Note: If you haven’t read the reflection from 30 October entitled ‘Old Ways & Something New’ then pause reading and check that one out first.
"Stand at the crossroads and look, ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is and walk in it. You will find rest for your souls’"(Jer 6:16).
Eight years ago my family left the rugged coast of north Cornwall to follow the call of the ‘Wild Goose’ on a great adventure north, to Scotland. We settled in the coastal town of Dunbar in East Lothian. We gathered with some friends we knew and began to dream, to pray, to be together, to birth a community. What rose out of those early days came to be Discovery Church. We are now part of the 24-7 Prayer movement, forming part of the eclectic Communities Network, an ‘eco-system’ of congregational churches, house churches, houses of prayer, missional communities and New Monastic communities.
Along the way we have sought to discern the pathways forward and then walk confidently in the ways of Jesus, firmly rooted in our values and shared practices. We have of course made some mistakes; we have been hurt and we have entered conflict. We have unintentionally hurt others and people have left the community, while others have found joy, life, healing, restoration and family in our little fellowship.
Each community in the Communities Network has a unique way that it expresses the love of God, a unique offering to the world. As a community, Discovery find ourselves in a transitional season. Many factors contribute to the reasons why, but we’re asking questions of God. What may this next season hold for us? Are we being invited to offer something new?
Inspired by the aforementioned verse from Jeremiah, we stand at a crossroads. We bring our attention to the process found here that I mentioned in my previous reflection: stop, stand, look, ask, walk, rest. There are many options that lay in wait before us, many potential paths to walk and missions to embark on. What are the ancient ways telling us about the new song God is singing?
The sweetness of the offer of course, comes towards the end of the verse, ‘……and you will find rest for your soul.’ All the musings, wonderings and wanderings of our collective soul find contentedness in the peace of Christ, at ease in him, as he leads.
But there’s always a ‘but’ right? And here we find it in the subsequent line of the passage. While Jeremiah’s words are an invitation, the story unfolds with a warning.
‘But they said, “We will not walk in it.”’
We can have all the guidance we ever need, freely given to us as we seek God. We can have in depth instruction and a thousand offers of the fullness of life. But we still need to walk into the invitations.
I wonder what prevents us from walking in the ‘good way’ towards rest for our soul? Or even just towards clarity? What prevents us from fully receiving the new gifts from God?
Well, you can’t reach out and receive a new gift without firstly releasing what you’re already holding. We cling so tightly to what we already have, what we know and understand and the things we do to fill our time, our lives and our ministry. There is comfort and safety in familiarity and routine, “this is just what we’ve always done” you can hear people say, or maybe you even say that yourself.
In our recent seasonal reflections and mission hubs around the UK, we’ve noticed the autumnal-like invitation of learning to let go. I think this could be the biggest reason we can’t walk into new things and discover a deep soulful rest in our being……we’re unable to let go of how things are. But that is exactly what we must do at the crossroad of discernment. We must hold lightly all the things we carry, be willing to lay them on the altar before the Lord. Are we willing to lay aside all the things that once served us, is a new change of direction inviting us to pick up new tools, journey with new allies, and/or leave the safety of the shoreline?
And so, then what happens when we begin to walk?
In any community there are those who move into new spaces with ease and excitement. They are inspired and motivated by creative possibility and as yet unseen potential. Sometimes, their vision casting and willingness towards new ways of seeing is birthed from ‘holy discontent’. They often have their gaze fixed on horizons rather than anything immediately in front of them. Then there are others whose gaze falls gently on the present, they feel at ease in comfort and regularity. They are the stable, stalwarts of a community. They may be slow to accept change as they wrestle with fears and uncertainty.
What every community who approaches the crossroads needs, are those who can inhabit the middle space, the threshold. They can clearly see what the adventurous explorers are seeing and are willing to go along with them too; but they must stay back a while to help other across the threshold. They are encouragers with sensitive hearts, empathetic to the needs of all, they are big picture thinkers with a pragmatic grounding. They can see where you’re going and can help those at the back to catch up.
The ideal scenario is that you can identify each of these types of people in your church or missional community and encourage them to partake in what they’re good at. All are integral to the mission and essential for the life of the community.
At Discovery, we’re seeking to move together as one into new spaces. We have no idea what that looks like yet. There are some who are excited by it and some who need to ‘borrow’ some courage from the Holy Spirit and from others. My hope for our wee tribe, is that it will not be said of us that we found ourselves at a crossroads, we looked and we listened for ancient ways and paths, and then we didn’t embrace the invitation and walk courageously into it.
My hope for the Church these days would be same.
Jon Timms
Director, Scotland and Northern England
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