revmusings

I love summer Wednesday: bible study takes a break so I get to have Orange Wednesdays - made better by the fact that Premier seats are now included so I am assured a good seat without having to be there at the crack of dawn. However the summer films are more aimed at children and teenagers so not mind stretching generally but fun. We have seen The Proposal; The Ugly Truth: the Taking of Pelham 123 (which was thought provoking) and last night G-Force in 3D!

3D is awesome, with objects flying out at you and making you jump even though having to wear glasses on top of my own glasses is not comfortable.

Lat night's film was the silliest of the lot - the FBI have trained animals to be secret agents: guinea pigs, a mole and some flies. It's wonderful filming and fun story line. As the story progresses the guinea pigs, who are the main spies (mole is the computer whiz), find themselves in cage in a pet shop. There they meet another guinea pig who is convinced that one is his long lost brother - the lead spy says , no, they were genetically engineered to be spies - they are no ordinary guinea pigs. Later they discover from their trainer they are indeed ordinary guinea pigs and not special at all - after initial despondency they decide it doesn't matter - they have done extraordinary things and they can no save the world from the evil force that is threatening everyone. (it turns out the mole - a mole is the mole!)

The film touches on other subjects: friendship and family ties; using everyone's diverse gifts (the flies distract people; carry cameras to follow people and at the end create a wonderful sparkle ball for a party); how revenge makes you as bad as the person you are taking revenge on but it was the aspect of instilling self- belief that struck me.

The human told them they were special so they would act like it - and it worked. When I worked with children with special needs self=esteem was always a major issue - we used to try to build them up, get them to do special things for us to make them feel valued and capable instead of the grinding failure they had ij the classroom - sport, chess, art, music, anything they could do well at.

I wonder what effect telling people they are miserable sinners destined for eternal torment rather than telling them they are special- created and  loved by God has on people?

We are continuing our series on Heroes with Clay Feet this week, looking at Peter.  As I looked for images to go with Peter's story I can across this cartoon - it just has to be used!

When did the idea that ministers have to be perfect come into being?The consequence of which is that when a minister fails the pressure from within and without becomes immense and many leave the ministry. I accept that we should try to attain the highest standards in all matters of ethics but does that mean we are expected to be superhuman and there is no space for us failing? I also accept that very occasionally a few  do need some time away where the failing is so great and the fallout do huge that space is needed.

A friend once gave me this verse: Before I formed you in the womb I knew you. Before you were born I set you apart. I appointed you as a prophet to the nations. (Jer1:5)

If this is true and if I look at the witness of the bible it seems to me that God is very happy to call flawed humans being: Abraham, Moses, David and Peter and Paul are all heroes with clay feet but God still uses them powerfully to fulfil divine purposes, even after they have failed and fallen quite spectacularly.

I accept confession and repentance is necessary and trust may need to be built again in some cases but does that mean someone should be removed from ministry or feel that they can’t minister anymore because they feel they have failed?

Where is forgiveness and restoration in all this? Do we suddenly cease to be communities of grace?

God, it seems to me, is very good at picking us up and dusting us off and starting all over again with us – every experience, positive and negative, can be a moment of growth and can be woven into the divine purpose and so transformed by the cross shaped love and grace of God that it becomes a shining miracle that points to God’s hesed.

Failure, rightly handled, should make us better ministers, not be a reason to be hounded out by churches, denominations, or ourselves.