I began to think about this in the context of one or two ideas we have about the way forward at Cotton End. A number of things came to mind as I reflected on where we are and where I've seen others churches to be when faced with similar "crossroad" choices. It's important too that I make it clear that there is no implied or explicit criticism here, they are just observations about myself as much as anyone.
The first obstacle to risk-taking is fear. Fear of failure, fear of the unknown, fear of all sorts of things. But fear of failing or getting it horribly wrong is probably top of the fear factor list.
Secondly there's the challenge of having heard from God. Did we hear right? Is God calling us to do this or is this just my next great idea? Of course this has strong overtones of fear in it, but a lack of assurance and clarity about what God is asking of us can hold us back from taking any sort of risks. Then again, how clear do we need/want God to be?
A third factor is the resource issue. Do we have enough people to make this new thing viable? Do we have enough money to make this thing happen? But then again, how do you measure having enough resources for anything? I wonder if we take the cautious route way too often. We do church the same way we do home finances, or at least the way we'd like to do them or the way we were taught to do them. When I was growing up, the adage of finance for my parents was that if you couldn't afford to pay for it, you simply didn't buy it until you'd saved up the money you needed. "A borrower nor a lender be" echoed around the dining table.
Where's the faith in such an approach? How big a gap is an acceptable gap if God has spoken?
Fourthly I think we're held back by our need to know the end from the beginning. We read the Bible knowing how things work out for people who step out in faith. We read of their encounters with God, their great walks of faith, their mighty acts of faith, and then look to God to assure us of the future by telling us the end from the start. Okay , so maybe you don't actually put it that way in your prayers, but subtly it's what we often seem to want.
I'm pondering these things because I know that we face some amazing opportunities for growth in our setting. New homes are coming, communities are extending, and we have the chance to do something with God that I can hardly begin to imagine. But it's risky, really risky. It would be far safer simply to sit and pray people into what we are already doing. Far riskier to go and do something new.
And I don't know if the disturbance in my heart is because I'm afraid I'll get it wrong or that I won't risk any thing at all.
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