Praying Together 16th February 2025

Quite often, I am asked why I became ordained as a Christian Minister. That’s actually not the relevant question. Once I accepted Jesus Christ as Lord, just like everybody else in His church, I was then equipped for a specific task. Not more or less important than any other, just part of the Body, as described in Chapter 12 of Pauls letter to the Church in Corinth. Instead, the significant question is why I accepted Him as my Saviour, Redeemer, Friend and Lord in the first place.

It’s the last role I would have ever expected. During my childhood and teens, I had little if any contact with religion of any description. Marjorie was the first person of faith I ever met, and I stated going to church a couple of times with her for – I have to admit – reasons which were probably not particularly holy.

After we married, a personal tragedy brought us closer to the local church, where we were met with love and support from the vicar and congregation – but on subsequently moving home, we attended a more formal church with complicated, ritualised language where nobody seemed to want to notice we were there, and as our lives became more secure I personally didn’t get any real inspiration from my attendance. I stopped going altogether when we moved home again– so much so that I would drop our son James (Nick) at the local Sunday School and sit in the car reading the paper until it was time to pick him up.

Then another storm hit us – and almost in desperation, I decided to go to a church service. I have to admit that I sort of wanted to find nothing helpful there and to be ignored and treated as an outsider, allowing me to dismiss religion as not the solution what I was looking for. Instead, I was welcomed and made to feel safe in an unpressured way. I still didn’t really believe it, but it was a comfort, and eventually I ended up helping with a young person’s group.
I led them on a couple of activities, and after a few months invited them to join me in a big Young People’s event in Manchester Free Trade Hall, alongside a hundred or so other groups. Most of the event was interesting, but no more than that. It was right at the end, when the final Hymn/ Song ‘He is Lord’ was introduced, I happened to notice a young man singing with his arms raised to heaven and sunlight (literally) radiating from his face. That was the first moment when I clearly experienced God’s voice. ‘Stop messing about, Michael. Either believe in Me, or don’t believe in Me. Make your mind up.’

I chose Love. The rest just followed.

So what have I learned?

• The importance of making everyone welcome – even scruffs in ripped jeans. It’s the first five minutes in a new environment that will set and fix the tone
• You’ll never know how much the sincerity of your worship can affect others – even if you don’t know them and they don’t know you
• It can take time for people to be ready to hear the Gospel message, so be patient with people – don’t bombard them with theology until they’re ready
• Most importantly, there comes a point where we have to make a decision about Jesus. Is He the Christ, true and real, or is he not? There is no middle ground. In Revelation3:15, God makes it absolutely clear. A lukewarm faith is almost worse than no faith at all – it just makes Him want to puke
• And if you accept Him as Lord, allow Him to lead you as you walk into the future without looking back, and do what He has equipped you to do as His body on earth