A
Letter from our Chairman
(Issue
18 Jan/Feb 2000)
Dear
Friends,
In
my last two letters in this magazine I have been looking at the
society in which we live. In pastoral care,
counselling and evangelism we always have to be aware of where
people are, so that we can come alongside them as we share the
Gospel of Jesus Christ. Even these last
few words challenge me in relation to almost every group of
people, for in most situations I would rather say - "we
share the truth from Joshua, the Messiah of God."
We readily use many words and phrases which it would be best to
change. The word "church" carries too many
loaded ideas. We almost have to relearn how to speak,
because so many concepts, which our ancestors could use freely,
have been emptied of meaning for most people. They
could assume a framework of widely agreed absolutes and standards
which are alien to so many now.
But
having said this, the truth, the good news, has not changed.
It is absolute and never can change. It is about one
person at one point in history, achieving for us what we cannot
otherwise have. It's about grasping "who"
He is, and it's about helping people to reach out and receive Him
in the way He says we must. There is in all existence
only one such person, and, what's more, only one such way.
So
in recent weeks I've been dreaming and musing about our
effectiveness in simply showing Jesus to others. So
much of our life-style, habits, inhibitions and lack of
confidence, is shown as we live amongst others.
I seem to spend so much of my time trying to understand,
where other people are "coming from", and seeking to
"communicate" in a way they will understand and, what's
more, only saying what I feel they can take, that in the end I
seem to say very little to them. Is this what God
wants? Is it really under the Lordship of the Holy
Spirit, or does it just demonstrate something about me in today's
world?
So
once again, as so often in life, we are driven back to look
afresh at the written word of God, asking first for the help of
the Holy Spirit. I would assert there is nowhere else
to go. We Christians can spend many years of our
lives reading all sorts of books by all sorts of people, and I
have thousands of them, but they are always a poor substitute for
the word of God. The Holy Spirit of God will
help us to come with a radical openness, which we always
need, and to see what He intends.
As
I do this I have to ask the question of Luke and Paul and Peter
and John;
"How
did you share Jesus in your day?"
As
we look for the answer, we will also be able to consider what
their attitudes were to the message, and why they had boldness
and confidence, often in very intimidating circumstances.
So
this month, I would like to commend a few Bible passages to you,
for you to consider against this background.
From Paul, the words to the Ephesian leaders as he said good-bye at Miletus,
Acts
chapter 20 verses 17-end.
From Luke, with Paul, the riverside at Philippi in
Acts chapter 16
verses
11-end, and what followed.
From Peter, in
1 Peter chapter 1 verses 13 - end,
which is more about us
personally, inside, in our relationship with Jesus and our
motivation.
And as the word of life is our message, from John in
1 John, chapter 1 verses 1-4, the prologue.
I have a conviction though I find it hard to do, that more time
spent in feeding ourselves in the good things God has given us
would build us up and equip us for today's task.
Phil