[Stockport Art Gallery with a display of photos of working lives from up to 130 years ago]
Lives of quiet drudgery, and yet dedication. For some merely a means to survive - and many would so claim - but in reality a means of self definition, status, validation. 'I contributed to that', 'I was part of building that', 'I make those'. And in that shared experience, that validation, that building up of something more than the individual could achieve, there is true community. 'No man is an island'; 'It is not good for the man to be alone'. Yet today, for so many, all that is gone, and many scramble after replacements: such as in online gaming, there building a community to belong to - of great shared depth of experience - but of true value, real legitimation?
So now I call my church to provide a true community for a world crying out for validation. In an atomised society my body can be a place of mutual encouragement, validation and legitimation. And yet that calls for more than the weekly gathering, singing together or even receiving the sacrament of my presence. In the community of work people spend tens of hours per week together: do you believe you can build community in an hour and a half? So seek after real relationship, seek to share deeply of your life with those around. Beware the things that eat your time - my time - for all that you have is mine, including ALL your time; you were bought with a price - it is not for you to resist my lawful call upon your life. But if you will let me spend you as I desire, then your life will have meaning and purpose and I will be glorified. Is that not your greatest desire?
Friday 29 April 2011
Friday 8 April 2011
God's Priorities
[Sitting in St Mary's Stockport in their Garden of Gethsemane display with the chatter of the cafe in another part of the church echoing around]
How do you decide what is truly important? Do you follow the crowd - the things that the peole around you rate, and so accept their valuation? Do you seek to apply your own values, your personal experiences and what you understand to be of importance because of the hurt you have heard of? Or do you listen for what I value, what I demonstrate and proclaim to be of real value, eternal value? You must seek to value as I value - for then you will focus on what is of true value - that which I will reward on the last day. And if you live your life by my values, then you will be of true service to me - though much of what you do may be disdained by those around you.
Consider the way that I work - and what I leave undone. Consider how I respond to the cries of my people - and how often they appear to go unheard. Consider the fruit of when my people have pursued their own understanding - and left fruit that continues to hinder my Word to this day.
The true test is 'It seemed good the Holy Spirit and to us'; too often my people rush to follow the concerns of the world when I am calling you to other tasks. And then you are surprised when your efforts appear fruitless - yet you do not stop to ask why this should be. Remember 'Woe to you when all speak well of you': you must be cautious when your priorities align to those of many in the world. Such conformity MAY be right - but may derive from your desire to avoid conflict with those around you who do not own my name. Behold I am the Prince of Peace - but that peace will come when I return and rule the nations with a rod of iron; until then there will always be conflict between my way and the way of the world: do not be surprised!
How do you decide what is truly important? Do you follow the crowd - the things that the peole around you rate, and so accept their valuation? Do you seek to apply your own values, your personal experiences and what you understand to be of importance because of the hurt you have heard of? Or do you listen for what I value, what I demonstrate and proclaim to be of real value, eternal value? You must seek to value as I value - for then you will focus on what is of true value - that which I will reward on the last day. And if you live your life by my values, then you will be of true service to me - though much of what you do may be disdained by those around you.
Consider the way that I work - and what I leave undone. Consider how I respond to the cries of my people - and how often they appear to go unheard. Consider the fruit of when my people have pursued their own understanding - and left fruit that continues to hinder my Word to this day.
The true test is 'It seemed good the Holy Spirit and to us'; too often my people rush to follow the concerns of the world when I am calling you to other tasks. And then you are surprised when your efforts appear fruitless - yet you do not stop to ask why this should be. Remember 'Woe to you when all speak well of you': you must be cautious when your priorities align to those of many in the world. Such conformity MAY be right - but may derive from your desire to avoid conflict with those around you who do not own my name. Behold I am the Prince of Peace - but that peace will come when I return and rule the nations with a rod of iron; until then there will always be conflict between my way and the way of the world: do not be surprised!
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