A reader writes: an outpouring of sadness and joy from a charismatic evangelical
A reader writes:
I am reading my way through your books and want to thank you for affirming much of what I have come to believe in the last 20 years. As a charismatic evangelical I had a very “In/Out” way of viewing the world. Then God led me to work in a Christian 12 Step Rehab. I was there for 10 years and watched women (it was a female project) who barely acknowledged the existence of God be transformed into the beautiful women God had created and my heart was enlarged to encompass the fullness of God’s love and consequent mercy.
As I worked through that time God led me into ordained ministry where I have been in full-time service for the last 10 years. During this time, slowly, I have learned some language to express my wider understanding of God’s love. But as I delve more deeply into the mystery of God I find myself even less and less able to articulate clearly what I mean. Your work has increased my language and articulation. But most of the time all I want to say is “God loves you – love him back”.
I have three parishes with falling electoral rolls (I am in Norfolk UK, three rural parishes) and falling Sunday attendance though I work my socks off from Monday through Saturday and can easily become discouraged and sad. It seems that though people love to hear that God loves them, they do not want to worship him. Whereas my old Charismatic/ evangelical persona would have been preaching salvation is through the blood and the cross – Get Saved!!!! Mind you, I’m not sure that would fill my churches today either!
However, I pray that the seeds I am planting with this gentler and more inclusive understanding will one day produce a harvest for God’s Kingdom that we can see this side of heaven! In the meantime I think [my denomination] will expire and God will do a new thing.
Many thanks for reading this outpouring of sadness and joy and many thanks for your books which have fed and affirmed my tired soul.
Thanks for your note. Many forms of church life will, no doubt, expire, as they have done in the past. But as you say, God keeps doing a new thing. Death isn’t the end; just the precursor to resurrection and new beginnings.