Tuning in again
Life has been a trifle busy, work and new baby have kept things ticking along.? We’re just getting ourselves into a routine so it’s getting better.
We had our first meal with congregation members and some others on Wednesday night.? It seemed a little strange – so low-key, yet we are hoping that this is the start of something that God is going to be gracious enough to work through.? I remember Steve Timmis saying it wasn’t worth visiting The Crowded House for a month because you wouldn’t see anything and you’d be bored.? I guess that’s how we feel about how we started this past week.? But hey, I’ll take boring every time if it does mission in a way that is effective.
It was a strange day today – a real mix of ministry styles.? I was preaching at one of the largest Baptist churches in WA where a good friend of mine is the senior pastor.? It was Britney-style microphone and several hundred people.? Then it was off to a Forge meeting to speak to a bunch of young and youngish people looking at ways of doing mission in the 21st century.? I spoke on our experiences at The Crowded House and was surprised by how passionately I felt about the whole thing. ? There were some good questions and responses.? It made me realise just how much God did for us during our time in the UK – and gave me the by-now-familiar grief pangs we’ve both been experiencing since coming back.? We really do miss it.
The challenge for me now in my work setting is not to despise what it is to work in the so-called “everyday world”. My theology of work is certainly being tested and after days like today, where I get to preach to a large group, then spend time doing small-group work with a missional bunch, I start to miss doing the “ministry” thing.? However if we are serious about seeing work as an important part of God’s creation then my job is something that God is both interested in and working through to bring about his purposes.? I’ll keep you posted on that one.
February 18th, 2008 at 6:46 pm
Hi Steve
I just want to encourage you to keep on working through this adjustment to full time work in the ‘real world’. What you are learning about is exactly what the overwhelming majority of your fellow church members have to grapple with day in, day out and you will be so much more able to understand the dynamics of the household church you are trying to form. Trying to balance work commitments, family commitments and church seems to have forced you into being a ‘Sunday blogger’ already! You also seem to be grappling with the feeling that working ‘in the real world’ is nowhere near as rewarding, exciting and fulfilling as ‘doing ministry’. That sort of ‘doing second best’ feeling is exactly what many of us who work full-time can end up feeling as a result of interactions with well-meaning, but over zealous brothers who do ‘the minsitry thing’ all day. I pray God will enable you to see what you are doing now as just as valuable a part of your overall ministry as the more obvious household church work is.
Two more thoughts: firstly, obviously you know not to think of yourself at the centre of your life juggling all of your responsibilities. But (and sorry if this is controversial) also don’t put household church at the centre of your life either, as this will inevitably tend to cause you to devalue and resent anything which is not directly connected to ‘doing ministry’ in that setting. Instead put the Lord at the centre of your life and try to see each area of your life as a calling to serve God in whatever avenue of life he places you. You have the priviledge of being a ‘living gospel’ to be read by those you work with. Secondly, rejoice that you are fulfilling not only the Creation mandate, but also God’s specific instructions through Paul in 2 Thess. 6-10 to work to provide for the needs of yourself and others, fully shining the light of Christ to those around you as you do so.
I have huge respect for you and what you are doing Steve. Keep working it out mate!
February 18th, 2008 at 8:00 pm
hey steve,
Naomi and i recently spent two months with the TCH also. we had a wonderful time of challenge and learning.
Similarly we too spent an evening sharing the values with a bunch of sydney guys and girls and felt also very passionate about mission in community and some of the values the TCH endorses.
It is great to see your progress in WA, although on the other side of OZ it brings encouragement to us.
love rowan
February 19th, 2008 at 7:12 am
Hi Rowan
great to hear from you. Just spoke to Steve last night about your visit and he said how mutually encouraging it was.
THe hard thing is to settle into a less visible but equally sovereign expression of God’s grace in our lives in the humdrum of life in the burbs. That, I think, is our next growing point
keep in touch