Dec 06 2009
Pastor’s notes
Good Day to you …
Well, it seems that December is pretty much the same all over the world, at least when it comes to the ministry. Everything slows down but at the same time it’s like drawing in a deep breath in preparation for a major physical (or in our case, spiritual) effort.
I am deeply in the process of fleshing out the practical side of the three key objectives (Mission, Visitation & Facilities) which arose out of our Strategic Planning Day, and of trying to correlate all the Volunteer Commitment forms, and of listening to hear clearly what God is saying on at least five different areas. At the same time we are waiting for the air conditioning and the phones to be installed. I gather that, aside from the very generous amounts which were already received, we have pledges for almost all the remaining cost of air conditioning for the Church Office and the Church itself. The phones will hopefully have been changed on Friday – the number at the church will be the old Manse number 9041 1117 and there will be a new number at the Manse 9041 2829.
So what is God saying? Let me spell out a little of what I am hearing. First, with regard to Dave Quinn’s process to the ordained ministry. It’s a fairly lengthy process of discernment – as it must be. We need to begin the process as soon as possible with an eye on October 2010 as a candidate selection date. In the meantime we need to explore the possibility of his appointment to the ministry of Pastor. The application, including for financial assistance, must be ready by the beginning of February. It’s looking hopeful and his availability to assist will help tremendously in our other plans. These other plans involve each of the four congregations in our Parish – each has a different ethos and spiritual dimension, and each a different purpose-filled future. I see life in each of them and am excited in the Lord for their potential. I am really praying for clarity in direction – all four directions!
It’s much easier in Merredin where there is a strong base in numbers and we have been able to define fairly clearly where we want to go. But in each of the other congregations there is a distinct “feel” for a spiritual outburst. We started praying for revival two weeks ago at our Wednesday Prayer meeting and I have come away from each of those meeting feeling quite exhilarated. As part of the meeting we are reading Ken Terhoven’s Breath of Heaven which is a challenge to revival in the church through the relating of the events in revival all over the world. Ken was a retired Church of England minister in my home town in South Africa and a very dear friend. He was a powerful evangelist in the main stream tradition who ministered in many parts of the world. He died of a heart attack in the pulpit after preaching a sermon in England. After his death, I was given his Bible – even the leather cover was worn out! Throughout he marked texts with dates and comments relating to his prayers. It’s a revelation!
Ken’s understanding was that re-vival is for the church – that Christians need “vival” again and that once the church is revived, then God will act sovereignly, even sometimes without preachers or Bibles, to bring people to repentance and faith. This re-vival has two aspects to it: first, there must be consistent prayer. Many revivals have come about because two or three people have gathered regularly (sometimes for many years) to cry out to God for a new Breath of Heaven. And second, those who pray need to fully examine their hearts and lives, to confess their sin and to become repentant. Then the work of God begins – as the repentant sinner now kneels humbly before the Throne of Grace, knowing that he or she is undeserving; no better than anyone else, and yet forgiven and made new.
Ken reports that time and time again, once this happened, that suddenly there came a spontaneous and unexplained surge of people turning to God. It wasn’t always exactly the same but frequently this surge happened in another place from the prayers. So a small group would begin to pray and then church leaders would meet and when they dispersed the revival would begin in pockets all over the country. The little group of prayers is often forgotten, but that’s where it always began – and this group were always very happy to stand back and let all credit go to the church leaders meeting. They simply bowed to the sovereignty of God.
So my wrestling in prayer is really about trying to see God’s plan for the four different congregations and our role in the region. I see an end picture but it’s on the other side of a mountain – a bit like Elijah’s little cloud in the distance that will bring the rain. To continue with the analogy to Elijah – there is an altar to be built, a sacrifice to be made and fire to be called down. Each of these has mountainous aspects and the process could be huge, but then, we only need faith the size of a mustard seed to move mountains. Isn’t God amazing!
No responses yet