July 2010 Email Temptation


whether this was of the Lord or not.


Distraction


When I was on Sabbatical in France I received an email from a friend who is an associate vicar in a very large evangelical church in one of England’s larger cities. The content of the email took me by surprise as at the time I had just returned from a great trip to Uganda to visit our partners there and I was just about to start reading and thinking around what was happening at St George’s in regard to the p r o p o s a l s a b o u t Christchurch.


Sleepless nights


My friend was inviting me to apply for the position of vicar as his church had just advertised for a new incumbent and he thought that I would be good for the job. Of course there would be others applying it was a well known church, but from having been certain about what was going on in Stamford and pursuing God’s will for St George’s I was thrown into an inner turmoil and had three or four very restless nights tossing and turning wondering what I was supposed to do and


I read the parish profile which was attractive, I talked to people who knew the church, I thought about living and working in a new place and all the potential of working in a big city with a large church building and a thriving student mini s t ry. Humanly speaking it was all very attractive, but underneath I just had a nagging sense that it was a complete distraction from what the Lord really wanted me to do in Stamford, especially with the potential opportunities that were opening up wi th Christchurch. After four days I emailed my friend back and said that I was hugely tempted but there was too much to do where I was and so I would have to say no. Phew, breath a sigh of relief, got that out of the way, or so I thought. A few days later he came back to me with some arm twisting. He told me that he had that week heard Nicky Gumbel say that you know you have the right person when they say no! Would I reconsider?


Called to Stamford


I thought about it again, I rang him up for a chat, I talked to some more people and second time around it was much easier to say no again. That


doesn’t mean that it has been easy to say no, especially the longer the Sabbatical went on and the more we felt removed from day to day events in Stamford, we asked ourselves have we done the right thing (the church in question has now made a great appointment). I know they say ministers often move on af ter a sabbatical, I want to reassure you that I have been tested on this, not through my own plans or forethought and I have no plans to leave St George’s. I believe that the Lord has put me in this position at this particular time for a reason. Of cour se somebody else could lead St George’s it is not dependant on me and tha t wa s proved brilliantly by the Wardens and staff team whilst I was away. I do not know the future, but I believe looking back that the Lord has brought us to Stamford and these local opportunities appear to be opening up partly because I have been around for the last fourteen years and whatever happens I am in a position of not having to get to know the local scene which would stall or slow everything down and perhaps miss the opportunity that the Lord is wanting to create for the ongoing work of His kingdom.


Yes I was tempted by what for me was power and glory but in the end it just did not sit right with what I believe is God’s call on my life.


www.stgeorgeschurch.net Inside this


Edition … Page 2—Mission News


Page 3— Stamford Hospital


Page 4—New Word Alive Interview


Page 5—Ridge Walk Creation Care


Page 6—Book Review


Page 7—Diary Dates Sermon Series


Page 8 —What’s on…


bGh_


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8