Church is a strange thing! Not an individual church fellowship - though they are in this big bucket I'm describing - maybe yours? No, but the idea of church! Over the years I've seen - probably like others too, the joyful heights of a local church life; I've seen the grim depths of church life. And I've seen the week in week out hum drum monotony. And I can't help but reflect, often in fact, whose idea was it? And does it work?
It's one thing to merely surf the life of the local church and never go deep or never commit to below the surface in terms of becoming committed to a local church. There are plenty of folk in that boat. Nothing ventured, nothing gained or indeed lost - except that the loss is to the local church, where because people don't give themselves, and thus the local church is the weaker in terms of ministry hands on deck etc etc. And isn't it oh so easy to walk away when its nothing to do with you! I sometimes envy such a position and wish I could be there. Increasingly, this boat is growing larger in the UK, I think. Warren say's that the difference between being part of the congregation and being a part of the committed core of a membership!
And yet, I would have to say that below the decks of the boat - the place of committment where the work takes place in the local church, that it can at times be quite a challenging place. Its the place where we have to live together for better or for worse, with all our strengths and weaknesses, with all our hurts and wounds. And we do (that is to say in every local church) have the capacity to bless and build up, or to destoy and pull down. My theology lecturer used to say that what unlocks God's blessing is agreement, and therefore I guess what locks up or kills God's blessing is disagreement. Ouch! Trouble is, that they makes church risky!
I've often pondered at times whether we take church a touch too seriously, to the point where at times the stakes are just too high. And there is just some truth in that - are the expectations for the local church at times just too high? Often I hope and expect great things of the church, and come away dissapointed!
But then again, I've often pondered whether the response to that is the word "covenant". That people promise (another word for covenant) to walk together (in love and fellowship), committed to God and to each other, in the local church. Thats what I would describe as membership by the way.
To put it another way - to journey together. Being a part of a local church is about journeying together. Along the journey, the going might be rough and challenging, but we are journeying together, not as individuals.
And when I look at the bible, I find that actually this idea of church is God's. That the word covenant is sewn in deeply to the fabric of both old and new testaments. Of Christians journeying together for a common purpose, with a common faith. Along the way you grow together - in trust and faith and you learn lessons about God and each other. Journeying together, not seperately.
If that's what church is about, then it sounds good to me. But in the course of my life I've seen church function well and not so well.
It functions at its best when we are a people that bless each other and build one another up and above all are focussed on God's call to mission. I often see churches internalise and then the slippery slope appears! When we are focussed on God's purposes, it functions in health.
And yet, as I wrap up my drawl for today, I still have this nagging doubt! The bible ends with a picture of the church made ready for Jesus, and I'm not sure I see that bride made ready yet. Grief, we've a long way to go! But we are getting there, but we're still on a journey!
Sam Griffiths Pastor of Wellington Baptist Church, Somerset.
Monday 26 September 2011
Tuesday 13 September 2011
The scary life of Hermeneutics
Tossing a posh word in like "Hermeneutics" always makes it sound as if you know what you are talking about! Well, you can fool some of the people, some of the time ... or however that quote goes.
Well, I know something of it, because "Hermeneutics" is the art or science or whatever, of preaching the Word of God. Something that I, like many of my brothers and sisters in ministry, do sunday by sunday.
And preaching - sunday by sunday, is from my perspective lots of things .... it's a call from God, it's a challenge to be careful and faithful to the scriptures, it's a honour and a huge and scary task to teach the people of God.
When I was at Spurgeon's between 88 and 92, the dreaded Sermon Class was at it's height. The experience was far from pleasant: each student had to preach and lead worship before the whole of the college - faculty and students, and then be led to another second lecture room (execution chamber) wherein two faculty critics and two student critics would then tear and tuck into you. And literally, they would pull no punches and sometimes with style and poetic licence and an element of drama, they would pulverise you into the floor, whilst the rest of the student body looked on. The final injustice was to then watch the video of it all with your college tutor, who supposedly picked out the good bits and attempted to put you back together.
Sermon Class was the event to be feared most in the 4 years of life of every Spurgeon's student. I am told that in the older days of Spurgeon's that it was even worse, for a student had to experience it twice - first having freshly arrived at college, and second in the 3rd or 4th year. But for those who are not ordained ministers, it is worth knowing that at least for Spurgeons trained ministers, that the road to becoming a preacher, has been painfully forged and tested, to arrive at the well expereinced scenario of preaching for some, maybe 3 times on a sunday, week in and week out.
For me, the practical truth of preaching is that some Sundays I will be feeling great and the sermon will be steaming, and other sundays - perhaps more often than I care to admit, i will completely miss the mark and produce durge and bore people to tears. I have learnt though the painful truth that the sermons I thought went well were rubbish (and to which many nice comments were made afterwards), and that sometimes the sermons that I thought were rubbish, sometimes were the best and blessed some people (and to which perhaps one or two comments might have been made afterwards). I have learnt that I have the capacity to bless or destroy, to hit the mark or miss it, more often the latter - to miss it! I have learnt that, despite my ego's desperate desire to feel applauded and appreciated with nice comments after a sermon, that many of them have little to do with whether God was present or not and so despite my pride, should be disregarded. I have also learnt that its not about a sprint, but the long distance run, that is to say that the faithful attempts to preach the word of God week in and week out provides a stable, healthy diet for a church family. I have learnt that preaching is all about presenting Jesus Christ, and not Sam Griffiths - I am not an entertainer or stand up comedian, I am to be a humble soldier of Christ. I have learnt that the bible will feed, regardless of whether or not I hit the mark - that scripture about the Word not returning void is vital, otherwise none of us stand any chance! I've also learnt that I have to prepare properly and that a good sermon needs a good days work, but that I cannot ever do it in a day, and that I will often need to let the sermon "cook" in my mind and heart, for it arrive ready to eat on a sunday morning. In short, I feel the awfulness of preaching, it's high calling, and I am all too keenly aware that whenever someone confronts me either by email, letter, phone or face to face, that however much it hurts me - and yes, it always hurts me deeply, that there is always a grain of truth in what it said. Above all else, I have learnt to please God and not people, and have at times been tempted and given in to pleasing people, more than I have God!
Well, I know something of it, because "Hermeneutics" is the art or science or whatever, of preaching the Word of God. Something that I, like many of my brothers and sisters in ministry, do sunday by sunday.
And preaching - sunday by sunday, is from my perspective lots of things .... it's a call from God, it's a challenge to be careful and faithful to the scriptures, it's a honour and a huge and scary task to teach the people of God.
When I was at Spurgeon's between 88 and 92, the dreaded Sermon Class was at it's height. The experience was far from pleasant: each student had to preach and lead worship before the whole of the college - faculty and students, and then be led to another second lecture room (execution chamber) wherein two faculty critics and two student critics would then tear and tuck into you. And literally, they would pull no punches and sometimes with style and poetic licence and an element of drama, they would pulverise you into the floor, whilst the rest of the student body looked on. The final injustice was to then watch the video of it all with your college tutor, who supposedly picked out the good bits and attempted to put you back together.
Sermon Class was the event to be feared most in the 4 years of life of every Spurgeon's student. I am told that in the older days of Spurgeon's that it was even worse, for a student had to experience it twice - first having freshly arrived at college, and second in the 3rd or 4th year. But for those who are not ordained ministers, it is worth knowing that at least for Spurgeons trained ministers, that the road to becoming a preacher, has been painfully forged and tested, to arrive at the well expereinced scenario of preaching for some, maybe 3 times on a sunday, week in and week out.
For me, the practical truth of preaching is that some Sundays I will be feeling great and the sermon will be steaming, and other sundays - perhaps more often than I care to admit, i will completely miss the mark and produce durge and bore people to tears. I have learnt though the painful truth that the sermons I thought went well were rubbish (and to which many nice comments were made afterwards), and that sometimes the sermons that I thought were rubbish, sometimes were the best and blessed some people (and to which perhaps one or two comments might have been made afterwards). I have learnt that I have the capacity to bless or destroy, to hit the mark or miss it, more often the latter - to miss it! I have learnt that, despite my ego's desperate desire to feel applauded and appreciated with nice comments after a sermon, that many of them have little to do with whether God was present or not and so despite my pride, should be disregarded. I have also learnt that its not about a sprint, but the long distance run, that is to say that the faithful attempts to preach the word of God week in and week out provides a stable, healthy diet for a church family. I have learnt that preaching is all about presenting Jesus Christ, and not Sam Griffiths - I am not an entertainer or stand up comedian, I am to be a humble soldier of Christ. I have learnt that the bible will feed, regardless of whether or not I hit the mark - that scripture about the Word not returning void is vital, otherwise none of us stand any chance! I've also learnt that I have to prepare properly and that a good sermon needs a good days work, but that I cannot ever do it in a day, and that I will often need to let the sermon "cook" in my mind and heart, for it arrive ready to eat on a sunday morning. In short, I feel the awfulness of preaching, it's high calling, and I am all too keenly aware that whenever someone confronts me either by email, letter, phone or face to face, that however much it hurts me - and yes, it always hurts me deeply, that there is always a grain of truth in what it said. Above all else, I have learnt to please God and not people, and have at times been tempted and given in to pleasing people, more than I have God!
Thursday 8 September 2011
Events, dear boy!
Before I meander off on a few textual cul-de-sacs, I must share with you an amusing quote that caught my eye in a shop outside the church - as follows: "We can't all be stars, but we can twinkle." When I shared this round the supper table last night everyone sniggered, saying "was that twinkle or tinkle?"
So, it's back to the routine of life and the wonderful season of Autumn, though I must admit the build up of paperwork and emails from the summer kind of takes the shine off what should be an enjoyable period.
The year so far for me has just been a really awful one, seemingly of something or other, a difficulty or challenge, being thrown at me. These have not been minor glitches, but the stuff - at least to me, of real deep concern. I'be never had a year like it. Over the summer I decided that I would turn to Job and read his story. It's a pretty depressing account of one man and his family walking righteously before God, and then a correspondence from Satan to God to permit in his sovereign purposes for difficulties to come upon Job to test him. And difficulties come of such a magnitude that Job's life is over turned and is left with nothing, and yet still holds onto God.
Then follows a sequence of conversation with 2 or 3 side kicks of Job who some how taunt, albeit with subtle nuances, that Job should turn away from God. Yet Job partially holds onto his faith in God, and yet wobbles often in his perceptions of Yahweh. The book finishes with God facing up to Job and in his majestic authority questioning Job's right to even challenge why God had acted in the way that he had done. There is this long statement from Yahweh that simply questions Job's right to even be in any position to question why God does what he does. The final piece of text shows that God chooses to again bless Job, and he and his family prospers, but it is abundantly clear that this is not through any effort or achievement of Job, but from the divine and sovereign decision of God. Thus, the overriding strap line of the book of Job is summed up "The Lord gives, the Lord takes away, blessed be the name of the Lord."
Now I haven't enjoyed reading Job, yet the objective reflection of the book towards me and my world of difficulties and challenges is that God is sovereign and will bless again. Job is tested and is not perfect, but his faith stays steady through the storms. I am not sure that I can say the same is true of how I react to difficult circumstances. In fact, I'm not even anywhere near Job's sainthood status.
And we are living in really challenging days, and I know that some who read my witterings in this blog are being challenged to the very core of their being. The world is being shaken to its foundations from a financial perspective, and the effect of this is so far reaching into those around us.
There are many things I can say, but I have no desire to sound twee or of that vomitingly annoying Christian world of easy answers. Many if not most situations do not have easy answers. So, I could mention faith, I could talk of keeping your eyes on Jesus and stuff like that, but what I have found is that the testing that I am experiencing is showing up what I lack, and where I am deficient maybe in character. I guess that's why James in his NT book says that the testing of our faith produces perseverance. And as today I step back from the brink, that is where is find myself. Yes, from this objective point, which I have not been able to be in for quite a few months, I can honestly say that the torch light of God has shone into my life through this testing and shown some big voids which need to be strengthened as a soldier of Christ. To see these I need wise and calming people and those who are willing to hold the tiller whilst I flap around. If you are where I am, then I pray that you too will know the God who blesses again, as I pray he will do again for me and my family.
So, it's back to the routine of life and the wonderful season of Autumn, though I must admit the build up of paperwork and emails from the summer kind of takes the shine off what should be an enjoyable period.
The year so far for me has just been a really awful one, seemingly of something or other, a difficulty or challenge, being thrown at me. These have not been minor glitches, but the stuff - at least to me, of real deep concern. I'be never had a year like it. Over the summer I decided that I would turn to Job and read his story. It's a pretty depressing account of one man and his family walking righteously before God, and then a correspondence from Satan to God to permit in his sovereign purposes for difficulties to come upon Job to test him. And difficulties come of such a magnitude that Job's life is over turned and is left with nothing, and yet still holds onto God.
Then follows a sequence of conversation with 2 or 3 side kicks of Job who some how taunt, albeit with subtle nuances, that Job should turn away from God. Yet Job partially holds onto his faith in God, and yet wobbles often in his perceptions of Yahweh. The book finishes with God facing up to Job and in his majestic authority questioning Job's right to even challenge why God had acted in the way that he had done. There is this long statement from Yahweh that simply questions Job's right to even be in any position to question why God does what he does. The final piece of text shows that God chooses to again bless Job, and he and his family prospers, but it is abundantly clear that this is not through any effort or achievement of Job, but from the divine and sovereign decision of God. Thus, the overriding strap line of the book of Job is summed up "The Lord gives, the Lord takes away, blessed be the name of the Lord."
Now I haven't enjoyed reading Job, yet the objective reflection of the book towards me and my world of difficulties and challenges is that God is sovereign and will bless again. Job is tested and is not perfect, but his faith stays steady through the storms. I am not sure that I can say the same is true of how I react to difficult circumstances. In fact, I'm not even anywhere near Job's sainthood status.
And we are living in really challenging days, and I know that some who read my witterings in this blog are being challenged to the very core of their being. The world is being shaken to its foundations from a financial perspective, and the effect of this is so far reaching into those around us.
There are many things I can say, but I have no desire to sound twee or of that vomitingly annoying Christian world of easy answers. Many if not most situations do not have easy answers. So, I could mention faith, I could talk of keeping your eyes on Jesus and stuff like that, but what I have found is that the testing that I am experiencing is showing up what I lack, and where I am deficient maybe in character. I guess that's why James in his NT book says that the testing of our faith produces perseverance. And as today I step back from the brink, that is where is find myself. Yes, from this objective point, which I have not been able to be in for quite a few months, I can honestly say that the torch light of God has shone into my life through this testing and shown some big voids which need to be strengthened as a soldier of Christ. To see these I need wise and calming people and those who are willing to hold the tiller whilst I flap around. If you are where I am, then I pray that you too will know the God who blesses again, as I pray he will do again for me and my family.
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