Minsters Blog
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Dear Friends, More and more we are finding that we live in an age where we can no longer take certain things for granted the way we once did. The world is ever changing and with it much of what we used to be able to rely upon. Particular things come to mind such as, old age pensions. A large number of people have for many years dutifully contributed to a pension scheme only to learn that there is actually nothing for them to get back. This is due to a number of reasons; dodgy investing; people living longer; unscrupulous executives demanding more for their services. Now we are told that we will no longer be able to claim the State Pension at the age of 65, but will have to go on working longer before we are entitled to claim it. A job for life is certainly another thing that people of my generation could expect, as long as you didn’t do anything silly and kept your nose clean, you were okay! Not so any more, these days it is hard enough to find a job that isn’t temporary, let alone one that you could spend your whole working life doing. Other things that we assumed would be around for ever are fast disappearing. The humble telephone box, the person you hand your money over to as you enter a car park, accessing the speaking clock for free, cheque books, AA boxes, etc, etc . . . The same is true of the church. Our church, along with most other churches throughout the land, is finding that the things we once took for granted are no longer available to us. The need for Sunday School Teachers is a classic example, because we have few if any children amongst us. We could once guarantee our Methodist plan would be filled, perhaps having Local Preachers surplus to requirements most Sundays. These days it is often the opposite creating the need for more and more local arrangements to make up for the shortfall. As the average age of our congregations increase it is more and more difficult to find willing and able volunteers to take up the offices that need to be filled to make our churches operate. And as frustrating as this might be it is a phenomenon that cuts across the whole of society, not just the church. What we must not forget though, when we are considering how to tackle this, is that we do not know everyone’s private circumstances. Someone who appears to be an ideal candidate may well be ‘hanging on’ by the skin of their teeth, we do not know, even if we think we do. We are going to have to face up to the fact that things aren’t ever going to be like they were. We are going to have to reconsider how we do church, and to say “Well it will see me out” isn’t a good enough response. We are all going to have to make some pretty big sacrifices and evolve. Over the coming weeks we are all going to be thinking about, and preparing for, Christmas. We should also be considering what that means for us as Christians and how it impacts on the rest of the world. Because you see, it isn’t only our time in history that things can no longer be taken for granted. The whole point of Jesus’ birth was to turn things on their head, to take away that which had become familiar to the world and to bring fresh meaning to life. And it did. It did 2000 years ago, and it does now. If we aren’t prepared to keep reinventing ourselves we will be left behind. If we insist on being 21st Century Sadducees and Pharisees we will miss the point of the incarnation. I pray that we might all be stirred into action this fast approaching festive season. Blessings to you all, Nick.
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