry, so excuse the coughs!

So, the webinar focuses on what would help a rural church to become effectively missional, but what might that look like?  Here I need to give a warning. In setting out an ‘ideal’ I run the risk of causing frustration to all that come short – including me!  But I take heart that the apostle Paul often set out an ideal in his letters and prayed that those to whom he was writing would try to attain to it.  So here goes.

1.       It would be a church where the members are excited by and enthusiastic about the gospel story.  I note that Paul, writing to the Christians in Philippi, states that a characteristic of true Christians is that they glory in (or boast in or exult in) Jesus. In suggests being thrilled about Jesus.  If Jesus thrills us it would show in all we say, sing and do.  I have a Catholic friend whose excitement about Jesus spills over when she prays.  It’s lovely!

2.       It would be a church where there is genuine love for one another regardless of differences. This would be seen in the joy we find in each other’s company.  It would be seen in the interest we show in the lives of others.  It would be seen in the support and encouragement we gave to one another.  It would be seen in the way we put other people before ourselves.

3.       It would be a church integrated into all that is good about village life.  We have lost the plot if we are seen as something other than and different from the village community.  Of course, there will always be some things where our faith will make us distinct.  But we cannot show we love our neighbours if we separate ourselves from all that they find enjoyable.

4.       It would be a church that is demonstrably focused on being a blessing to others.  We should earnestly seek God’s blessing in our individual and shared lives, but only so that we can be a blessing to others.  If we appear self-interested, only doing things to promote our cause or take from the wider village community, we shall fail miserably.  Ideally, at least once a quarter we would invest our time, energy and money in doing things for the general good of the village.

5.       It would be a church known for caring.  We should be the first on the scene with an offer to help when anyone in the village has a crisis.  We should be sensitive to the needs of others and ready to act discreetly.  Older people without personal transport should be offered lifts into town or taken out for a treat.  People who might struggle financially might have some discreet support from a foodbank.

6.       It would be a hospitable church.  This is taking welcoming to a higher level.  Visitors should always be treated as guests and preferred before ourselves.  Far too often we want and expect people to fit into what we do and the way we do it.  Cherish the guests who call into church, consider their needs but don’t smother them.

7.       It would be a church with a clear sense of purpose.  If you haven’t yet seen the recording from the webinar on how rural churches can become missional, do see it soon as it has some key points about a shared vision for what we are and where we are going.  There is probably nothing more boring than a church that is drifting or showing no movement.  But a church that has a clear sense of direction and where every member knows how to play their part is a great witness.

8.       It would be a church that is clean and tidy.  Even historic buildings can look attractive.  They don’t all need to look as if they haven’t seen a lick of paint for more than a decade, and where books and magazines are musty and dog-eared.  Paths should be weeded and swept.  Stepping inside should be to a bright and warm (or cool on hot days) experience.

9.       It would be a church that engages with all five marks of mission (see the video of the webinar if you do not understand this).

10.    It would be a church where people are able to and comfortable with talking about their faith.  Not all will have had a sudden conversion experience, but all should have a faith that is real and be able to articulate this to others gently.

11.    It would be a church where the preaching/teaching is relevant to the lives of the people in the pew, where sermons are more about talking with people and less like preaching at them.  It would not sound churchy or use anachronistic language and style.

12.    It would be a church where no on and nothing takes pre-eminence.  There is little worse than dominant noisy people or organs!

13.    It would be comfortable.  If it is stuck with pews these would be well cushioned.

14.    It would be a church where change is understood and accepted.  After all, if new people join then their presence will change things.

15.    It will be a delight and probably growing through conversions.

Please feel free to add your own thought to the list.  How nearly ideal is your church?


Barry Osborne 5th May 2018