It's Personal!

Today, a day of winding down after Holy Week and Easter. People often say 'your busy time'. It doesn't feel any busier: the days are just filled with different things, though if anything there is more space, as we reflect on the events of 2000 years ago and their impact today. Once again, it has been a very special time, and I am thankful for the 3 Christian communities here which have invested much time and effort in planning and preparation.

Three highlights. On Good Friday morning, we had 'Messy Church' when adults and children come together for food, worship and crafts. It's mainly intended for those who don't 'do church' in the traditional sense. We had over 120 people of all ages, and what particularly interested me was the story-telling as part of the worship. We have a gifted story-teller, Janet (a retired school teacher). Everyone was captivated as she simply recounted the events of the first Good Friday and Easter from the Last Supper to the Empty Tomb. No notes, no pictures. The only movement was from babies and toddlers. Otherwise, silence. The power of story.

Shortly afterwards, we had our Churches Together Walk of Witness along the main highway in the parish. Over 80 people from 6 Christian denominations took part: it was a glorious day. You can view some pictures here:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/saintbarnabaspennylaneliverpool/sets/72157633124306870/
It interests me that this a real 'all-age' event: parents with children and babies in prams and buggies to folks in their 80s. All are glad to meet up with friends from other churches, and very simply, unpretentiously represent the presence both of churches and of Christ in the neighbourhood.

My Easter theme was 'It's Personal'. After the Resurrection, Jesus appeared to several of his friends to convince them that he was truly alive. They went on to witness for him both near and far. Ever since, encounter with the risen Christ has been a life-changing experience for countless Christians, and has inspired them to courageous acts of self-sacrifice which have brought freedom, hope and new life. As I was preparing my Easter sermon, I received the newsletter from one of our mission partners: Dr Ruth Hulser in Tanzania. Her letters make my heart ache and sing simultaneously, as she tells of the chronic medical and social needs of those amongst whom she lives and the help and comfort she is able to bring.  http://www.cms-uk.org/Ourstories/Newsarticles/tabid/151/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/3920/My-story-the-importance-of-dwelling.aspx.

Then I read in Third Way magazine of of Anne-Marie Wilson, a Christian who gave up a promising career in HR to found a charity dedicated to the ending of female genital mutilation across Africa. It's a very tall order which has cost Anne-Marie everything, but one she undertakes out of her faith in Christ. You can read about it at www.28toomany.org.  

I say 'it's personal' because I believe that to have faith in the risen Christ is to accept there is a specific call upon our life which leads each of us to do some work for him. It doesn't have to be as ambitious or as sacrificial as Ruth's or Anne-Marie's, but for each of us there is a call to obedience in some way, great or small.  And it can be life-changing for others.