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Message from the Moderator
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The Church - A Trust Company!
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Have you seen the play “A Small Family Business” by the great Yorkshire playwright Alan Ayckbourn? Jack returns to run the family business and at the family gathering someone asks, “What the hell's he going to do for a good firm?”(Laughter and applause) This question could be asked of my role as Moderator of the best Synod in the country. In his speech in Act 1 Jack answers for both of us! Although he is talking about a firm, it could describe the Church, the recent years of decline and our tiredness and lack of hope.
Jack:...... I'll do my best. I'm bracing myself for the culture shock of jumping from fish fingers to furniture.... Well. I think we're all aware that the business hasn't been as healthy as it might have been, just lately. Demand is sluggish, we know that. Consequently, productivity's also down and generally I think it's fair to say - so far as I can gather, everyone's lost a bit of heart. Now it's very hard in this country for a business man to say something even half-way idealistic, without people falling over backwards laughing. To them it sounds like a contradiction in terms, anyway. But. Putting it as simply as I can. If I do nothing else, and during the coming months I can assure you I plan to do plenty, but if I succeed in doing nothing else I am determined to introduce one simple concept. And that concept is basic trust. ... I'm talking about establishing the understanding that so far as every individual member of that firm is concerned, working there is no longer going to be purely a question of take, take, take , .....We're there because we actually believe in what we're doing. Let's try and put across the idea that many of us believe in it so strongly that we are even anxious to put something back in. Effort. Hard work. Faith. ........... We're a small family business. Even today, we're still essentially the same as we always were. There's no them and us about it. When it comes down to it, it's all us. That's all there is. Us. They're practically family themselves, aren't they? It shouldn't be that difficult to achieve. All I'm saying is-let's start with...trust, that's all.
And Trust is what I hope we have in the Yorkshire Synod. With all the changes in structure, we have to know there are no sides, no us and them, no hidden agendas. Both local churches and churches acting together as Synod need to be open and honest with each other. To share the Gospel with our neighbours, we have to show we know it, we believe it and we stake our lives on it - as Jack said “We're there because we actually believe in what we're doing.” And the Gospel is? That God loves us so much He died to save us from Sin and Death; and how do we share the Gospel? It is knowing our Lord Jesus, believing in Him and offering to live His way all of our lives! We’ll only do that if we trust him and each other - to live as one as Jesus and the Father are one. That’s what Jesus prayed for us before he was arrested (you can read his prayer in John 17).
I hope for that unlimited trust and I know we will find it.
In Christ’s love
Kevin
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