AwayDay 2012
Our annual Away Day was held at Westbrook on January 14th. Rev David John of Ashley Baptist Church was our speaker both on the Saturday and Sunday.
We looked at the characteristics of a healthy church, and tried to assess how much they are apparent in our own fellowship. In the morning service David spoke on the parable of the growing seed. He pointed out 4 characteristics of the Kingdom of God.
1. It is hidden. Jesus was born in a backwater and his ministry was in a small area. Much of what we do seems hidden: a few words exchanged in the cafe, but small seeds germinate.
2. Growth is mysterious. The jewish prayer "Thanks be to you, God of the Universe, who brings forth bread from the earth" expresses this my
stery. How does it happen? God works in his own way and sometimes this is difficult to understand. Peter was set free from prison whereas John was beheaded. We need to accept God working in ways that are mysterious to us.
3. There is certainty about growth. God has set principles within the world, He promised that seedtime and harvest will continue, there is a season for everything. Our responsibility is to sow the seed. It is God who gives the growth.
4. There is a process within God's timetable, which is not ours. We look at the clock but God works in seasons. We need patience. We need to stay close to God to know his will for us at any particular time. God's Kingdom will finally come, fully and completely established. Until then, our responsibility is to carry on sowing seeds.
