Join our Club!

As I write, the campaign about the place of Britain in the European “club” is getting under way. Should the UK stay in the European Union, or should it leave? It will be up to the British people to decide in the referendum vote on 23 June.

The core of the argument to stay in is the same as in the Scottish independence referendum: it is wiser to be part of a group with some influence in the world than to become splendidly isolated - and vulnerable. On the other hand, the independence-seekers argue, an integrated club member may have little say over corporate decisions that are not in its best interests.

In the view of other countries, Britain can be a difficult partner and they should let her go if that is what she wants to do. Yet it is good to have a strong country with a major economy inside the grouping.

So much for nations. What about individual people? Youth organisation leaders used to have a word by which they measured the sociability of potential club members: “clubbable”. The question comes to each one of us: am I clubbable?

To the great disappointment of my parents and others, I showed no desire to join any youth organisation. Scouts, Boys’ Brigade, Junior Church, Youth Club - my response was always the same: I preferred my own company. I guess I lost a great deal by way of personal development as a result. The one exception I made was the church itself. I always felt drawn to join this, as if by a magnet.

We tend to think of the followers of Jesus as a “club” of twelve whom He called to be His disciples. We see this group as static, dependable, loyally with Jesus throughout except for a temporary wobble when all deserted Him at His arrest. After the resurrection most of them re-formed and made up the nucleus of the first church.

This picture fails to take account of the many people who came and went throughout Jesus’ ministry. Some didn’t like His challenging talk and drew back.

Perhaps the most thought-provoking story is that of the rich young man in Mark 10. He asked Jesus a question about the commandments. When Jesus answered, there was a most interesting exchange between them:

“And he said to him, ‘Teacher, all these I have kept from my youth.’ And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, ‘You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.’  Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. 
“And Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, ‘How difficult it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!’” (Mark 10:20-23 ESV)

For some reason Jesus warmed to this man. He would have liked to see him in His band of followers. Yet he spotted that there was in this person a block, a sticking point. The man was simply too attached to his wealth. Jesus proposed a radical solution: the man should exchange all he had for treasure in heaven and come and follow Jesus.

At that point the man proved not to be clubbable. He went away sorrowful. Maybe he tried being spiritual on his own, cushioned from the disturbing challenges of Jesus and His followers.

Though I joined the church, I was slow to grow because I still wouldn’t take part in study and other groups that were available. In such activities, the rough edges can be knocked off you more quickly and you can progress further and faster.

Please don’t make the same mistake. The company of Christ may disturb and challenge, but none but He can satisfy.

A Double Inheritance

Along with taking up my new post as Pastor at Durrington Free Church, I have come into the occupation of the manse, or pastor's house, next door. There has not been a pastor at the manse for the past 31 years, so it is quite an honour to be here. It is also a most intriguing exercise to find my way round my new surroundings. Within a few weeks I knew most of the ins and outs of the bungalow which was my new home. But getting to know the quite sizeable garden which I have also inherited – now that is a different matter.

Gardens do not reveal themselves all in one go. A succession of plants will be coming up during the next few months, and I have no idea really what variety of plant life is available to me on this patch of land. It will be fascinating to see the plants gradually emerge as the season wears on, and to be able to identify them one by one, or get some plant expert in the congregation to do it for me.

Musing on this the other day I pondered the inheritance we have when we put our trust in the Lord Jesus Christ as our Saviour. He is the Elder Brother of our new family. We are adopted into this new family under God and along with the other members of that family we receive an inheritance. This talk of “inheritance” does not mean, of course, that our God is going to write out His last will and testament as though He might die on us. It is simply that we come into ownership of all the blessings and all the riches of our new family in the kingdom where God rules.

It was breathtaking when I first came to see the blessings that are listed in Matthew chapter 5 in the light of our inheritance. Just look at these verses from that point of view:

Blessed are the poor in spirit,
For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
For they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
For they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful,
For they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called sons of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Look what's in your inheritance! You inherit the kingdom of heaven; you inherit comfort; you inherit the earth; you inherit fullness, mercy, the chance to look upon God, the status of son or daughter of God. What amazing riches!

We need to be tremendously glad and excited about our prospects as new members of God’s family. If you want to get on in life, this is certainly the family to belong to. And yet we do not join it simply because of what we are going to get out of it. We join it because we come to realise that our God wants us to be his people and He wants to be our God. He desires a relationship with us that is closer than any relationship we can have on Earth. It is a most beautiful thing to be wanted in this way.

And so I look forward to getting to know my garden, unravelling the mystery of what I have come into in this new place. I am delighted to be getting to know my church. It is a great privilege to have come into the pastorate of people who are willing to rise to a challenge and are full of good ideas. May I be a capable manager, under God, of the inheritance that I have received.