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St Mary’s Clergy Letter - November 2011
Where did summer go? Where did that Indian Summer we had in September go? The leaves are falling and autumn begins. Our church roof
is nearly mended and now we just have to wait for the long process of the church drying out (6-12 months) before we can restore the
plaster damage and decorate.
The church in general is panicking I think. The feeling you get from the numbers of church growth courses being plugged recently is that
our church is in meltdown.
But my feeling is that the panic is created because we are being forced by God to change. The Church is not in winter but is in an Indian
summer perhaps… The Church of England no longer occupies the privileged position it used to have- it’s not just that no longer does anyone
defer to clergy (a good thing in my book… mostly!!), or as many think that it no longer goes without saying that to be a Christian you have
to be a member of one of the established churches. All churches are now being forced to compete in a spiritual form of the marketplace.
But we must keep our nerve. God is forcing us to re-discover what he has had in mind for the church since the beginning of time and beyond!
Whilst it’s true to say in one sense that Christ never founded what we think of as a church today he most definitely established a movement.
We have now to decide in these dark ages whether we want to cling on to all the things about the church which make us feel warm and secure.
Or do we want to take a risk and go with Jesus and re-invent our church afresh - trying to re-capture and reimagine for the present age God’s
vision of the part we have to play in making his kingdom real on earth as it is in heaven?
Pat and Paul Ainsworth led us recently in some fascinating talks and discussions about Church history. It’s against the background of this
history that we realize every age of the church is being called to re-invent itself radically. I’m hoping that Paul will be able to present
some mainstream films in church which will stimulate discussion about the faith which will attract people – churchgoers and non church goers
alike- to catch Jesus Christ afresh and be filled with the passion of the Holy Spirit for changing the community we live in.
We’ve just had our meeting of our parishes where we started to consider how we unite in legal ways which make it not more easier to be church but
to combine resources so we can become more authentically, more radically and more simply Church. (I’ve often thought we should come up with a really
stark mission statement along the lines of “Simply Church”…..)
Oooo- I’m scared! But if we’re not scared we’re not engaging with the real living God in these challenging times…. so don’t loose your nerve
brothers and sisters … but be scared…… be very scared (and excited!!!)
Love and prayers
Andy
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