Hats Off!

In a couple of weeks I am flying up to Natal to do a ‘preaching residency’ for the whole of June. It basically means I will speak at 2 services every Sunday for the four weeks I’m there, as well as hanging out at the cell groups and some youth meetings; I suppose the same stuff most pastors do in their average weeks. The church in question asked me to come and fill in a bit because they have just lost their senior pastor and they don’t really have a pool of speakers to draw from, as often happens when you are over-protective of your pulpit and you don’t develop new preachers from your community.

When I got the call I was excited by the idea of being able to preach again; something I love doing, but this initial excitement was tempered by worry. I realised that if I made my way up there and spoke in the services someone from the congregation would inevitably google my name and this blog would appear. Then I would have to deal with the drama that would doubtless ensue, and like I’ve said before, I’m allergic to stonings! I made the decision that I didn’t want to go if it was going to be a hassle.

So, with resignation, I told them I would think about it, but that I had one condition: their leadership would have to read this blog and decide whether, in light of the content, they still wanted me to come. I made no apologies and told them this is the stuff I’m working through, but I understood if they foresaw this material becoming an issue if it came to light while I was there.

I put the phone down expecting this to be the last I would hear of the matter. I was sure that after a conservative leadership team, in a mainline denomination, read through these thoughts they would want nothing more to do with me.

So you can imagine my surprise when I got the following email:

“The Exec were very happy to have me invite you to come and join us for the month of June.

We would like you to:

Preach both morning and evenings. Visit Home Ministry Groups [HMG] most take place on a Wed night. Ladies groups meet in the mornings. Speak to our Teens on a Friday night. Meet with the staff at our weekly staff meetings and give some input on what you believe to be relevant issues. Attend the Thursday prayer meeting. Be available to the congregation should they want to engage you on anything. Otherwise take time to reflect ,read and write, and enjoy the area and it’s environs. Drink good coffee and meet the people…

Sean more will come but I just want you to know I am looking forward to you spending the month with us and trust that you will find the time rewarding and refreshing.

Love ( ).”

Did you catch that little gem in middle? “Meet with the staff at our weekly staff meetings and give some input on what you believe to be relevant issues.” That came as a surprise.

I cannot tell you how encouraged I am by this church’s courage. In a world where the reformation denominations are battening down the hatches against any form of change, this one read this blog and decided that not only did they still want me to come through, but they wanted to use me in a broader capacity than originally discussed.

I have felt so much despondency over the last year thinking that all this frustration and ranting is just so much hot air; that this blog, and ultimately this book I’m writing, will never change anything because no one will ever have the courage to listen if there is any risk they may have to change. But in one email my faith is restored that things can shift, and maybe churches are getting to the place where they are willing to be ruthlessly honest and make some brave choices.

Now I’m not about to go in there and cause trouble, I don’t want to abuse the platform I’ve been given, but I’m definitely going to use the opportunity as wisely and effectively as I can to talk about some of this stuff. I’ll keep you posted, and if I remember to record the messages I’ll post them online.

Hats off to brave church!

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