Mr Humpries… ecclesiastical panacea…and the churches raison d’etre!

How odd is that….? driving home from dropping the girls off at school I get thinking about Mr Humpries (Christmas Day Past; Sometimes all you can do). It must be over a year that he has been in hospital since trying to take his life. Then there he is. Walking purposefully. I pull over sharpishly. Lock the car and run after him. We chat and he fills me in about the developments. He is still far from well but the change in him since the last visit is immense.

Too often I find myself taking for granted that God for spoils me with so many divine moments of mission. Too often I find myself taking for granted where I have been trusted to live and love out his gospel. Too often I find myself taking for granted that God should want to choose me - to do this.

Then I listen, read of churches struggling with identity, consumed with chasing the latest ecclesiastical panacea, and obsessed with relevance rather than what is real – and I’m reminded.

Then I meet people like Mr Humpries – and I’m reminded. This isn’t the romantic trendy mission dreamt up in books, articles and conferences, but bare knuckle in your face mission, an outpouring of God’s love that costs, hurts but fulfils. I’m reminded why we as a church are here.

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