A note from Keith
23 July 2010
Dear Friends,
Humpty Dumpty had a very fragile shell, and when he fell off the wall he was permanently damaged. The tale of Humpty's fall is often told and the fact that no-one could help is clearly a tragedy. Today there is a great deal of fragility at all levels of society. The Christian Church and welfare agencies have been exposed in their own weakness. It is vitally important that we regain our essential spirituality - or mission purpose - to be able to respond to the brokenness that is so prevalent in our community.
We have just lived through the first period of a Federal Election campaign. I hope people don't become cynical and say, "I want it all over and done with!" ... for this is the opportunity for all of us to prayerfully engage with the issues that matter most. Our attitude to such areas will reveal whether we believe the walls of our churches and projects are to keep the sheep in or the goats out. We must pull down the walls in order to engage with the many Humpty Dumpties in our broken, fragmented world, who desperately need both the good news of Jesus Christ and the caring, compassionate projects which are an incarnation of loving concern.
Back to the nursery rhyme ... I recently read a reflection from a group of young people, which is very challenging:
Life is life and the church itself is only a part of it.
If only the church was in its rightful place,
Maybe Humpty would not have had a wall to fall from in the first place.
Or if the wall had not been so high
His fall would not have been so severe.
Two helpful quotes:
The church is the only body that exists primarily for the benefit of those who are not its members.
(William Temple)
The church exists for mission as fire exists for burning.
(Emil Brunner)
Whilst we don't appear to have embodied these principles as well as we ought, it's good to know at the heart of Wesley Mission there is at least a conviction that these things are of foundational importance.
Lord, At this time in the story of Australia,
we pray for your wisdom and guidance that
those who have the great responsibility of seeking election to high office
may hear your call to care for the vulnerable and
to maintain those values which underpin our life together.
Through Jesus Christ, Amen.
Warmly yours
As Superintendent and Friend,
Rev Keith V Garner
Superintendent
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