‘The wind is about to change on Cherry Tree Lane.’ Do you recognise that statement? It is from Mary Poppins. The lives of one family was about to be turned onto it’s head. The Bank’s family were about to embark on an adventure of change, soul searching, re-evaluating previous held values, revival, renewal and to discover the true meaning of life. A mysterious Nanny flies into the lives of the Bank’s household, and life as they know it changed forever.
What could this story of Mary Poppins have to do with the church and our lives as a family of God? I am of course referring to the ‘winds of change’. This wind blows all the time. The breath of Christ. Change happens everyday in many ways. But heres the thing…….not many of us like change. We are comfortable with what we have, good or not so good, we know where we stand. To step out of our comfort zones for anything new can be disconcerting.
Well we may not be Cherry Tree Lane, but the wind of change is blowing. What does revival mean? It means to come back to, improve, rejuvenate or awaken. Those words excite me. I feel energised by these words. Hopefully it also excites you. Now to make these words an action. I hope we all can be energised by these words. No more ‘oh woe is us’. ‘The church is dying, it is the end of things as we know it or have known it. It’s not like the good old days’. Yep; well here’s the thing. No, the church is not dying, no its not about the good old days, what ever that was and no we are not going down hill. The word is C. H. A. N. G. E……. CHANGE!
Everyone wants things to remain the same. Why? Did you know that John Newton who wrote Amazing Grace was hailed down for writing this ‘modern song’ over a hundred years ago? You see hymns used to come from the psalter. A lot of the ‘good old hymns’ we like to sing now, were at the time of being introduced, were thought to be too modern at times radical and not what singing in church was about!
Church is a verb not a noun. We are a full expression of the purpose and mission of God. We need to focus on the positive in the church and the world. Focus on abundance; to be viable and vital, loving of all people, responsibility of community, being the sense of living water. The church is outside the church building in the big wide and at times very negative world. Sometime we will fail at change. But we learn and move on. Our mission is to be the face of Christ in the world, and in our own community. The kingdom is to be taken out to others, to be given away. From our love, our forgiveness, our gospel values, the church is not dead. It is alive. But to rejuvenate, revive and renew, we have to put ourselves into this mindset that we are the body of Christ and we can be disciples of Christ in all we do.