Can
you imagine the scene ?, you’re sitting
in front of your Television set, watching the Football Team you’ve supported
since you were a Child, lose 4 – 0 to a
team two divisions below you, You shout
at the TV Screen, and starting blaming the referee and his obviously dubious decisions, you can’t understand why such a famous, well
known and previously successful team have lost,
The TV cameras pan onto the manager and his support team, and think to
yourself why aren’t they doing more. This is your team’s third loss in 3
games, and all against what many
consider second and third rate teams.
If
you are Manchester United fan, this unfortunately has happened,
“United are Don Four!
Manchester United's Premier League millionaires humiliated 4-0 by League One
minnows MK Dons” The first game of the Premier League you loss to
Swansea City 2-1, and who are exactly
are Swansea City ? , then in the second game of the 2014-2015 your loss to
Premier League rivals , Sunderland 1-0,
you hope for a drastic change, and pin your hopes on your new star
player, Angel di Maria, who has signed
from Real Madrid for a record fee of £59.7 Million. Now it’s a match against MK
Dons who play in League 1, two divisions
below the Premier League for the Capital One Cup[, it should be a walk over for you, and then
you lose 4-0! You think can this season get any worst?
After 20 plus years that you have been for a
majority of the time, the most successful British Team under your
long term manager, he retires and his
chosen successor hasn’t lived up to the hype and expectation, he is replaced by a player who has spent his
entire career at your club, and suddenly your club start once more being
successful, because of this player’s
inexperience of management, despite his love, commitment and loyalty to the
club, he ‘s replaced by an international respected and experienced manager,
although this former player is now assistant manager.
For
many here in the United Kingdom,
Football has become a form of quasi-religion and football clubs from the
Premier League to the lower leagues will
have various levels of almost seemingly tribal support, where people will wear
with pride their tribal colours, the replica shirts, scarfs, hats and other sundries. With the Premier League being described as
the richest and most successful Football Leagues in the World, their support base well for the most well
known clubs, such as Arsenal, Liverpool,
Chelsea, Manchester United and Manchester City,
will be on a global and international level, where their success is celebrated by
supporters in numerous countries and regions,
and where foreign players are sourced from clubs and countries in other
lands. I noticed today that there are 7
different language options on the Manchester United Website, English, French,
Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese and Korean, many club teams
are like the Premier League’s Foreign Legion.
With
the global fan base and support for the Premier League, many foreign
individuals have invested heavily in or have bought English and sometimes Welsh Football
clubs hoping with their investment they can find greater business success for
themselves. The Premier League has gained a degree of global success and a lot
of investment, however this has come with
huge debts for some clubs, and a rise in gambling and all that is associated
with that such as criminal activity and possible match fixing.
It
has been some tens of hundreds of years since the people in Britain have been part
of tribes based on geography, family
connections and affiliations , although Scotland will have Clans and each Clan
will wear a distinctive tartan kilt, however with some sports such as Rugby
League, Rugby Union and Football many people will feel a tribal loyalty to
certain clubs, and would wear with pride their tribal colours, and will feel an affinity with people, who look like us, sound like us and talk in a way we understand,
and they would have the same collective memories as we do and are part a support system we are part of through their loyalty to the same chosen tribe as we belong to.
This
has lead me to think about the way we do and are the Church today ?
When
we look at the Church today, what do we see and what do we mean by the word
Church ? to some the word Church has a negative effect on the other hand, the
word Church has a positive effect, to others Church should be consigned to the
past, and it doesn’t have any relevance to them and society both today in the
present or indeed tomorrow the future, some think of the word Church and they
think of a physical building others think of the New Testament concept of God’s
people or a spiritual building.
The
Church today is divided into various camps or tribal groups, that more often or
not have very little to do with other camps or tribal groups, sometimes
different churches can be close to each in terms of a physical distance, but
miles apart in so many other ways. Is
the Church somewhere we can go to or is it a body of people that we belong to,
and are joined alongside each other to work alongside each other to see the
Good News of the Gospel of the Kingdom preached to those without the Good News
of Salvation through our Lord and Saviour Jesus.
We
are divided into groups or denominations that have more to do with our past,
and very little to do with our present or future. We hold onto ways of both
doing and being church because of our history and our responsibilities to that
history, and the expectancies of others. Sometimes we're divided into seemingly
rival tribal groups, because for some our revelation of being and doing church
is driven by being the people of God where His Presence dwells, but on the
other hand we're divided because of politics and personalties !.
The
Church is a movement for change and transformation but for many of us The
Church has become a monument to our spiritual forefathers who were a movement
for change and transformation !.
We, the Church are the visible representation
of God’s Kingdom Rule and Reign here on Earth, we are his messengers of hope,
love and compassion, salvation & restoration, the people we see every day
are the people for whom Jesus died on the Cross for, we are the ones who are to
bring hope and healing to our communities.
We
follow men and sometimes women, we follow the traditions that were our
spiritual forefather’s doctrines and their distinctiveness from other tribal
groups and when someone from another tribe says let’s meet together for
fellowship and to share together, we say we can't because we’re group a and
your group b and our big chief said in 1920 said that we need to avoid group b
because your understanding of church and Christianity is different from way he
told us to be the church and to be a Christian and therefore you’re wrong, or
we do meet together but in a spirit of reluctance and/or a spirit of mistrust,
we’ve created theories, doctrines, theologies
and solutions how we’re to be the church and to life our Christian lives and be
a Christian Witness, but many of those theories etc belong in the past, and
have become hindrances and obstacles for us today.
Many
of our tribes or denominations have become tied to the way we did Church, 10,
20, 30, 40, 50 or a 100 plus years ago, we look for structure and safety in the
past.
We
think that the way we do and are the Church is the right or indeed the only way
to be do or be Church, we mistake our history
for our present and future and wonder why despite our best efforts, our prayers
indeed our prophecies, we’re unfulfilled !
I
remember some recent conversations I have had,
that described a particular group of churches that would say that they’re
not a denomination, but when you examine
closely their practices, principles and message, it sounds a lot to me and others like a
denomination, I grew up in a Pentecostal
Denomination that has a strong base in the South Wales Valleys, I spent my formative years in that particular
group of Churches, and even today that I’m no longer part of that particular group
my understanding of theology is basically what I learned and studied when I was
part of that denomination and I have many friends there.
Ephesians
3 New International Version - UK (NIVUK)
God’s
marvellous plan for the Gentiles
3
For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you
Gentiles –
2
Surely you have heard about the administration of God’s grace that was given to
me for you, 3 that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have
already written briefly. 4 In reading this, then, you will be able to
understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, 5 which was not made known to
people in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God’s
holy apostles and prophets. 6 This mystery is that through the gospel the
Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and
sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.
7
I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace given me through
the working of his power. 8 Although I am less than the least of all the Lord’s
people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the boundless riches
of Christ, 9 and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery,
which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things. 10 His
intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be
made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, 11 according
to his eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. 12 In him
and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence. 13 I
ask you, therefore, not to be discouraged because of my sufferings for you,
which are your glory.
A
prayer for the Ephesians
14
For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15 from whom every family[a] in
heaven and on earth derives its name. 16 I pray that out of his glorious riches
he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so
that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being
rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s
holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of
Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge – that you may be
filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
20
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine,
according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the
church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
