‘Jesus said: ‘Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field’ - Luke 10:2
‘I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat. We have before us an ordeal of the most grievous kind. We have before us many, many long months of struggle and of suffering. You ask, what is our policy? I can say: It is to wage war, by sea, land and air, with all our might and with all the strength that God can give us; to wage war against a monstrous tyranny, never surpassed in the dark, lamentable catalogue of human crime. That is our policy. You ask, what is our aim? I can answer in one word: It is victory, victory at all costs, victory in spite of all terror, victory, however long and hard the road may be.’ - Sir Winston Churchill.
It was 13th May 1940 and Britain stood alone against the Nazi threat. Everyone, including many of the British government believed that we were beaten. France were on their knees, America wasn’t interested in the fight, and Russia thought they were safe behind their borders. Imagine, if you can, what Europe, what Britain, might look like today if we had negotiated peace. What stood between a peace deal—and the terrible future that would have led to—and today’s alternative of a free and independent nation? One thing, and one thing, alone: a vision. A vision of this world—the world we live in today—by the one man who could make it happen: Winston Churchill. As we look around the Church of England today, we might imagine that there are similarities to the Britain of May 1940. Our leaders keep resigning, people have stopped believing, and no one can see a way out. Perhaps the nay-sayers are right, and decline is inevitable… and yet perhaps all we need are a few more Winston Churchills, a few more people with vision and the willingness to work to make it a reality. That’s my pitch to you today and the pitch of your PCC. That, if we are willing we—with God’s help—might make a difference in Chorley, might make a difference in this parish which will ensure that our children, and our children’s children, have a church to attend when they are our age. Our vision is simple, we are a parish that is aiming to be: Closer to Christ; Further out for Christ. This morning I want to unpack what those seven words mean.
At the moment I’m watching the Six Nations rugby tournament. If you turn up at my house on Saturday afternoons you’ll see me yelling at the TV telling the players what they’re doing wrong. It may be the same for you, though it may be some other sport that gets you carried away. Now, whilst we love a good scream at the TV, I’ll tell you what has never happened to me, and I’m guessing has never happened to you: the England manager has never rung up and said ‘Okay then, you’re on next week’. Why? Because quite frankly I’d get crushed. I can’t play the game well enough to get a go at local level, let alone elite national level. Oh I like to wear the shirt, I like screaming at the TV but actually walking the walk… well, let’s just say, I’ll leave that to the professionals. Too often that’s how we do our Christianity. We’re good at critiquing others. We’re great at doing post-game analysis but actually stepping on to the pitch, no thanks, we’ll leave it to the professionals. The first part of our new vision is Closer to Christ. If we’re going to make a difference, if we’re going to ensure that this church lasts, if we’re going to see our children and our grandchildren following Jesus, well then we have got to sort our own game out. We have to start with ourselves. If we aren’t whole heartedly following Jesus how can we convince anyone else? If we want others to follow Jesus, then we need to make sure that we’re following Him first. We may have the t-shirt but are we walking the walk? So, how do we spiritually get 'match fit’? Well to make a relationship work, any relationship, requires time, attention, and love. This is true of our relationship with Jesus, just as much as with our family. There is no sidestepping making daily time to be with Jesus. Silence (so we can hear from Him), prayer (as we talk with Him), and Bible reading (so we can better understand Him), are the essential building blocks of our personal faith. These are the disciplines which help us to get ‘match-fit’. These in turn need supporting by a lifestyle which supports our faith ensuring there is the time for such devotion, and cutting out the things which detract from living Jesus’ way. When someone gets serious about a sport, other things—like what they eat, what they drink, and what they spend their time doing—changes. When someone gets serious about their faith—funnily enough—their lifestyle changes too. In order to strengthen the church which exists and to attract others to find out more we must be living the faith ourselves. Authenticity matters, in fact in faith, it’s pretty much all that matters. So, first and foremost let’s give attention to drawing closer to Christ for ourselves.
One of the sporting memories which will stick in my head for the rest of my life is Jonny Wilkinson kicking the drop goal which won England the 2003 Rugby World Cup. I don’t know how many times Jonny had kicked drop goals in training but it must have been in the tens of thousands. Night after night, training session after training session, Jonny would have been out kicking a rugby ball through the uprights again, and again, and again. Jonny did the personal work. He got himself in shape. He practiced his skills. He made himself into the kind of player who could win a World Cup… but then it came time to do it. It was no good Jonny saying he was a great player. It was no good, even, Jonny being a great player on the training ground… Jonny had to get out on to the pitch and actually play the game, win a World Cup. The same is true for us. First, we have to get ourselves match-fit, we have to ensure that we’re following Jesus through our daily disciplines, but having done that we then have to get out on to the pitch. The second part of our vision, therefore, is all about getting out on to the pitch, taking our faith out into the world: Closer to Christ…then… Further out for Christ. That’s what is happening in our Gospel reading this morning: ‘The Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two […] He told them, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field’. Once the training is done we get on with playing the game. Why not start by identifying five people you know who don’t yet come to church and commit to pray for them ever day, asking God to care for them and to open their heart to knowing Him more. Then, in tactful and appropriate ways, seek to invite them to something taking place at church. Perhaps start with something social, like a coffee morning, the panto, or even the Parish Dinner in June. Find something they may be interested in, invite them, and then go with them and introduce them to others. Perhaps you don’t know anyone who doesn’t yet come to church, why not find a way to get to know new people, through volunteering in the community or in one of our schools. Seek ways of serving others and then prayerfully see where it goes.
Friends, today, as never before, the light of the Good News of Jesus is going out in our nation. When your children, when your grandchildren, are retiring will they have option of whether to go to church? However, it does not have to be doom and gloom, if we act now! Friends, let’s go out today resolved to be a Churchill, to have the vision to see how the seemingly inevitable decline can be overcome. Friends, let’s go out today resolved to be a Jonny Wilkinson, to work on our daily routines, to improve our own faith, and then go and take that faith to the world. Friends, let’s go out today resolved to be: Closer to Christ; Further out for Christ. Amen. (from Fr Mike).