partnership costs

Here at Meadowhead Christian Fellowship we promote the value of seeking to work wherever and whenever we can with our fellow Christians from different denominations. We have learnt to value diversity and understand that unity isn’t uniformity. We can choose to “agree to disagree” on style, and practise and still seek to partner together where ever we can. I think its very important that when you work together with Christians from different congregations you don’t do so with the motivation of “what am I going to get out of this?”  Sadly I meet  Christians who seem to work with others only when it appears convenient or helpful to achieve their own goals or promote their “ministries”. I really believe we de-value and diminish partnership when we enter into it on such terms. There’s an old prayer which has the line “to give and not to count the cost”, and although it’s a challenging value to live by its what gives the added value to our common life together. You can’t have a successful marriage on the basis of putting yourself first, and any partnership asks the same questions of us. The kingdom of God demands no less. Hope08 remains a big challenge to all the church as it asks these questions of the quality of our partnerships together.

 

one man and his dog

You’ve heard the story of the dyslexic agnostic insomniac who lay awake at night wondering whether or not there is a dog? Probably!

That’s got nothing to do with the story but a good place to start.

Last year in a moment of impetuous madness for which I’m famed we acquired a dog called Ellie from the RSPCA  (which I think may be an acronym for  “Really Stupid Pets Causing Anarchy”). We’d never owned a dog before and were assured she was just what we were looking for; (someone saw us coming).  Dog owning certainly changes your life so in that respect is very much like becoming a Christian!

Last summer I got an email from a friend suggesting that God wanted to speak to me about the pastoral ministry through my interaction with Ellie. I’ve waited patiently for her to speak to me (well God spoke through a donkey once),  or even for her to scrawl some message with her paw in the dust, but neither has happened so I’m assuming that God may wish to speak to me through the experiences of a dog owner. So here is the wisdom of a pedigree chum(p) which could help you winalot of friends should you ever have to care for others in the Body of Christ, (and lets be honest, shouldn’t we all be doing that?), or it may put you off dog owning for life!!

1. You’ll be responsible to clear up the mess the dog leaves. Don’t leave it for others to tread in please! (and please don’t hang it in plastic bags on trees for all to see.. where did that habit come from which litters our local park in Sheffield?). Mess is to be dealt with discreetly but you may well be left to pick things up you’d rather leave for someone else. The dog will not take responsibility for its own mess but likes sniffing around the stuff other dogs leave behind. Pastoral ministry does require this ability to clear up mess.
2. No matter how well you feed a dog it’ll always be after a tasty morsel from elsewhere and always want more. It could make the dog sick but it’ll just carry on. It’ll never seem to be satisfied with what you offer it and always want more. Dogs are pretty demanding in this respect. As a pastor you face the challenge that however much you give its probably never enough for some.
3.  You can take the dog on a great journey and walk  but if it thinks something is more interesting than you elsewhere it’ll be off to investigate and come back in its own time. (You can tell I’m good at this recall stuff!!). Pastoral ministry challenges your attitude as your level of commitment is often not reciprocated by those you care for, but you’ve got to keep giving..
4. You still love the dog despite all its antics. Its amazing the bond that develops and despite all the demands and frustrations you wouldn’t part with the dog. You love it. I suggest the difference between  a true pastor and a “hireling” is this love that enables you to keep giving and loving when the going is tough.

 

I just want to add that the members of MCF are nothing like Ellie, (none of them have tails for a start!), but here are general parallels with the way we as humans interact with one another. Scripture refers to the Shepherd and the sheep so an analogy from the animal kingdom already appears in scripture. Maybe we can all learn lessons from life as we reflect upon it.

Oh well got to dash, the dog needs a walk….

 

The day the fire fell...

Last Sunday the fire fell at our church. We’d been conducting a weekend of continuous prayer under the headings or “Hope and Healing” which had just come to a close. Unfortunately the candles were left alight in the prayer room and some paper caught alight. Result fire and smoke in the prayer room. Maybe God took our prayers too literally? The good news first. No-one was in the room at the time, and the fire alarm works perfectly… however the fire drill was less successful.

No-one in the building moved or showed any concern or urgency, (even as the shutter to the kitchen was coming down people were trying to get their teas and coffees). The fire wardens sought to clear the room but their pleas fell on deaf ears. (don’t worry health and safety addicts, we are intending to address this immediately!). I guess everyone was thinking, “false alarm, no-one is going to interrupt my chat, fair trade coffee and digestive biscuit”, but it got me thinking…

In these days of rumours of revival, what happens if the “fire of God does fall” ? How are we going to act? Will we be willing to respond and react to what God is doing, or will we be reticent to alter our well worn ways of doing things? (“Please Lord, I’m very happy for You to move as long as its at the appropriate time of our service that we have a measure of control of, and please don’t interrupt our after service drinks”.

There’s a cost and incovenience that often accompanies the “suddenly” of God. Coffees off, the fire’s come, its time to move…