Doing and being

Today was the big day for me personally as after many months of thought, prayer and process I got to meet with the panel of people who will decide my fate as far as my aim toward ordination is concerned. It has been a strange 24 hours, as this time yesterday (4.00ish) and through to bed time I was a nervous wreck! Despite this onslaught of nerves I was able to sleep very well and found that this morning – while still a little edgy – I had a great sense of peace. I can only put this down to the fact that a whole bunch of people from a variety of places have been in prayer for me in a very focused way. Seeing as how these musings go mainly to the flock that I serve let me thank you so much for the messages of support and prayers over the last day or so. It does make a HUGE difference!

How did it go I hear you ask? Well I was able to have my Presbytery mentor with me who – like me – is a football (round ball!) lover. His assessment of the meeting that lasted a little over an hour was that I won 5-2! He thought that I got on top very early and before half time I was 4-0 up; but I got a little over confident and loose in the second half, letting a couple of sloppy goals past. What did the panel think? I am promised an answer within 48 hours, so I will let you all know.

All of the above brings me to my musings, which reasonably enough I think are based on issues of ordination and other aspects of the church. Some wonder why I am doing what I am doing ordination wise when nothing will change in the functioning of my ministry. This has been part of the revelation for me in recent times. The Christian faith is not simply about functional ‘doing’ type stuff.

A couple of Sundays back we celebrated a special Holy Communion service with 6 of our children. I hope that people did not see this as simply a functional thing that occurs when people attain a certain age. It was much more than that. Let’s consider some of the things about Holy Communion.

· Gratitude – Jesus took some bread – the staff of life – blessed it and gave thanks! Sometimes when I ask people how they are going, an occasional comment is, ‘Oh, I’m surviving.’ Or ‘I’m getting there.’ Life is more than enduring one thing after another; it is hopefully stirred up and given some pizzazz by the Holy Spirit of Jesus present among us!

· Brokenness – Jesus takes the bread blesses it and then breaks it – Too many today are attracted to a gospel message that denies suffering and pain. I don’t want to suggest that we become a bunch of masochists welcoming pain; but pain does come. As followers of Christ we stand on the fringes ever ready to take up the pain for others, so that, by the grace of God, they might find a place of healing and transformation.

· Love poured out – Jesus took the cup and said ‘this cup is the new covenant in my blood which is poured out for you.’ I would like to see churches praise God more! I would like to see churches overflowing with gratitude for what God has done for us! I read a story this morning of members of the Moravians church in the 18th century, based in Europe, who on hearing the plight of slaves in the Virgin Islands offered themselves to be sold as slaves in the Virgin Islands so that the Christian message could be shared with the people held there. To this day the largest per capita membership of the Moravian Church is at St Thomas on the Virgin Islands. A living memorial to their sacrifice.

This is all important stuff that goes beyond functional. It is deeply connected to BEING as much as to doing. Over the past two weeks I have been privileged to baptize three children. When I put the mark of the cross on their foreheads I mean it! It is not just a symbol. From time to time I will ask adults who have been baptized to trace their finger across that cross on their foreheads; because it is still their! God’s mark is on us! We are branded as belonging to God. That’s big!!

Increasingly symbols and words in worship are becoming important to me as powerful reminders of who we are and whose we are! I had a word thrown at me today that I think was a bit of a test. That word was ontology – the science or study of being. Followers of Jesus are in the first instance people who know how to ‘BE’ ahead of do. If we are forever doing we can so easily lose track of simply being. As I shared on Good Friday; Jesus’ words on the cross ‘It is finished’ are incredibly important. We cannot add to the work of Jesus. We cannot impress Jesus by our acts or sophistication. It’s finished and sometimes the best thing we can do is stop and reflect on how important that truth is for us. We can’t earn more love, more grace, more forgiveness or acceptance. It’s all been done.

Symbols such as water, candles, bread and wine, a cross, nails or a crown of thorns can be powerful reminders of what is important in our Christian journey. It might be an excuse to be even more grateful for the many blessings that we have.

Cheers - John