Believing in ourselves

This last week has been the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. I've shared in a variety of things this week in churches of varying temperatures! This morning, I woke up at 7.30am, and there was a service to go to in the wilds of Iden (church pictured) at 8.30am. I lay in bed, the duvet all snuggly, a warm cat by my side, lovely. I put the alarm clock on to snooze setting, and I thought, "shall I go, or shan't I? This bed is lovely, it's a long way, it's foggy, it will be cold, they won't miss me."  But then something told me to get up and to go. So, I had a very quick wash and an appalling shave and I went. And when I got there, I found a very warm church, a very helpful time of prayer, and a breakfast in the church hall afterwards, with good conversation and croissants. If I hadn't bothered getting up and going, even reluctantly, I would have missed out on something.   

I wonder whether there is something about not wanting to leave the comfortable and journey in our spirituality. It's safe here, we know it here, we like it here, we don't want to leave it and risk the unknown. But when we risk the unknown, we sometimes find it brings us better things, more life, than staying put. 

I have had a difficult week. Decisions I have made have been questioned quite forcefully, things have seemed overwhelming, I have been tired and I have begun to doubt my own ability. New things I need to face have seemed too much... 

When we feel like that, we need help! And quick...

Perhaps when we make the journey with confidence and hope we are surprised. Perhaps when we enter the world, we are blessed. Perhaps when we believe in who we are and don't let the smiters get to us, we find God. Someone reminded me the other day of Moltmann and part of "The Crucified God":

" Jesus was not crucified between two candles on an altar, but between two thieves outside the gates of the city." So even if the journey feels too much, we cannot linger in our own inner comfort, we must follow God out into the grim places of the world. A journey to Iden in the fog felt uninviting this morning, but the destination was worth the effort. I think sometimes encountering the difficult of the world gives us more than piddling about with minutiae in our comfortable churches which can be like my bed - nice for a while, but unhealthy to stay in all day. 

I am always surprised where help comes from when we are brave enough to go. We need to look for what is there to encourage us to keep going.  After this morning's service and breakfast I was due to meet the nephew of a lady who has died and whose funeral I am taking on Friday. He lives on a farm in the middle of nowhere. He had given me vague directions - very vague! I drove up a very narrow lane. I became convinced I was lost. I was about to ring him, but my mobile had no signal (the joy of rural life and limited broadband!) Then at the height of my exasperation, I saw a sign on a gate, it said, "Rev Ian, down here!"  I was given the help I desperately needed. 

Tomorrow's Gospel passage is all about fishermen called to journey, not leaving behind a comfy bed, but a livelihood that they knew well. What made them journey with this man Jesus into the unknown? They would end up encountering what Moltmann describes, some really hard things. That is why at seeing this man die, they went back to the familiar. But they were given help and they would not be alone when they went. 

I know I will have more weeks like this one has been. I will need to look for renewal and encouragement on my journey into interesting things ahead. The danger for us all is that we don't bother setting out because we don't think we can do it. In my experience, that's when God's spirit comes to us - this morning through a church, some shared conversation over breakfast, and a sign on a gate. And if we think we can't cope, then we need to seek help more. 

I like a notice in a school newsletter in my in box today written to parents called "Be the best you can be" - 

"Please join us in encouraging the children to be the best they can be. If they say they can't do something, help them take the first small step. Encourage them to say they can't do it yet."

We need to encourage each other more. Especially when we think we can't, or feel we won't, or sink into apathy. We will miss God's possibility if we don't intend to go to him. Maybe those fishermen in the Gospels sensed here was someone in Jesus who could be trusted. The call to go was too great. I just ponder that today's church seems to have forgotten what they did. The call to stay where we are is not biblical, but it is very inviting to most people in churches. Perhaps we need to reassure people and remind them we are not alone a bit more.