[This reflection by Martin Shorey was published in the weekly news bulletin of Horley Baptist Church, 08/Sep/2024]
Stepping Forward: Making Space for Those Yet to Come
Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.
Philippians 2:3-4
I’m reflecting on this passage the morning after our church meeting, where we voted to trial two services on Sunday mornings. The discussions leading up to this decision were long and involved, but at the core of it all is a desire to remove barriers for those seeking God through our Sunday services.
Moving to two services is far from ideal. It presents challenges that will need to be addressed: more volunteers, more work, and likely, a quieter, less vibrant service at first. Personally, as a preacher and worship leader, I thrive when the hall is full and buzzing with energy. Like many of you, I may feel a sense of loss as we adjust to this change. Yet, we made this decision not because it’s what we want, but because it’s what we feel called to do.
As Archbishop William Temple famously said, “The Church is the only institution that exists primarily for the benefit of those who are not its members.” This is the heart of the matter. We are willing to sacrifice, to work harder, and to embrace change—not for our own comfort, but to create space for those who are not yet here. We want to invite our friends, family, and neighbours to experience God’s love through us, and to hear the good news about Jesus.
I am proud of our church for taking this significant step of faith. Even if this experiment doesn’t turn out as we hope (and I pray it does), I believe we made the right choice. I’m confident that through this process, we will grow, mature, and continue to serve others as God calls us to.
Resources:
[1]
Bible quotations: Unless otherwise specified, quotations are taken from the resources of Bible Gateway or Bible Hub, in accordance with the licencing conditions outlined on our Site Policies page.
Bible dates:
Where appropriate, the dates given for Biblical events are based on the Bible Timeline resource
and are subject to the constraints defined on the corresponding webpage.
Horley Baptist Church onlineHBC main site
Confidential prayer link
Link to Recent Reflections
.
Link to Index of Bible Passages
Last week’s reflection: Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it’s a…! by Michael Goble
Contributed by Martin Shorey; © Martin Shorey