CLOUDBURSTING
A cloud burst is a large amount of precipitation in a short space of time.
That means lots of running water.
Hold that thought as I tell you about my week so far.
At the end of last week I finished the third Richard Osman Thursday Murder Club novel. I was then, so to speak, “between books”. I often these days have a novel, a Christian book and a history book on the go at the same time. None were calling me.
I had started The Familiar Stranger by Tyler Staton as a follow on to Simon Ponsonby’s book about the Holy Spirit as background to our current series on “Spirit Filled Worship” – how much more. To be honest it started in a way that did not grab me. I read the introduction and the start of the first chapter and set it aside because it wasn’t adding anything to my understanding. That was a couple of weeks ago.
On Tuesday I went to the New Wine Area Leaders Training day in Guildford. The new strategy for New Wine is to equip leaders more intentionally by having three rounds of regional events that are “geographically accessible” and following up with Learning Communities where leaders meet locally to discuss the teaching at the Area events, fuelled by centrally produced learning and discussion materials. So leaders would meet, worship and pray together, pray for one another AND learn together.
It’s an exciting development.
I had a couple of things that made the day difficult for me, one being how long I would be away from my dogs (!) so I intended to only stay until lunchtime.
I arrived during the first speaker, Pete Wynter, who was talking about what is going on in this season. They are one of the churches seeing hundreds of younger people coming in seeking Jesus. It was all very encouraging to hear and we should celebrate when these things happen in other churches, because we are one body (of Christ).
Now before I share much more of his message, the context is that it was Pete Wynter whose video I saw at a church families home in the summer that spurred me on that God has more for us here at Christ Church. It was that moment that the current series Spirit Filled Worship was birthed.
Back to Tuesdays message. “It’s critical that we hear his voice” because God is bringing people to church. IN their context they give out Bibles – not tracts, whole Bibles – started by two 19 years olds who funded the first 100 they have now given out 8000 bibles in their community! And people come to them asking for them!! There is a spiritual hunger in West London.
Gen Z know nothing about God. Our teenagers need to hear about the Holy Spirit and have encounter modelled to them. IN short…
We need to prioritise the presence of God!
What would it be like if we came to church saying “Today I get to meet with God”? Because we know that God’s presence transforms lives. Always and every time.
And that applies to every generation – its never too late to be filled. Spirit Filled Seniors can reach out to the emerging generation and show them what it looks like to encounter the living God.
Don’t Step Back
Step up
Step in
To hear form God we need to be ready to hear from him what “God’s new thing” is.
Are you ready to listen?
Pete then illustrated this by working through 1 Samuel 3:11 which is the call of Samuel form his bed and Eli (the elder) gradually recognising the voice of God is what the young Samuel is hearing.
We heard a story about a church where someone came forward for baptism by full immersion but in the vestry beforehand while getting ready realised they had forgotten their hearing aids – but they could hear! Just in coming to baptism they had been healed.
God is a God of speaking to his people and of healing.
After this session I went forward for prayer. As I was prayed for I had a picture of being carried on clouds. Just that. I relaxed in my standing pose and feel a sensation of being held up as in my mind’s eye I was being carried along on clouds.
The prayer minister moved on and I just stayed there, eyes closed. After a time I realised that a new prayer minister had a hand on my shoulder and prayed over me. I opened my eyes to discover it was Pete Wynter, the speaker. His word for me was “God has not passed you by”.
God has not passed Christ Church by….
We got chatting and I explained that his talk form March had inspired our series and that his stone in the pool still had ripples and that his words continued to bless.
I gladly stayed for the afternoon session (see next week) and came home. Paws were crossed by dogs were pleased to see me home.
The next morning, I looked for my morning read. I picked up The Familiar Stranger and re-read the first chapter (I had given up on) but read to the end. I had previously stopped at Creation and finding the Spirit “hovering over the waters” and that the Hebrew words means breathe, spirit or wind. All things I knew. Then the next section was Roots, looking at the Exodus story where “God’s presence is described as a dense cloud..”
Now I was interested. Now I was engaged.
God had stopped me reading just at the point he wanted me to pick it up again, spoke to me in a picture then prompted me to pick it up again the next day….
“The church of Jesus Christ is a people who emphatically declare “Yes to the Holy Bible!” and in the same breath, “Yes to the Holy Spirit!”.
“Yes” to the intimate presence and supernatural power of a God who wants to be with us and even within us.” (p19)
Staton goes on to tell the story of Will Champion. He was the drummer with Coldplay. The story goes that he was a musician but not a drummer. His room mate was supposed to try out for the band before their first gig. His room mate bailed so they asked him if he could come an lay a basic beat in the background. He then became from there the drummer in the huge career that Coldplay had.
“Will Champion wasn’t qualified. He wasn’t skilled, practiced or trained. He was available.” (p20)
Are you available?
How much more? Our series about Spirit Filled Worship is about these three things:
Will we prioritise the presence of God?
Are we listening?
Are we available?
Every blessing.
Doug
vicar@christchurchpurley.org.uk
CONFIRMING WHAT?