A Series of Challenges

Those of you who watch the TV programme Top Gear will be familiar with the phrase ‘a series of challenges’ and it is normally uttered by one of the presenters after the have all bought or converted ridiculous vehicles.  Usually this phrase is followed by another, ‘how hard can it be?’

This was my initial thought when I was asked to take the Sunday afternoon service at the local Hospice.  I thought, ‘how hard can it be?’  The answer has turned out to be very.

When planning a normal service in a Methodist Church I choose the hymns and communicate them to the organist, find the lectionary readings and write the sermon.  Sometimes I write prayers, sometimes I used set prayers out of books that I can make my own.

Not so at the Hospice.  Other than a lectern, keyboard, lectern, chairs and worship space no resources are provided.  There is no keyboard player, no hymn books and no regular congregation.  What I had initially thought would be a half hour of preparation has taken me most of the day, though I have managed to put together, with much prayer and help from God, what I hope will be a meaningful act of worship.

This is just one of a series of challenges in life just lately that have taken me out of my comfort zone and I guess it is only to be expected as I finish my training for the Methodist Presbyteral ministry and look to starting an appointment as a Probationer Minister in September of this year.  I have all sorts of potential ‘firsts’ coming up in the next few months; not the least of which will be my first baptism and my first wedding.  I have a series of spiritual and personal challenges coming up and I will not be saying ‘how hard can it be?’; rather I will be saying ‘Lord God, help me!’

Life is full of challenges and as Christians we cannot expect to avoid them.  Some evangelical preachers teach that when we become Christians our problems go away; but this is not the truth of scripture.    Jesus faced challenges throughout his earthly life, as did the apostles.  The life of Paul as presented in his letters and the Acts of the Apostles was one long series of challenges.  We can take encouragement from how they overcame those challenges, knowing that the same God who was with them is with us too, the God who loves and cherishes us more than we will ever know.