On Sunday we had the joy of having David and June Griffiths visiting St Silas'. They've been serving in Japan and the Philippines with the Overseas Missionary Fellowship since 1966. I realised that St Silas' has partnered with them in prayer and finance since 1971, which makes them by far our longest serving partners.
David preached from Acts 13-16 on what a missionary church looks like, and our patron got a good mention (as he did in the morning too - prophet, missionary, encourager and strengthener). He felt uncomfortable in his suit (we don't do suits, especially in the evening, but we don't mind them!). He shared relevantly and in a way that challenged us to keep on partnering and sending people out to share the Good News. At the end, I loved the way students gathered around him to listen some more. For someone supposedly entering retiral in the near future, to hear him talk of pioneering new mission work in the shape of a beach mission in the Philippines was very encouraging.
Eugene Peterson wrote a book on the Psalms with the intriguing title
of "A Long Obedience in the Same Direction." That line is a quote from
Friedrich Nietzsche who wrote, "The essential thing 'in heaven and
earth' is...that there should be long obedience in the same direction;
there thereby results, and has always resulted in the long run,
something which has made life worth living."
The Bible calls this steadfastness, faithfulness, and perseverance. It means to
get on the road and stay there. To hang in there. To keep on, keeping
on. That's a hard thing to do well and it's particularly difficult in our skittish, short-term view of things. Digging deep and persevering for the long haul, though the joys and pains of life and ministry is not easy. Some days I feel like giving up. People taking a pop at what you are doing and feeling the impossible weight of keeping everyone satisfied, let alone happy, both take their toll.
This year I've been much encouraged by the long-serving ministries of our missionary partners. They've encouraged me to keep going and not give in to despair. That we struggle together and can help one another. And that what we are called to do and be is ultimately worth it.
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