Life is meant to be an adventure. When we cease to reach out and stretch ourselves, something in us dies or we feel frustrated; for life to be lived to the
full, it has to be adventurous. I believe that God calls us to adventure, to extend ourselves, and to seek new horizons. Our God is the God who makes all things new and he wants us to walk in newness
of life. A relationship with God will extend our vision, our sensitivity and indeed our whole life.
Whenever life gets static or dull God calls us out to risk and to be renewed.”
So writes David Adam in his collection of prayers ‘A desert in the Ocean’
Today’s blog post is my sermon for Bishop Monkton chapel today. I hand them over to a new minister joining our Circuit next weekend. I will return to take services and support them but I’m marking the fact this Sunday is my last Sunday as their minister by reflecting with them on journeying.
We are called as God’s people to journey and to journey adventurously.
I remember my first Sunday at Millbrook one of my churches in my first Circuit in September 1997. All was going well, I even coped with my organist, dear Norman Bradbury, who played the organ at break neck speed you couldn’t keep up with him and he’d only play out of one book – the 1908 Methodist hymn book! I announced the communion hymn, and everyone got up and moved. “Where are they going?” I thought. They moved leaving an empty pew in front of them. Then they stared at me after the hymn. They hadn’t told me I was expected to take the communion round to them standing in front of them! They moved, in order to receive.
We are scared of moving, we are scared of adventure, we don’t welcome risk on the agenda. And even where it’s dull, it’s easier to keep doing the same old thing because it’s safe, even if it clearly isn’t working any more. To get up and move in order to find God is not just a good thing to do, it is a necessary thing to do, else God gets so far ahead of us we will never catch him up or we will miss what he is up to.
So we have a road. A road ahead of us. A journey to take. I’d like us to reflect on the Holy Island causeway. We returned from Holy Island last night after being there for a week. Holy Island is a tidal island, cut off from the mainland twice a day. In my picture, taken on Monday morning, the causeway is basked in sun, it’s safe to cross, the tide is out, the road ahead is inviting. There is peace and solitude to be found on the island. The road leads to blessings.
But sometimes it’s not sensible to go anywhere on the causeway. On Wednesday night I wanted to pick up an order we’d placed at Argos in Berwick upon Tweed. When you stay on the island, your life revolves around tides. So you go off and you either shop up the A1 in Berwick or a bit further down the A1 in Alnwick and you make a list because you haven’t got time to faff about browsing in the shops. In fact, you save money. So I went out as the tide opened about 7pm on Wednesday evening and as I got onto the causeway, it started to snow heavily and I couldn’t see the road. It was a bit scary. So I needed to turn back, but I couldn’t see where to turn. The car sensors beeped a lot, there was a lot of red as I nearly ended up in the North Sea. The road felt too dangerous to keep going.
Then sometimes making the journey is just too risky.
As the cradle of Christianity in northern England, the island attracts 650,000 visitors a year, some of whom ignore the warning signs of when it’s safe to cross a causeway that twice a day is submerged. The tide comes in really quickly. Yet every year large numbers of visitors get stranded in waterlogged vehicles thinking that they can make it.
Some manage to escape their cars and scramble up steps to a safety hut perched above sea level, while others seek shelter from the chilly rising waters of the North Sea by clambering onto the roofs of their vehicles. And it costs a lot for the RAF and the coastguard to come out and rescue you.
Most feel a little foolish having driven past a variety of signs, including one with a warning — “This could be you” — beneath a picture of a half-submerged SUV. But it’s still a stupid thing to make the journey.
So journeys can be eventful. What’s our road we need to travel on here in Bishop Monkton like? We’ve not got water to navigate unless you want to drive through the beck just down the road – but maybe we feel our road is sometimes inviting but also sometimes a bit risky maybe because we are asked to venture out in faith. I chose two passages for us today about journeying. There is a promised land, there is a city ahead whose builder and maker is God to where we are constantly called to journey. It’s an adventure, and mostly while sometimes there might be dangers and challenges, travelling to a better place should be fun. And while we might have not had the best of beginnings on our journey together due to the blessed Covid, we have journeyed well over the last two and a half years building a firm foundation and I really really believe some glorious things are ahead of you as you keep journeying together.
Joshua was called by God to lead his people into that Promised Land generation after generation had hoped for wandering in the desert ever since leaving Egypt and the pain of that experience behind. I feel really sorry for Moses. He had years of grief keeping the people going, putting up with then moaning, getting exasperated they wouldn’t listen, he sees the Promised Land in the distance but he dies before he gets there. It will be Joshua, his assistant, now the leader, who will see the blessings long sought for. Maybe Sarah your new minister from next Saturday is your Joshua. Maybe I feel like Moses. I’ve prepared the way – not that you’ve moaned or exasperated me in any way!
Sarah who maybe by now some of you have met, comes to us to strengthen the team and for a new beginning amongst us. She’s really nice and I’m certain you will flourish with her and care for her. It will be brilliant to have your minister resident in the village for a while. What sustained Joshua to faithfully carry out such an awesomely overwhelming task of leading the people of Israel into Canaan? Faith – He banked everything on God’s word.
Obedience – Joshua believed that as long as he walked where God would lead him, he would succeed in the task assigned to him.
One question begs to be answered. If God had already promised the land by covenant to Abraham and his seed, if God had already given the land to Israel, what need is there for Joshua to be strong and courageous? What difference would it make if Joshua turned out to be weak and cowardly?
Here we see the beautiful interplay between divine sovereignty and human responsibility. God’s decree and promise and purpose and the certainty that his will shall come to pass in no way negate the absolute necessity that we obey his command. Why? Because it is our obedience, through the strength God supplies, that God employs as the means to fulfil his promise.
Joshua didn’t appeal to God’s sovereignty as an excuse for neglecting his commands. Rather, the certainty of God’s purpose is precisely the incentive that stirred Joshua’s heart to obey God’s commands.
“Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you” says God “Be strong and courageous. Why. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go” If we are ever to experience the strength and courage that God requires, we must first avail ourselves and immerse our souls in these three foundational realities: Trust God’s promises for you! Abide in God’s presence with you! Meditate on God’s Word in you!
So I guess that’s the first thing I want to say to you today: journey well, and rely on the providence of God journeying with you and ahead of you. Lean on his word. Be adventurous! You know, someone once asked the evangelist John Wimber “Where are we going with all this stuff? What is our church doing? What are we becoming?” Wimber held up his Bible and said: “We’re not going anywhere this book doesn’t take us.” The man replied, seemingly relieved: “Phew! Good! That’s a relief and a load off my mind.” After the man left, Wimber said: “Does he have any idea of what’s actually in this book?”
Then I think I want to say keep being the strong fellowship you are. It’s your greatest strength. We are receiving a probationer minister in Sarah and we had to create an appointment for her which would give her a good experience. It became very obvious to me with a heavy heart that Bishop Monkton had to be part of the appointment as you have huge huge possibilities here and you have plans and hopes and you get on and you laugh and you deeply care for each other.
What’s my advice for you today? Well, Hebrews 13 has some tips for journeying on well. Keep on loving each other as brothers and sisters. "Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it.” There’s your spud and pud and your after church lunches and your yummy puddings and your toddlers group and your village coffee and your singing for fun and the reason we want to refurbish these premises to serve the village more effectively.
Be content with what you have, because God has said,
'Never will I leave you;
never will I forsake you.'
So we say with confidence,
'The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. Remember your blessings.
And keep serving the Lord.
“Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise -- the fruit of lips that confess his name. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased."
And the Circuit’s prayer for you at this time. Well maybe the end of that Hebrews passage:
“May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in you what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen."
There’s that lovely story of the removal firm used by the church a lot so used to moving clergy. On its van were these words: “we have moved many Methodist ministers to the satisfaction of all concerned!”
Friends, I commend Sarah to you. Don’t worry. There’s a foundation of hope and possibility here if we give your church to Jesus. And when you do that you can travel the road ahead confidently whatever might be ahead for you. So I just want to say this finally. Thank you for the way you have let me be your minister for the last two and a half years. God bless you. Be adventurous, travel well.
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