Thought For The Week

CREATING COMMUNITIES OF WHOLENESS WITH CHRIST AT THE CENTRE

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30th April

In theory when a question is asked at an open meeting you should be able to give the 'perfect' response. Well perhaps few of us live up to perfect theories, and I know that I don't - but then that's what post debate spin-rooms are all about!

At our last annual meeting I was asked a really good question - how are we going to acheive our ambitious targets for growth - a congregation of 200 households [about 600 people] by 2011. I fudged the answer at the time, but this is what I believe that I should have said.

'The targets are certainly ambitious, but they are also faithful to our prayers and our reading of scripture. If we aim for nothing, we will achieve it and if we all start inviting friends to church and talking openly and appropriately about our faith [this is a challenge for all of us, not just the Vicars] we will see even the 45% growth at St Francis in 2007 as merely the start of the journey.'

I was reminded of this by two things - one a sentence of scripture quoted at our recent PCC meeting, 'the Harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few' and then by the readings for Ascension. As Jesus goes into heaven he calls his disciples to 'go and make disciples of all nations'. This is a call for all of us.

22nd April

GOD

'In him we live and move and have our being' Paul writes of God [Acts 17.28]. He has seen the tomb to the unknown God in Athens and whilst praising the Athenians for their religiosity goes on to speak of who the unknown God is; God, creator of heaven and earth, in whom we live and move and have our being, God who the people of Athens have not known but who, in Christ, we can now all know, in Athens and in Swindon.

Who or what has been behind our altars 'to the unknown God'? What idols of money, pride, anger or desire have we placed there? And what are we prepared to do to turn and find the one in whom we can live and move and have our abundant being?

15th April

JESUS

'I am the way and the truth and the life' Jesus says 'no one can come to the Father except through me.'

It sounds exclusive and excluding - what if we're not good enough, what if we're turned away, what if we've messed up, again, and Jesus shuts the door in our faces? What if...?

But there is no 'what if...?' There are no mistakes too big to be forgiven, no stardards to be met, no exams to be passed. Jesus welcomes everyone, wherever we have come from, whatever we have done, whoever we are, whenever we come to him.

That's the miracle of the cross and resurrection, we can be forgiven and we can start again. And Jesus is the way and the truth and the life.

8th April

ABUNDANT LIFE

'I have come that you may have life and have it abundantly' Jesus says in John 10:10. It's an amazing statement, but what does it mean? Earlier Jesus has described himself as the Good Shepherd, caring for and guiding his sheep? But how does that all work out in our day by day lives? In Acts 2, 42-end we can begin to see. The early disciples, the earliest church had a number of key characteristics that we could do with emulating:
* They devoted themselves to the teaching of the apostles, to breaking bread together and praying.
* They shared all that they had and supported each other and were happy together and with God.
* Everyone could see that they were different and that there was something special about them and so thousands joined their new community. Today we struggle with this kind of community, we value our independence too highly. But despite this how can we begin to reflect in our lives the values of the early church, sharing, praying, learning and celebrating together and with God, and living out the Good news that Jesus loves us in every aspect of our lives?

1st April

THE RESURRECTION

Listening to the bible stories of the resurrection; hearing, seeing, sensing the amazement and wonder of the disciples as fear and disbelief turned to faith, we can see how they found their lives turned upside down and inside out by Jesus’ life and death and resurrection. Will we allow Jesus to do the same for us? Or will we stay on safe ground, allow ourselves to be held captive by our fears and deny the new life that Jesus offers to us?

Alongside the resurrection accounts we also hear the story of the early church. The new life the disciples found was reflected in the church they led. But they didn’t get it perfect. They made mistakes and adapted and developed as they went along. We’re still in that place, no ‘perfect church’ but a community of broken people trying to live out the values of resurrection in our ordinary and extraordinary lives and church. Making changes, sometimes getting it wrong and moving forward.

And if you haven’t seen it yet and would like an update on how all of this started go to: www.bbc.co.uk/religion/programmes/thepassion Or we have the whole of the BBC Passion on video – available to lend out.

Or consider joining a home group or Alpha and take the opportunity to find out more…