You must be wondering what I am thinking about, and yes, I know we are in the middle of Summer and not celebrating the Easter Bank Holiday weekend! but my thoughts this last fortnight have very much focussed on the Good Friday and Easter Morning story.
Two Churches I have associations with, have been on the edge of facing closure, and, during these last couple of weeks the members and friends of these places, have had to make the hard, and very sad, decision, that soon their buildings will close and therefore ‘cease to worship’. After decades of being worshipping houses of prayer and where generations have offered their service to God, it is a terrible place to be in. However, like so many organisations, the Methodist Church is on the decline and more and more places are not able to manage financially. With ageing membership and the decline in numbers, the rising costs to keep open, and the maintenance of the buildings to meet the required standards, it is getting more difficult to keep going. Members are weary and feel it is impossible to carry on.
As I’ve talked to members about this, I have reminded them about the Easter story. What they are going through, and enduring right now, is the darkness and uncertainty of their ‘Good Friday’. It is not an easy time; indeed, it can be a very anxious and difficult time, but we have to remember Easter Morning WILL come.
This principle applies to all kinds of situations and circumstances we find ourselves in from day to day. Whether it is during a time of bereavement, or a relationship breakdown, a loved one being diagnosed with cancer or some other life-threatening illness, a time of depression, or someone facing anxiety and mental illness, ALL states of being like these, are bad and painful places to find ourselves in, but Easter Morning will come. Good Friday and Death for Jesus was not the end. He was victorious and rose again. So, with whatever we find ourselves going through, individually or as a group of people, we will get through this time and the light will shine again.
We need to remember that God is with us, Jesus understands how we feel and is with us, walking beside us, giving us strength for each day.
Regarding the closing of the buildings, although it can be hard at the time to see the way forward, if we trust in God there will be something good come about. God has not finished with his people yet and is working his purposes out. The witness of God’s people will continue, just in a different way. New life can come forth from the ashes. Resurrection comes after death. It is just painful going through it.
I have been thinking about Joseph in the Old Testament. He must have felt very low and downcast at times. He experienced many a ‘Good Friday’. Been thrown down into the pit, by his jealous brothers, would not be a good experience. After that he was sold into slavery and bought by Potiphar, captain of Pharaoh’s guard. Potiphar’s wife (we do not know her name), took a liking to the young man and made several failed attempts to seduce him. Because Jospeh resisted, she retaliated and falsely accused him of trying to rape her. This ended with Potiphar having Joseph imprisoned. So, Joseph endured the Pit, and the Prison, but his Easter morning came when eventually he came to the Palace and was put in charge of the whole of Egypt. What a wonderful time that was. Joseph was re united with his brothers and his father. The whole story can be read in the book of Genesis 37-50. There is no doubting that despite his ‘Good Friday’ experiences, his Easter Morning did come, the prisoner became a prince.
Words we read time and time again, throughout the whole of the story of Joseph, is that no matter what he went through, he always believed the Lord was with him. That is the same with us. We may not understand why things happen, and we don’t always have the answers, but that is what trusting God is all about.
Let us remember that during wildfires, which obviously appear to be disastrous, the nutrients from dead trees are returned to the soil. The forest floor is exposed to more sunlight, allowing seedlings released by the fire to sprout and grow. It is not always that straight forward, and it will not be the same again, but regrowth does happen.
God bless you as you trust in Him
Eileen
EC. 12.8.24