I got invited today to our local Anglican church's woman's Bible study. It really does cater for busy women as it is at 10.30 on Sunday morning to coincide with the main service so those with children don't have to look for a baby sitter, those with husbands who don't go don't have to make another day to be out of the house, and those who are busy don't have to try to find another space in their calendar.
Now I don't know what it is about Anglicans and how time just seems to stand still for them. I have always found that Anglicans, maybe because they are so clear at what they do can do twice, three times as much, as charismatics and can make one feel more special and more relaxed Maybe I just hit lucky, or maybe God's trying to tell me something.
Anyway we were looking at Advent, which for me feels very important as I know so many people, including myself, who have something they are waiting, often not as patiently as they should, for God to help them give birth to something, to reveal the next piece of the plan, the puzzle, to give them the leg up to the next bit of the journey. So like the established church so many people are waiting. And I was expecting something about this.
The person leading got us to think instead that this is a time to remember we are not just waiting for the remembrance of the first coming of Jesus, but also to be remembering the second coming of Jesus, which as we should all know from reading our Bibles will be a totally scary time, a time of judgments, and God coming in Power, and of the moon turning to blood and many other quite scary things. Even though it will also herald in the amazing time of Jesus living on this earth with us, it is not a pleasant period to have to live through. But it is what we should be looking forward too as well.
We looked at 1Thess 4:13-5:7 and how Paul reassures the people that all, even those already dead, will be risen with Christ in the last days, but what we all noted was that twice he says to encourage each other. This is a hard journey the Christian one. Christianity, when we truly open ourselves up to Jesus is a hard journey of changing our sinful ways and becoming more like Him, and there are so many different ways of doing that, and some of them maybe not Holy Spirit led. But in this hard journey we do need to connect with people who are going to walk with us, how are going to encourage us and who will understand how hard it all is.
Do we get this in church? I think at times we do. But I think most importantly we get it with friends who really know the struggle we are going through, who really know how much we are changing and how much we want to change. Fellowship is about being with each other together on the journey
I think your right about some Anglican churches, they just seem to quietly get on with being accepting of people in a way that the charismatic/pentecostal churches do not. Sometimes it is accepting and not expecting change but it does at least give the Holy Spirit space to work. I sometimes think the charismatics/pentecostals don't trust the Holy Spirit enough to let change happen and think they must help him along. That is not to say that I haven't valued my charismatic background, I do but it can be tiring and that has nothing to do with the journey we are on.
ReplyDeleteMay God bless you in finding the folks to travel with, and I pray for the same in my life.
I find Anglicans very (if you'll excuse the expression) English in a reserved and understated way whereas the charismatic expression fits in very well with the South American/Latin way of expressing oneself. So I started out very English, passed through all the Charismatic stuff and out the other end as it were and now as I get older am enjoying just being me, on my own. But I do enjoy and appreciate fellowship with friends along the same journey. Thank you God for so many valued friends who encourage and walk along with me. (Looking forward to meeting and catching up with you again.)
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