Chapter
55 “God's Grace is sufficient”
As
I keep saying; God is wonderful. Of course we all know that from the
really huge things he has done – creating & sustaining the
universe – providing salvation in Christ our Lord – the gift and
power of the Holy Spirit. But as if that were not enough to fill our
praises we see his continual concern and kindness right down to the
very ordinary level.
Paul
wrote that “we are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed;
perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck
down, but not destroyed” (2 Cor 4:8ff). We at Vermont felt the same
– the remaining two thirds of the congregation; my little family
and me personally.
As
a congregation the grace of God was spectacular. Nick and
Shirley's followers were so self-convinced of their spiritual
superiority that they were sure that if they pulled out of the
up-front leadership roles they had been in, the church would swiftly
collapse. We know they had convinced the archbishop that this was so
– he wrote to the parish saying as much.
They
had not taken the grace of God into account.
As
they pulled out other people in the congregation stepped up. Some had
great natural talent but had been pushed into the background by Nick
and Shirley's people. Others were more reticent but felt that the
Holy Spirit was pushing them to come forward. These began to
demonstrate real (as opposed to Nick and Shirley's
people's contrived) gifts of the Holy Spirit.
Ros.
And Rob. Took over the younger youth group. Their son was in that age
group. They were a really solid Christian couple, and Ros. the more
extrovert of the pair had a real talent for coming up with great
activities for the kids. So that ministry began to flourish.
A
lady who with her husband had just returned from time in New Guinea
where they were part of a very strong Christian community joined the
church and offered to take over the senior youth group.
We
had an influx of young men with life controlling problems but who now
gave their lives to Jesus. My wife Sue started a bible study group
for them. Interestingly they found that church on Sunday night and
bible study on Tuesday night were not enough to see them through so
they also met to pray together and encourage each other later in the
week.
The
prayer ministry team flourished. It was under the discipline of a
nation wide organisation, so some in that ministry who had left our
church under Nick and Shirley heard and now returned, and they were
all mature Christians who also contributed in other roles in the
church.
This
evidence of God's grace in the lives of ordinary people flowing over
into not just the survival but the reinvigoration and growth of all
the multitude of ministries in the parish as Nick and Shirley's
people abandoned them. There are so many I should mention, but I will
limit myself to one.
The
music ministry was a shining example. The new operating principle was
servanthood. We were not there to please, let alone exhibit
ourselves. We were to serve the congregation, in particular in aiding
them to praise and adore God in song.
Midge
took over as leader after Nick's wife Jane and all their followers
walked out of it. The new “atmosphere” was so different. The
group was small at first but grew steadily. Midge exemplified the
servant leader. To the 8 am service she provided the old hymns that
congregation loved. For the 10am the mixture of old and new worship
music and the modern style of piano, singing group and song leader.
For the evening 'youth service' she was a mother figure.
The
old music group had done the largely 70's Charismatic music they
liked at the evening service. One 14 year old when asked by her
father said it was “Dork music”.
Now
we had teenagers as the singing group. Some of the young men I spoke
about earlier came out of the “grunge music” scene. They brought
electric and base guitar (we already had drums and piano. We used a
lot of “Hillsong” music, but “grungified”. Midge, although
this was not her style of music mothered them, encouraged them, and
accompanied them on piano. We were later also blessed with the help
of very talented and gifted people who were studying at a nearby
Bible college. Among them were Kylie who helped in youth group and
singing and Ben who was a brilliant trumpeter and pianist who later
married and served as missionaries in Russia; and Greg who played
hymns at a pace that would have delighted Wesley, and enthused young
people to this treasure store of praise was also the finest
evangelistic preacher I have heard. He went as a missionary to Japan.
This
servant attitude flowed on. The old folk hankered for the old 1662
“evensong” service, so we had this once a quarter in the
afternoon. They loved the really old hymns, but their frail voices
could no longer manage them. So young people, who liked a very
different style of music came and sang hymns with them.
Another
facet to Midge was this: Jane had once lambasted me because I changed
sermon topic when she had based music on the old topic. Midge worked
out that I generally didn't know myself what I was going to preach
on, so she prayed for God to direct her choice of music. I found this
out when I became curious at the fact that the music always seemed to
compliment my sermon and I asked her how she picked it.
In
our family everyone felt the pressure, but everyone received
God's grace to survive. We were bound together by our love for Christ
and our common commitment to his service. The kids, as their age
allowed, played their part fantastically. Sue, as well as working
part time the other side of town and driving the kids to and from
school, was involved in a number of ministries such as her young
adults bible study, and guidance. These young people coined a phrase,
which was to called in for “an Aunty Sue talk”. We prayed and
talked together as a couple and as a family. All the family were
really supportive, without their support and “go-ahead” I could
and would not have kept going.
Personally,
it was all God! Everything I thought I had as a human strength was
stripped away. I don't think the book “The Five love Languages”
had even been written then, but I now know I am a “words of
affirmation” person. To be under constant harping criticism of
everything I did should have destroyed me. Indeed one of Shirley's
emissaries had promised that they would either drive me out of the
parish or to a breakdown within six months. The public humiliations I
had endured at the hands of both Nick and Shirley and their
supporters and the archbishop, bishop, and archdeacon I suspect were
on a par with the Communist Chinese practices designed to break
dissidents. The monthly church council meetings were a trial I could
not have survived had not Christ given me a cocoon of his powerful
protection.
Nick
and Shirley's people worked out that I was surviving their
onslaughts by outside spiritual
power. But they told everyone far and wide that I was only surviving
“by the power of Satan”. Really! Didn't they know that
Christ defeated him on the cross! Didn't they know that
at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow… Didn't
they even know they were channeling the Pharisees who accused Jesus
of driving out demons “by the prince of demons”! But this is what
they said and even some clergy around the diocese believed them.
God
also provided us with people he called and equipped in what is often
called “spiritual warfare”. These faithful people of prayer were
an invaluable protection. But I was not of these special prayer
warriors. Let me explain: we had two delightful Anglican nuns in our
congregation. One time the head of their order visited our church
from Sydney. After the service she asked to see me and gave me two
words from the Lord. The first was “do not ever think of yourself
as some great spiritual warrior, you are not, you are just my beloved
little child.” the other was: “I will be with David wherever he
goes”. They were both beautiful words of encouragement.
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