Sowing seeds in faith

Today we had an experimental service using different techniques for worship. We chose modern songs from the book, Songs of Fellowship; a sketch was acted out to show how we sow seeds without knowing precisely what will happen; true stories were told to show that Christians do their work and then hope the seeds which they have sown will bear fruit.

One story was about a period when a man, destined to enter the Methodist ministry, led a Sunday night Youth Club where he and his colleague tried to show the youngsters what Christianity was about. Years later the two men met up and one asked the other what had become of the Sunday night youth club. It turned out that the youngsters had grown up and become members of that church - they had become Christians following the sowing of seeds by these two committed Christians.

The second story was told by me. It was about a youngster in the 1950s who attended church and Sunday School at the Congregational Church, Manchester Road, Nelson, Lancs. He had been egged on to attend by his school pal who told him they had a great time teasing the teachers in the Sunday School. As a seven year old he tormented the leader of the Junior Department. On one occasion he and his friend encouraged two stray dogs to follow them to Sunday School. The dogs followed them in and the net result was a mop and bucket effort to clean up the deposits left by the dogs. Later this boy was in the Senior Department and misbehaved just as he had done in the Juniors. The patient Sunday School teacher commented, "That boy in the corner will know one day the importance of what Jesus did." he was so right - I did!

As Christians we tend to have a hard time in trying to spread the gospel of Jesus. Today we are very much in the minority, and yet we still need to sow the seeds we have been given. We still need to assure people that under God all will be well. Some years ago I preached on the message of the Book of Revelation. I talked about the coded language which the people to whom the message was sent would understand. I talked in terms of eventually God winning through despite much evidence to suggest it was a lost cause. A well known and respected Minister in the United Reformed Church was in the congregation and I wondered what he might say to me at the end of the service. He thanked me for the sermon, saying that he was a member of an anti nuclear warfare group and he found the message that God would eventually win encouraging.

It reminded me that people need encouraging as Christians. Even they find it hard to have faith that what they are doing will make a difference. Just because there appears to be strong evidence that the world is taking no notice is no excuse to waver in the promotion of the gospel of Jesus Christ. God, after all, is at the helm and we can trust him to steer the vessel through the most turbulent waters. Throughout the world we can find ample evidence to support the assertion that God is in charge and will ultimately win the battle. There is story after story about how God is making a difference to people's lives all over the world.

As a younger person I often wondered how long the USSR would hold sway in eastern Europe. Today we see a complete new Europe and no more Berlin Wall. I wondered how long it would take to knock down the barriers of racial tension in the USA. Thanks to the work of Martin Luther King and others it is now history and a new order prevails. Apartheid was our enemy when I was a trade union activist 25 years ago. With the actions of many supporters the ANC won through, Nelson Mandela was released from prison and is now a 90 years old ex President of South Africa and we are all enjoying some fantastic fruit and wine from that wonderful land!

MAF, the airline of the oppressed and unloved in the developing countries was kicked out of countries by unfriendly governments. They wondered how the faith would hold without their work continuing. Yet, years later, they returned when a new government arose and found there were more Christians than when they left the old country. It reminds us that, despite all the discouraging evidence around us, "God is working his purpose out, as year succeeds to year." Never slip into the Slough of Despond. There is no need to doubt the faith you have. With God in control, even with few workers, all will be well.

Women in the Priesthood

My church experience goes back to 1951 when I began attending the Congregational Church, Manchester Road, Nelson. Many years before that the Congregational Church ordained it first women ministers. Since 1972 this church became known as the United Reformed Church when it united with the former Presbyterian Church of England. Other denominations have joined since that time. By the time 1972 was approaching I was appointed delegate by my then church in East Anglia to the Annual Assembly where the possibility of union was discussed. In the debates there were clergy and laity alike speaking against the proposed union because in their view it was "not scriptural". On the other side of the debate a massive majority in favour of union was audibly making its presence felt. Not only were there hundreds of people in favour and ready to vote accordingly but you could hear the sound of stamping feet of the younger ones who were growing very impatient with all the arguments against. Those trying to stop the union looked like King Canute trying to stop the tide coming in.

I cannot speak about the debate on ordination of women but I have no doubt that those not in favour tried to stop natural progress by so speaking. I would not mind betting that those against were quoting scripture in Paul's letters outlining the role of women in church (to stay silent etc) and referring to Jesus calling twelve men as disciples. But this has nothing to do with the matter. In every facet of the role of priest, regardless of hierarchy, I can see nothing which could not be done well by women as well as men. I also think it perfectly ridiculous that the Church of England should even have to vote on matters such as special provision for priests who prefer not to serve under women bishops. One thing that has certainly changed for the better is that it is no longer a man's world. To state that a woman is not a proper person to officiate as a bishop is to show great disrespect for women.

Those in the Church of England who state that women should not be part of the episcopacy because Jesus called men only for his ministry might like to ask what Jesus thinks of a diocese that raises a seven figure sum of money simply to place a tower on its cathedral. The Nazarene, I am certain, would be scathing about such a disgraceful waste of money just as he was when he cleansed the temple in Jerusalem. It seems to me that our poor unfortunate Church of England has more than its fair share of self interest in both its priests and laity. I am pleased that they have taken the risk of losing over 1,000 priests in voting the way they have done. If the numbers game is the measure of a church then we are doomed already. We in the church have lost thousands and thousands of members since I joined but the result is a remnant that is faithful to Jesus. We are now down to the faithful core and the few are those who will keep the church of Jesus Christ afloat in this nation until it's next revival.

These days I have found that my beloved URC is not the only friendly denomination. I have been warmly received by a wonderful local Methodist church and we are getting along fine and finding practical ways to serve God and humanity. The Methodist Church too has a tradition of women priests and many of these perform senior tasks well when called, as they often are. If I am any judge there are more women than men coming forward to train for the ministry. That is only good news as far as I am concerned. Women are a vital part of society and are as effective in what they do as any male counterpart.

After accepting women priests in 1994 it is ludicrous to deny them as bishops in 2008. A bishop is a senior priest with wider responsibilities. If a woman can be a good priest she can be a good bishop too. The church today can do without all the people who bang on about what happened in Palestine over 2,000 years ago. We are following an example, not a set of rules. In his day, Jesus told the people that the law they were so keen on following was bogging them down and that there was a job to be done which was based on love for humanity and service to God. Just read the Parable of the Good Samaritan. It's all in there!