Look Up!
One of the things that is clearly visible within any institution, especially ones we have been part of for a long time, is its ability to prioritise short term things over long term things. I see this all the time in the Royal Navy and indeed in the Sea Cadet Corps. In the Navy leaders are often in place for at most two years before moving on to their next command and as such there is a lot of urgent and rapid change as leaders seek to ‘make their mark’. Very few ever have to live with the consequences of their bold and brave ‘leadership’.
This principle is clearly evident also in Politics and as has been frequently commented upon these past two weeks we seem to have got through a lot of Prime Ministers in quite a short time. Now don’t get me wrong I was very pleased at the loss of at least some of them, but it is a rapid turnover. We know don’t we that a week ‘is a long time in politics’ but we also now how our political landscape is hooked into a four year cycle of elections – governments have again a short time to ‘make their mark’ and please people for re-election..
God by contrast is in things for the long haul – he is as the bible describes the Alpha and the Omega, there at the creation of the world and waiting there at the end of things for the new Heaven and new Earth. All the same, we his church and we the particular and unique church of St Christopher’s have to make decisions for both next week, next year and the many years to come.
How do we do this? What approach should we have to what comes next? Well there is a certain defeatist attitude that says we shouldn’t bother to make any future plans as God has it already worked out. I always find some truth in that wonderful maxim – How do you make God laugh? – Show him your five year plan…!
But to make make no longer term plans, to have no vision of what we, uniquely are about, leaves us rather as headless chickens running round being headlessly busy, or driven always by short term decisions.
So what should we do? – well theologically this is an ‘eschatological question’ about we reconcile living for today with our hope for tomorrow and we are practised at that. As Christians we are told to be ready for Christ’s return, which may well be tomorrow, but we also know we have now waited coming up to 2000 years for that return. It’s the Now and Not Yet of the Christian life.
Churches are unique and we at St Christopher’s are unique so exploring what God’s vision for us may be is a vital question- and one that is far too important to be left merely to the Vicar or other notionally spiritually people at church. As Richard will explore with us next week its also too important a question to leave just to the church – we go out into the world into God’s ‘Kingdom’ to hear what others would have us be. On Monday night at PCC we will be spending some time together working on our vision and doing some listening – so if you have ideas or thoughts or passions to share with anyone on the PCC please do so – but this is just the next stage in a comprehensive process whereby we will be listening to everyone at church to try and discern our future together.
Vision done well lifts our eyes, our hearts and our spirit to God and keeps us going even when things are tough – I mentioned last week I helped lead a service at St Pauls Cathedral for people from St John Ambulance – once a year we get together to worship together and to rededicate our lives to God and to serving the most broken of humanity. Being together in that most beautiful of places is hugely encouraging as it’s impossible to not feel part of something bigger – when we go back home to our St John huts where weekly meetings take place or our small suburban churches we retain something of the feeling and the encouragement that we are part of something worth living and maybe even dying for – that’s what vision does and that’s why we need it. What is our vision going to be for St Christophers? – that’s where I need your help – so see you tomorrow at our service of Holy Communion where we will explore God’s views on Vision and why it matters…
Peace and blessings
Andy
Brislington Community News 