Fairytale in Norfolk
Once upon a time in Norfolk,...
He had been working in the social sector for quite some time. He wanted to pass God's Love to the neighborhood. One might think that socialization among English people mainly takes place in pubs. However, it is unlikely that most people will be kissing each other there. Although it is indeed possible to talk there, it is not particularly predestined that long term relationships will develop. The pub is good for many things, but not for presenting our Christian life, for example. This city, whose name I have forgotten, is famous for its rich ancient culture. Its architecture and various flavors are deeply rooted in the culture of the Hanseatic merchants. Many things come from Europe, architecture - wise it's quite a esthetic to walk there. Then the place is also famous for its—how shall I put it—different kind of supernatural connection than Christianity. There are also strong occult elements, and Freemasonry is no stranger to it either.
And here, this uneven gait should be taken literally. Here, you could see many people who were no longer walking straight late at night and during the night. Actually, it can be said that they were very drunk and sometimes couldn't even find their way home...
The small community realized that it could take on a kind of street mission. So,they escorted them home if necessary! They drove home those who would not have found their way home, because: "they were like sheep without a shepherd". {Perhaps because they were sheep without a shepherd.}
Indeed, but this has also been noticed by the city: In the evening, kind people armed with high-visibility vests drive the helpless home. " Damage - free delivery , after two pints, maybe more." The people arrived home safely. These little fairies or angels brought them home. Time passed, and the name of this small community became increasingly well known in the city. The mayor's wife paid more and more attention to their work. This is where the great blessing of having thorough social experience comes into play.
The story reaches its climax when community leaders receive practical feedback on the value invested. The climax came when the mayor decided that the congregation could buy the cinema building, which had become more and more of a nuisance to the town, at a discounted price. The building itself is a modern post-art deco marvel.
All teaching and effort was therefore focused on achieving the standard required to conclude the deal.
In this point the goal was to buy this miserable building, — and in the end they were able to buy this miserable building! And they had a very hard time buying it, and that's where the whole story goes downhill, nosedivingly in spirit.
However, I think, when our dreams are unleashed and our visions are splitter from the godly wisdom a selfish spirit appears with its self-declared aims, stubborn and self justified reasoning appears... and eventually blindness comes with it. "Oh yes" - they said. "We can pay in installments!" Oh yes" - they said. "We can mentor the criminals!" But the real lives and real stories of ordinary church / town people were hidden away because of the aim: "we are pleasing the leasing firm, we are pleasing the people around..."
"my kingdom is not of the world" . {John 18:36} It means that Jesus' kingdom is not based on earthly power, politics, or force, not connected by mere symphaty but is a spiritual reality. Jesus's is the king but he is also the firstborn. His followers belong to another, their power, their love is based on liberating authority, which is not bound to worldly systems.. I mean, if we practice our life in the fleshy way, then our "power" is bound by that way.
And today there is a beautiful, renovated, fantastic building, which houses a huge congregation full of beautiful and fantastic services —but behind it is no longer the same sustaining force that was there in the beginning.
Let each one take care how he builds upon it.
Because it matters who builds on it and how.
He had been working in the social sector for quite some time. He wanted to pass God's Love to the neighborhood. One might think that socialization among English people mainly takes place in pubs. However, it is unlikely that most people will be kissing each other there. Although it is indeed possible to talk there, it is not particularly predestined that long term relationships will develop. The pub is good for many things, but not for presenting our Christian life, for example. This city, whose name I have forgotten, is famous for its rich ancient culture. Its architecture and various flavors are deeply rooted in the culture of the Hanseatic merchants. Many things come from Europe, architecture - wise it's quite a esthetic to walk there. Then the place is also famous for its—how shall I put it—different kind of supernatural connection than Christianity. There are also strong occult elements, and Freemasonry is no stranger to it either.
And here, this uneven gait should be taken literally. Here, you could see many people who were no longer walking straight late at night and during the night. Actually, it can be said that they were very drunk and sometimes couldn't even find their way home...
The small community realized that it could take on a kind of street mission. So,they escorted them home if necessary! They drove home those who would not have found their way home, because: "they were like sheep without a shepherd". {Perhaps because they were sheep without a shepherd.}
Indeed, but this has also been noticed by the city: In the evening, kind people armed with high-visibility vests drive the helpless home. " Damage - free delivery , after two pints, maybe more." The people arrived home safely. These little fairies or angels brought them home. Time passed, and the name of this small community became increasingly well known in the city. The mayor's wife paid more and more attention to their work. This is where the great blessing of having thorough social experience comes into play.
The story reaches its climax when community leaders receive practical feedback on the value invested. The climax came when the mayor decided that the congregation could buy the cinema building, which had become more and more of a nuisance to the town, at a discounted price. The building itself is a modern post-art deco marvel.
All teaching and effort was therefore focused on achieving the standard required to conclude the deal.
In this point the goal was to buy this miserable building, — and in the end they were able to buy this miserable building! And they had a very hard time buying it, and that's where the whole story goes downhill, nosedivingly in spirit.
The blessing of the LORD makes rich,
and he adds no sorrow with it.
{or: and toil adds nothing to it}
Proverbs 10:22
The community had changed so much by the time they bought the headquarters {just as Northcot Parkinson explains the idea, that truly dynamic, growing organizations are too busy with their actual work to spend time perfecting their office layouts and buildings.1} well, the same thing happened here. The focus has changed. The emphasis has changed in the preaching. By then, all kinds of people with all kinds of personalities had joined the congregation, people who truly wanted to build their own existential dreams "with God" —often in a rather fishy business style. The congregation is becoming more and more open to everyone. In fact, even people who was reported to the police and to social services, unstable violent individuals were accepted. Certain people who have been officially banned from visiting their own families for example, were accepted visiting the community. {or: and toil adds nothing to it}
Proverbs 10:22
1 Cyril Northcote Parkinson (1909-1993) was primarily a British naval historian who accidentally fell into the field of public administration and management via a 1955 humorous article published in the Economist magazine. Later expanded to book length, Parkinson’s Law,... rapidly became ubiquitous.
Parkinson’s Law of Buildings for example defines: "a perfection of planned layout is achieved only by institutions on the point of collapse… Perfection of planning is a symptom of decay.During a period of exciting discovery or progress there is not time to plan the perfect headquarters. The time for that comes later, when all the important work has been done."
Maybe the spirit which came from the city, whose name I have forgotten, prevailed the original vision /and heart/ of the church? Who knows. Parkinson’s Law of Buildings for example defines: "a perfection of planned layout is achieved only by institutions on the point of collapse… Perfection of planning is a symptom of decay.
However, I think, when our dreams are unleashed and our visions are splitter from the godly wisdom a selfish spirit appears with its self-declared aims, stubborn and self justified reasoning appears... and eventually blindness comes with it. "Oh yes" - they said. "We can pay in installments!" Oh yes" - they said. "We can mentor the criminals!" But the real lives and real stories of ordinary church / town people were hidden away because of the aim: "we are pleasing the leasing firm, we are pleasing the people around..."
And today there is a beautiful, renovated, fantastic building, which houses a huge congregation full of beautiful and fantastic services —but behind it is no longer the same sustaining force that was there in the beginning.
According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done.
1 Cor 3:10-13
The apostle warns here that the fundamental principles (the foundation, which is "Jesus Christ") are unquestionable, but the quality of the structure built upon them (gold, silver, precious stones, wood, straw, etc.) depends on how the builders work on the original. 1 Cor 3:10-13
James about the law of liberty
Finally I would like to quote sg from James, the first pastor /leader of the Jerusalem church.
be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.
Jms 1:22
Jms 1:22
