So we started work yesterday.
A new chapter.
A new challenge.
We arrived at Ealing Salvation Army. The hall is situated of Ealing broadway/ Uxbridge Road, in an extremely vibrant and busy corner of London.
The first thing I noticed was the breathtaking depth of need. I saw straight away the homeless, the lonely, the broken.
Everywhere.
We spent the morning in the hall. Just trying to orientate ourselves and meet a few people as they had the hall open for lunch.
At first glance my heart dropped.
Lets just say that it doesn't take a visionary genius to tell the Church has seen better days.
But one thing we have learned as we have journeyed in ministry?
is this.
You have to look past what you see.
Constantly.
You have to look past the initial thing you are faced with and embrace the fact that there is a future.
Ok we can't see the future.
But when we look with Spiritual eyes.
When we believe God is on the other side of what we see?
We see past the church to the need.
And.
I guess it could be a fact that there are way too many people who can't see past the church.
They sit and stare at it.
Praying it will never change.
Longing to have an assurance that they will never lose how it's always been.
The problem with that?
You can't get past it.
And you can't reach the need that needs a loving church to embrace them, accept them, and show them compassion.
It reminds me an amazing bit of scripture.
Revelation 1: 12-13
"Then I turned round to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lamp stands, and among the lamp stands was someone like the son of man, dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash round his chest."
It seems to me that quite often we walk on, doing things like, going to church, doing a bit of churchy stuff, and we just carry on walking. God is speaking. The voice is there. But we carry on walking. We struggle to turn.
Then.
This guy does turn to see the voice. That's an interesting statement. See the voice. I remember someone saying to me that's a typo, It should be hear the voice!
That's no typo.
He turned and encountered God. He knew God was speaking and wanted to see what he was hearing.
But then he saw seven lamp stands. Those who study the bible will know that the lamp stands represent the seven churches mentioned in Revelation. But God was amongst it. Shining brighter than an ultra polished diamond.
You couldn't miss him.
But you could if you stopped and stared at the seven lamp stands.
The church.
When you look past the church.
You encounter God.
Simple as.
So here I am right at the start of a new adventure.
With a mandate to try and turn a pretty desperate situation as far as the Salvation Army is concerned in this area.
At first glance it looks more desperate than I've ever encountered so far.
And if I stand and stare at that.
Thoughts will engulf me including hopelessness, listlessness and why botherness.
But I've learned.
To do two things.
Stop walking my own way and turn to see the voice.
Look past the church to God.
He will lead us to the need, to what he is doing.
And when I look past what I see today.
The excitement floods in because I know God will already be doing truly miraculous things in West London.
And we will be in on it.
I know the state of play now will change.
So today if you know you are sitting staring at the church.
Come on, you know what I mean. Getting yourself entrenched and bogged down in church controversy, religion and politics and all that jazz?
Or.
If you can hear a voice speaking to you, the voice of God, but your carrying on walking?
Turn round, walk towards the voice, look beyond the church, and I guarantee that's where you will encounter the King of Kings.
