A question to ponder. Where is the church today and what kind of church should it be? Considering public
processions today - the Notting Hill Carnival, the Remembrance Day celebration at the Cenotaph in London
and more recently the funeral of Richard the third in Leicester – where is the church there? And more
particularly, when we think about Jesus entering Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, where is the Church there?
The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby came out with a quote a few weeks ago that I am beginning to
use more and more. Justin said of the church: "First,the church exists to worship God in Jesus Christ.Second
the church exists to make new disciples of Jesus Christ. Everything else is decoration. Some of it may be very
necessary, useful and wonderful decoration – but it's decoration." I think the archbishop is on to something
there: an important biblical fact (cf Matthew 28; 16-20) we easily overlook in favour of our own “point of
view.”
Jesus was a different kind of King. The crowds expected him to come in on a white charger as you would
expect from any conquering King. But the Scriptures remind us that Jesus was prophesied to enter Jerusalem
on a donkey the foal of an ass. The Old Testament had prophesied it hundreds of years before. Fact! But facts
have an annoying way of getting in the way of our expectations and points of view. For example we thought
we knew Richard the third. We had seen his portrayal by Laurence Olivier "now is the winter of our discontent
made glorious summer by this son of York…" and so on. It turns out that Richard was quite a different King
from what we had been led to believe. Our Queen reminded us that Richard was a Christian Monarch whose
faith sustained him through turbulent times in life and in death. Jesus is also a different kind of King. But the
question remains - where is the church?
Could it be that the church on Palm Sunday is actually the donkey in the story? And even this is a different
kind of donkey from what we expected. Mark 11 reminds us that the donkey was tied and that it had never
been ridden. Perhaps this is a picture of the church today - not really doing what it was designed to do
following its own expectations and points of view. Not allowing the facts to get in the way! Justin Welby's
church is a church that is more interested in mission then decoration but is this the church we see today?
Maybe it is more like a donkey tied up and never having been ridden when instead that's exactly what the
donkey had been made for.
But there is good news! The Lord needs the church! He told his disciples to say if anyone asked, to tell them
the Lord needs it! Yes it's really true: the One who made the stars has chosen to limit himself to need us.
Believe it!
So where is the church and can we find it? It's not that difficult to find Jesus nowadays. But it can be a lot
harder to find the church. You have to get through a lot of decoration! Where is the church today? Where is it
in Stanford le Hope? Where is it in St Margaret's? (A lot of people stayed away from Victoria Road Chapel on
Palm Sunday because they didn’t think it was “church”. Equally, a lot of people may stay away from St.
Margaret’s main building next Sunday because they don’t think that’s church either!)
Where is Justin Welby's church? Is it a church more concerned with mission then decoration? Is it tied up?
Outside? On the street? By a door? In other words - is it bound? Is it where the people are? Is it outward
looking? Is it close to opportunity? Whose church is it anyway? It's certainly not mine or yours! It doesn't
belong to the people out there. It belongs to Jesus. And the Lord needs it. He gave his life for His bride. What
is it about the church that excites you; that makes you get out of bed in the morning? That might tell you
something about whether you're more interested in mission or merely decoration.
Hey! Are you a bit tied up at the moment? What's keeping you bound? Is it the way we do things? The
building? The Church of England? Are we singing the wrong songs? Are the sermons too long? Do you not get
on with the people who go? Is it because we're always asking for money? I've got News for you – it's all
decoration! Jesus says “Unitie it and bring it here!
What Church Where? So where is the church then? Don't look for a spire or a tower or stained-glass windows.
Don't look for funny clothes or pious faces. Don't even look for good, kind, community-spirited well-wishers!
You won't find the church there any more then you'll find Jesus on a big white charger, carrying a flag (not
yet, at any rate!)
No. Look for a group of men and women and boys and girls who are making disciples. And when you find
them… join them!
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