Having been with you for just over a year now, I take
this opportunity to say what a privilege and a joy it
is for me to be to be part of Fishbourne and Apuldram
communities. There is so much good to celebrate, both
churches are growing in numbers, and you all have such
special gifts and talents that are being used, ensuring
that the church will continue to be a vibrant place in
this part of Sussex for many years to come.
But
how do we ensure that we don’t take our church for
granted? What do we need to do in order to develop even
more areas of church life so that the biggest problem
we have is where to sit everyone on a Sunday morning?
I
recalled the words that were said at a diocesan teaching
day a few years ago: “To revitalise the church,
to ensure its continual growth year by year, is as easy
as ABC.”. And so this month I share with you what
that means.
Firstly,
we must ATTEND to God. Week by week we are to rediscover
just how much He loves and cares for each and every one
of us; we should ask ourselves, do we spend enough time
in prayer, listening to what God asks of us? Do we come
to worship Him as often as possible with excitement and
expectation in our hearts? What part do we play to ensure
that our worship is the very best we can offer? A successful
church is not actually about how many people go, but the
successful church is one that attends first to God.
Secondly,
we need to BUILD the Christian community. This means that
we should all be encouraging, enabling and equipping each
other so as to grow in strength and ensure that every
person is able to play their part. Your church needs you,
so please do not be shy, have a think about what you would
like to do. For as we strengthen the church community
we then build stronger links with the wider community
discovering as we do that many people are interested in
God, they have questions and needs, they are searching
and waiting.
Then
thirdly, we all have the enormous privilege of being asked
to COMMEND God’s love to others. If we get A and
B right this third aspect will follow naturally, we do
not have to do enormous acts of mission, each of us ‘bumps’
into people everyday. Perhaps at the bus stop, the super
market, in the garden centre or local pub or at the school
gates. It is at these times that others will get to know
us, and then by our actions and words we can share the
greatest story ever told. For it really is as easy as
ABC.
O God,
Who created all things
and holds them in being,
who entered our world
as light breaking into darkness;
pour your grace
into the hearts of each one of us,
that recreated and enlightened anew,
we may proclaim afresh to every generation
the wonder of your saving love. Amen.
Moira
