Church Politics

I did not intend to be posting again so soon. I thought I would leave my blog to settle in before I attempted to write more but I have been given a hint of inspiration by something that someone has posted on my Facebook wall this evening.

A lady from the local community who remembers me from performing at a Christian Fellowship meeting when I was younger and newer to magic (and I don't mind saying - I was awful - I actually remember the performance well as one of the most painful experiences of my life and it made me give up magic until my good friend Tom talked me back into it - thank God) and also from performing at her children's birthday parties. (When I was older and more professional I hasten to add) - she has wished me well in my new ventures and said that the Vineyard group will pray for me too.

It was that last sentiment that struck me. I am not from the Vineyard church, I have been to some Vineyard meetings here and there and I do enjoy the charismatic style of worship. However, it is commonly known that Vineyard (which, if I am correct in saying, came over from America or Canada originally) and the Church of England do not usually make great bedfellows. (Probably not the best turn of phrase for a blog about Church Politics) but it was that fellowship that really made me smile.

Despite the denominational differences in the two groups (and indeed all church groups) there is still at the heart of it all a good community of people that love each other. Granted you are always going to get the occasional loose cannon or uptight traditionalist that believes a very set line and nothing else but on the whole most Christians that I have met are good eggs and have a lot of affection for others, especially those that have come to know Christ.

I am not by any means saying that we are a perfect bunch. Far from it. Sometimes I have know Christians (myself included) to act in the most unchristian ways and hide under a banner of faith, dogma or Bible text. Sometimes I listen to the way people speak and claim to be all forgiving, all inclusive and all supporting but actually are the complete opposite (I was very much like that when I was younger - everything was black and white with no gray areas and no room for differences) but it was the words of Julie this evening though that reminded me that there is a Christian fellowship.

It needs work, it needs promoting and more often than not it needs patching up, rebuilding and sometimes even remodeling but it is there.