Thriving

Tim Roberts on dependence, Jan 2010

Consider what the Lord says:“Cursed are those who put their trust in mere humans, who rely on human strength and turn their hearts away from the Lord.

They are like stunted shrubs in the desert, with no hope for the future. They will live in the barren wilderness, in an uninhabited salty land.”
(Jeremiah 17:5-6 NLT)

These are challenging words, and evidence that this wisdom is perfect Truth from the Lord is seen all around us. Faith in humanity is ill-founded. Planting our lives in the soil of mere human potential and man’s ability to save himself is like sowing seeds for an orchard on waterless desert plains. In the end, fruitless.

In a recent conversation with a high-profile business leader in our community about the impact of death and bereavement on my Christian beliefs I summarised my faith for her in a way that surprised me with its simplicity: I said that it all depends on whether or not you depend on the greatness of people or the goodness of God. The fact that I’m alive today is a sign of God’s goodness, not my right to breath, health or an easy life. What Jesus did and the grave-defeating hope he brings is proof of God’s goodness. I said that when people die it is tragic because it shows how messed up our world is, and how much we need God’s grace.

Jeremiah 17 continues:

 “But blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence.

They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water.

Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought.

Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit. (17:7-8)”

I love that thought - never ending fruitfulness! Our vision as a Church is to become a thriving ‘forest’ of people with unity that embraces diversity, our roots going deep, together, into the soil of God’s wisdom and grace, with every boy and girl, man and woman living fruitful lives and changing their worlds.

Every vision needs a strategy, so here is our well-constructed plan, our incisive strategy, our modus operandi: we will put our trust in the Lord! We who depend on the Lord will be like trees planted by a riverbank, not bothered by heat or worried by drought. We’ll make the Lord our confidence.  Yes, we’ll plan and scheme and strategise and seek to improve all we do. Ultimately, though, our trust will not be in our managing ability but in God’s magnificent dependability. Like Jesus our Lord we walk in obedience with the Father, in the power of the Spirit, and by the grace of God.

I see no reason why this shouldn’t be the most fruitful, amazing, miraculous and community-changing year you and I have ever had. We will reach more ‘others’ and bear more fruit then we thought our lives could muster. Why? Because we went deeper, because we trusted, because the Father is true to his Word!

 

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In the last few weeks one or two of us in WCC have been offered ‘taster sessions’ with a guy called Steve Wildridge*, a Personal Trainer. He has family links with the church and is keen to develop this new business by gaining experience with a number of different people. Even as I write various muscles in body are feeling the effects of too much time in this man’s presence!

Seriously, it has been a brilliant experience so far and it has helped me realise how easy it is to become unfit, ill-disciplined and… fat. I love the idea of gaining fitness and strength and looking after my body more. But the idea alone is not enough. Action is needed. Don’t get stressed at the mention of such things or start to think anyone is planning to make a physical assessment part of the Growing Together course for new members! We should not be so superficial. Instead, I actually want to highlight some issues more important than our physical size, shape or stamina. Our spiritual fitness.

Robin Sanderson preached a few weeks ago about Christians who have become spiritually fat with the seed they should have sown; eating all they’ve been given instead of planting some for future harvest. We can so easily become puffed up, full of rich goodness, so full of God’s Word and so unfit at making the most of what we’ve been given. When ‘Sport Steve,’ as our kids call him, puts me through my paces he stands alongside me and spurs me on to push harder, run faster, go further and work harder than I would do on my own.

He sees that I am capable of more than I realise and is sensitive when it is clear I need a rest. He is stronger and fitter than I am, and knows how I can improve. I reckon the Holy Spirit wants to be like that for us, spiritually. He wants to inspire us and enable us to move from fatness to fitness, from consuming to producing, from passivity to activity. And the tool he uses is discipline. As the Proverb says: “People who accept discipline are on the pathway to life, but those who ignore correction will go astray.” (Prov 10:17 NLT) 

During this Fortnight of Fasting we have a chance to cut a few things out of our lives and ‘press in’ to God in fresh ways. As we give up time-wasting activities and give our time to prayer we can expect to become more in-tune with God and more aware of his presence. As we cut some things from our physical and spiritual diets, let’s expect God to make us fitter in every way. And of course, as a Church, we can see the journey ahead is not going to get any easier. We need to have flexible limbs in our body to adapt to ongoing growth and the many changes that lie on the path in front of us, not least the building of The Wellspring. 

It is time for us to continue from fatness to fitness, and believe the Lord will grant us endurance and vigilance for the days to come.

(*Steve is actually offering free trial sessions if you are interested—see www.watfordfitness.co.uk )

May 2009 - whole publication

May 2009: Selected articles

The Power Behind The Force!
Jeremy Alford, Hertfordshire Constabulary

I have been an Area Commander for Hertfordshire Constabulary for the past 4 years. My "patch" covers the  Districts of Watford, Decorum and Three Rivers. I am therefore responsible for looking after over 300,000 people and administering a budget of over £30 million. Whenever I go to bed and remember those two facts, I am prompted to pray! My Christian faith is very important to me, anchoring the decisions I make to a firm foundation.

I have approximately 500 police officers and 200 support staff to help me keep West Hertfordshire a safe place in which to live, play, work and, of course, worship. They are people of many faiths as well as those who would profess to have none.

As a firm believer in the concept of workplace chaplaincy I have worked hard to increase the number of active chaplains at my nine police stations. When I took over, there were just two in West Hertfordshire, now there are chaplains who drop in to every station providing my staff with a listening ear when it is most needed (these include chaplains from other faiths though the majority are Christian).
I am also a trustee of the Watford Town Centre chaplaincy and am a great supporter of the work done by Richard Chewter and Michael Campbell.

The Street Angel teams who work in the town on Friday and Saturday evenings are a real "God send" and help to take the strain from my staff by dealing with those they come across who actually need a shoulder to cry on, rather than a police cell to calm down/sleep in.
 
Watford is a major transport hub, has a regionally important shopping centre and a thriving night time economy. In spite of all of that crime is consistently falling (down 11% to the year ending in March 2009).

There are some real challenges with this job: the Buncefield fire, murder enquiries, the recent march through Watford of the Royal Anglian Regiment a day after major protest in Luton, are just a few which spring immediately to mind. But a significant part of my role involves the less headline-grabbing task of building trust and relationship with local people through strategic meetings with Councils and other partners. This is absolutely vital to policing which has to be carried out with the consent of local people and organisations.

On a personal level, I value the constant support and prayers of friends and family. More importantly, my officers and staff need the prayer support of local churches such as yours.

Watford Community Church are an important player in the town with the potential to be real prayer warriors helping to keep the town safe and helping to keep crime down. Thank you all for your support.

Please pray for Jeremy and the work of our local police force this month.

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WORK IN PROGRESS
The Church building project is in its final stages—
Tim Roberts reports on the successful work on site so far...

As time races on and more people hear about our plans to build a new Church centre I am asked by people on an almost daily basis, ‘How is the church building going on?

I tell them of the string of delays we’ve faced and the need for planning permission again, and yet by God’s grace I communicate faith and patience about the whole process and smile because I know God’s timing is perfect. Just recently someone asked me when it will be finished and after I’d given a vague answer about ‘Easter 2010’ I had a flash of revelation that I wish I’d given as an answer: ‘This project has been in progress for 2000 years and it won’t be finished… ever’ (Well, until Jesus returns!).

You see, the church builders have been on site for years! Since Peter stood up on the day of Pentecost and preached that the fire of the Holy Spirit had come; since the church fathers answered the call to scatter the seed of the Gospel around the known world at risk of their lives, that’s how long this project has been going on and the work is well underway.

What we are doing down at Watford Springs is just a continuation of the Architect’s great plan.
And when the doors finally open on the Wellspring Church Centre we’ll mark the day with a celebration. Yet that will mark the end of nothing but a phase of construction.

Here’s an early warning—nearly a year’s notice—please do not come up to me, another member of the Leadership, or even someone in your prayer triplet when phase one of The Wellspring is completed and say, ’What do we do now?’

Please don’t.

What we do then is what we should be doing now—living our lives loving God and loving the people around us; offering hope and help to anyone we can, at home and across the nations. Bricks and mortar, big bills and a mortgage will not change that.

Right now, Almighty God is making good progress on building his Church—the people whom he has called to himself—the men and women, boys and girls he has planted in communities to bring hope, life, faith, healing and transformation… so far, so good. (Okay, so some parts of the Church are old and crumbly; some parts need a face lift… And maybe even some parts need tearing down and rebuilding with something fresh.) Nonetheless, the work of God’s kingdom is in progress.

So we see the work on the building site of people’s lives and relationships continues at a good pace and at God’s pace; no need to wait even one more day.

For those of you who have joined WCC recently let me highlight one thing: you are an answer to our prayers! We prayed for reinforcements, for labourers to help us build. Welcome to an exciting and costly adventure and don’t forget to wear working gloves and a hard hat at all times! Vigilance and diligence required.

For those who feel like we’ve been building for ages, we take heart that God’s work in and through us is taking shape and will be completed for God’s glory.

As the great builder Paul wrote, ‘I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.’ (Philippians 1:6 NLT)

Amen and amen!