“25 years ago, on January 13th 2001, I was inducted as minister for Dursley Tabernacle, Quarry Chapel and Sharpness URCs. This picture was taken by a Gazette reporter a couple of days before the service of my induction. Our daughters Jo and Libby got in the photo. Jo was 3 and Libby was 2. Sam would be born the next month. I had no grey/white hair then. The difference three kids and three churches make! The reporter asked me what I hoped to do in the churches. I said I want to have fun. The headline of the Gazette article (I was on page three!) said ‘Minister just wants to have fun!’ I was subsequently spoken to by the Moderator who wanted some reassurance that I would be putting in a shift!
It has been fun. Not all the time of course. There have been some struggles and serious issues to contend with. Such is life. There has been a lot of hard work. But it has been, and still is, fun.
It is an adventure following Jesus. I am convinced from experience that it is the best thing you can do with your life. ‘Life in all its fulness’ as Jesus promised (John 10.10). I know many people see a downside to being a Christian and hide behind a smoke screen. Following Jesus is going to interfere with their lifestyle or make them do stuff they don’t want to do.
If you do a cost/benefit analysis (a very modern approach to making a decision) you can think about what’s on the side of following Jesus. He offers forgiveness, adventure, a clean conscience, security, guidance, fulfilment, relationships, comfort, peace of mind, release from guilt, the promise of eternity, power over self-destructive drives, and the unique hope that comes from being connected to the God of the universe. Awesome.
Alternatively, if you follow the trajectory of your life without Jesus where do you end up? How will you cope with the tragedies you’re going to encounter along the way? How will you feel about yourself? And what will you draw hope from in the end?
Ever since I said yes to Jesus, I’ve been on a white-knuckle adventure that is both exciting, unpredictable and challenging. And fun.
It’s great when you can follow Jesus alongside others. That is what being part of a church is all about at its heart. I have been so fortunate over these last 25 years to have other people alongside who have made up for my inadequacies and put up with my foibles and together we have followed our Lord and hopefully created churches that reflect his grace and love for all people, and which are fun to be part of.
So, thank you for letting me be your church minister and for playing along! Being a follower of Jesus and being together with other Christians is meant to be fun and fulfilling. Yes, there will be hard times and challenges. The sharp edges will get knocked off you. But grace and love will surround you and put a smile on your face.”
Rev Simon Helme