The Fullnes of Life Chapter 6

Our dailybread By Gordon Banks

Scripture

Mark 9:35-41

The fullness of life | 45

Let’s Focus:Rural community events come in a wide variety of shapesand sizes, from a prestigious County Show run over severaldays to a modest flower festival in a tiny rural church. Theycan also have a very long history going back hundreds ofyears, or be a relatively new venture or possibly somethingthat has not been done before. They can also be run entirelyby the church or by a community group or as in the case ofCounty Shows a long established organisation with bothvoluntary and salaried staff.

In the majority of cases these events will happen in aspring/summer window, May through to September/October. Itis of paramount importance that any involvement by the churchmust be both distinctive and engaged. This is a fine balance,and an overt and over enthusiastic presentation of the Christianfaith may seek only to distance and harden opinions about thechurch and its motives.

However we can and should have confidence to declare whowe are and the faith to which we adhere. On occasions an eventwith a history may have developed factions and an acrimoniousspirit. The church may be in a position to be good news ofpeace and reconciliation as well as sharing the Good News, i.e.sharing faith through words and action.

A small village in rural Sussex had at one time the Church at thephysical centre of the community. Development gradually movedthe village a couple of miles away and across a busy road. Thechurch now sits in glorious isolation surrounded by a cluster ofolder residential properties. In the ‘new village’, there is amodern village hall that sits on a large expanse of a flat greenpark area.

46 | The fullness of life

Some residents in the new village suffer social deprivation. It wasdecided to run a series of events over a Saturday running oninto an Act of Worship on the Sunday. The first event on theSaturday morning was a session on faith sharing, based around1 Peter 3:15 and was held in the church. In the afternoon aFood Fair was held in the Village Hall. Local farmers andproducers were invited to come together to sell and display theirwares, free of charge.

The whole event was based around the Lord’s Prayer ‘OurDaily Bread.’ Alongside the produce on sale there were simplerefreshments using local produce and fair traded goods, plusactivities for children. Everyone was welcomed by appointedpeople and on leaving given an invitation to the Act ofWorship. In the evening they held a supper in the Village Hallwith the title ‘Food for Thought’ with testimonies and song.Members of the congregation could have a ticket, the pricebring at least one not yet believer.


Let’s Reflect:“He who is not against us is for us”

It is John the ‘son of thunder’ who comes to Jesus with a report ofsomeone not of the group using the name of Jesus to cast out demons.

In the thinking of the time it was a common understanding that demonshad names and a power attached to that name. If you could invoke astronger power by use of another name then the demon would becomesubject to dismissal.

This is broadly the argument thrown at Jesus in Mark 3:22. There is adanger here that the disciples are using the same argument as theScribes. On the power and use of names see the story of Moses’meeting with God and his subsequent discussion with ‘God’ about hisname - Exodus 3.

Is it ever right to invoke the name of someone, perhaps known as apersonal friend, to try and gain favour or shortcut due process?

“…we told him to stop because he was not one of our group.”

Sadly, in some instances the mounting of what should be a celebrationand an opportunity to work together becomes a battleground withcontrol over miner-kingdoms being jealously guarded and fought over.‘They do not belong to the flower arranger’s guild and therefore they haveno right to mount a floral display.’ How can we find a way of beinginclusive and yet at the same time get the best out of everybody,because not everybody will be good at flower arranging?

At another level we will find ourselves dealing with those outside theChristian faith, or those of another faith community. These people areclearly ‘not of our group’ - what is the right approach to engagingwith them?


Isaiah speaks very clearly about those ‘outside’ being called by God tofulfil his purposes. See Isaiah 44:28. However, for the most part Isaiahspeaks to wayward Israel, that has failed to look after the orphan and thewidow, to exercise justice, mercy, care and compassion. This begs thequestion does God only work through Christians and His church to fulfilHis purposes in the world?

So, if you are holding an event at which you are inviting stall holders,what criteria might you use to discern who may or may not mount adisplay or a stall? If you are participating in an event organised by others,would there be things you would feel it inappropriate to associate with?Taking a literal reading of ‘anyone who is not against us, is for us’; couldenable us to associate with absolutely anyone who invites us to be partof their event.

‘If anyone gives you a cup of cold water because you belong to theMessiah, I assure you that person will be rewarded.” Just how they willbe rewarded is not spelt out, but perhaps we need to hold this againstthe story of the separation of sheep and goats, (see Matthew 25:31). This judgement echoes that of Isaiah with a call of correct practice over orthodoxy.

Should we have been the grateful recipient of that ‘cup of cold water’,are there ways in which we could say ‘thank you?’ This might be apractical letter or email after an event thanking someone for their help.What effect do you think this may have on someone receiving such athank you?

People may not be regular worshippers, and being aware of the dangerof sexist stereotypes, this might often be the men who live their faith byproxy through their spouses. However, again perhaps being a tad sexist,men can often be drawn into a venture such as a flower festival, if forexample they are asked to build a water feature. The opportunity to enlistthe good will and support of those ‘not of our group’ and work togetherin the common enterprise of realising God’s kingdom is manifold throughfetes, festivals and fun-days.


Let’s Discuss:

1. Organising an event like this takes a lot of effort and good will.How can we ensure that no one rides roughshod oversomeone else in their desire to control or to be seen as tooimportant to be ignored?

2. Very often an event will be organised and only then will thoughtbe given to any children who may just happen to be about.How can we ensure children and young people are not simplyan afterthought but considered as integral to any initiative thatinvolves all ages?

3. One of the rules of St. Benedict is that guests should be greetedas if they were Christ. How can we learn to greet and welcomeeveryone in this spirit?


4. Christians do not live in glorious isolation for the most part.How can we share in a common enterprise with those who donot hold to the same values and morals as we may do asChristians?

5. Community events need to have the goodwill and practicalhelp of everyone, those who attend church and those who donot. How can we be witnesses to our faith so that itcontributes to a transforming community?


Action:This context lends itself more accurately to be described as transformingcommunities. The Christian community worked well at engaging differentgroups within the community so that all those who involved themselves inthe Food Fair felt integrated and respected.

The Parish Council was so enthused by the success of the Food Fair thatthey are now keen to carry the initiative forward. A crucial part of thesuccess was to pass on to them all the right information. This hasresulted in both buyers and sellers indicating their keenness to see theFood Fair continue on the church premises. Therefore a pre-Christmasmarket has been arranged in November, with even more stall holders, tobe followed by regular (probably quarterly) Food Fairs in 2009.

I am thrilled that our local producers will continue to have this supportand that the community will be given the opportunity to buy fresh localproduce. What is great is that the Food Fair will continue at the Church, itwill give us a great opportunity to gently share our faith through thebuilding up of relationships.

Prayer:Almighty God, help us to get alongside everyone within ourcommunity. Through our ministry enable us to be peoplewho hold the community together rather than divide. Enableyour grace to abound in each of us as we witness inpractical ways, to those around us. Amen.



I remember the first time I prepared to lead a bible study; I was 22years old and went bald! Well, I think that was down to naturerather than the preparation. However, it was scary as well asexciting. Ring a bell? Then read on….

The scriptures are littered with stories of God's people being called to do something they feel they are not humanly capable of. Yet it issimilarly littered with outcomes of God's people completing what Hehas called them to undertake and the blessing therein.

So let's take those fears and chill a bit, in the knowledge that God will help you, as he has helped countless others.

Part of my ministry as an evangelist over the past 10 years has beento encourage and enable, so be encouraged that the Lord ismoulding you in leadership. In my experience it helps to know thatyou do not have to be an expert on the Bible or even a collegeprofessor! Essentially it is all about preparation and discussion. AllowGod to enable you by His Holy Spirit to lead you with confidence anddiscernment. Therefore in order to offer some help to you, I have setout below some of the things that have aided me in leading studies in the past.

Supporting Notes

for Individuals and

Group Leaders

Before you begin Studying the scriptures and exploring other people’s experiences ofevangelism can be for some, very exciting; for others it can be verydaunting indeed.

I have put together some suggestions that may help you as youprepare to get the most out of The Fullness of Life. We hopethat each week you will be stimulated through the scriptures andthrough the content on the Web. To find out more about how allof our Evangelists and staff are working at transforming lives andcommunities visit http://www.churcharmy.org.uk/people to see videos of ministry in action.

Each of our contributors to these studies has carefully thoughtthrough how you can apply this learning in your own life and context,in order to engage in evangelism. Their questions are designed tochallenge and encourage action.



Studying as an individual Pray: Before you begin each study, ask the Lord to guide you and openyour mind. Give yourself time to allow God to stabilise your inner self sothat you can apply what you are learning in your life.

Time: Give yourself space to learn; the studies are designed that youcan learn at a pace that suits you. It may help you to briefly read allseven studies before you begin; this may help you to think about wherethe studies will take you.

Bible: Having your own Bible is important as it will be a book that youwill be familiar with. The version that you find most helpful is the bestone to use. All Bible verses quoted in these studies are from the NewInternational Version.

Notes: Make notes within eachstudy. Remember there are nowrong answers; the beautyabout our relationship withGod is that He illuminatesour life and inspires us bythe Holy Spirit. So jotdown your response tothe question honestly.


Studying as a group For the leader: These notes may be of some help as you prepare tolead the group either for the first time or as a seasoned veteran!

Preparation: Groups are naturally formed of individuals, so beencouraged to follow the points suggested for individuals, as youprepare for your group study. In this way you will find your learning ingroup study deepens through your preparation.

Participation: Discussion is by far the best form of learning.Remember that as the leader you will need to ensure that everyonehas their say. No answer is wrong! Share how God is teaching you,how He is encouraging/challenging you, and how He is doing that with others.

Be focussed: Stick to the study material being discussed for thatweek. It has been my intention that you only have to use the scripturesreferred to. There is no need to look up commentaries or other views.The core essence of these studies is to reflect upon the evangelisticexample given. Therefore the paramount questions of the study are:How can I do this? How do I apply this?

Listen: Encouraging all that listening to other members of a group is asimportant as contributing. If you have an attentive ear, you may besurprised at how much you can learn from others. In parish ministry Iwas always amazed at how the quiet person sometimes came with asuggestion that was as a blast of fresh air.

A balanced input: As group leader you should be able to ensure allhave the chance to contribute. It is important that we ensure thatindividuals do not dominate the discussions. The eagerness one has toshare can often be at the cost of others not having time to respond.Therefore encourage one another; after all, the Christian journey reallyshould not be about outsmarting each other.

Involve God: God wants to share with each of us; His desire to see usevangelise. Be open to the Holy Spirit talking to you and to your fellowgroup mates. Most of all have fun discovering new boundaries.

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The Fullnes of Life Chapter 6

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Transcript of The Fullnes of Life Chapter 6