Searching for the Soul of the Church

A friend of mine passed me on a wonderful book recently about the soul of Irish rugby. It explores the way the sport has transcended religious and political divisions in Ireland and brought people together in a unique way. The professional era has seen Ireland, a small country in terms of population, top the world rankings on a number of occasions. There’s a sense in which it is punching above its weight, and the underage and club structures seem to be producing a constant crop of outstanding talent who are making a significant impact on the game at every level.

What’s beautiful about this book is that the writer travels to all these ordinary clubs all over the island, north, south, east and west and meets, at firsthand, the ordinary people who get involved in their local club. They are players, coaches, mini bus drivers, fundraisers, and builders. They are business people who form partnerships and sponsorship deals with local businesses and keep these small clubs going in the most unlikely of places.

The book speaks to some of Ireland’s best known players in the professional and amateur eras, but it doesn’t stop there. It speaks about the challenges people have overcome to keep playing and supporting the game through the troubles, when even international teams stopped travelling to Ireland because of the terrorist threat. It speaks to the characters who have worn the green jersey of Ireland and these amazing characters that run and support their local clubs. Sometimes, they have come to live in Ireland from abroad, but found themselves drawn into the community and camaraderie as their children started to play in the local club. They speak of the friendships forged as they travel around the country playing at whatever their level is, and their commitment and passion for the sport is infectious.

Reading a book like this got me thinking about the local church.

When I started to write these blogs about 5 years ago during the pandemic to stay in touch with parishioners, I wanted to try to open a window for those who might be curious about what goes in the world of churches and faith communities.

Sometimes there is a bit of mystery surrounding these places. People feel more than a bit apprehensive about coming in to explore for themselves. Maybe they have had a bad experience of church during their childhood or early life. Maybe they have an impression of the type of people who go to them and they feel like they are not good enough or wouldn’t fit in. Maybe they feel that the things they are grappling with in their daily lives might exclude them, and that it’s no place for ordinary people who are plagued by self doubt, mixed motives and loads of questions about the meaning of life and finding your purpose. Sometimes that quest has led people down various pathways but failed to bring any hope or meaning or purpose.

Just as so many people in this book were touched by the magic of the rugby community and its inspirational people who seem to keep going in spite of the odds, so the church never ceases to amaze me.

I love the way it crosses the generational barriers. One of the most impactful churches in my life was made up primarily of people who were at least 50 years older than me when I was in my twenties. They offered me opportunities to study the Bible with them. They befriended me when I came from another country, they were patient with my struggles to understand and speak the language, and it was a joy to learn from them and from their wisdom.

I love the variety of groups that meet in church halls up and down the country. In the one where I currently work you will find everything from toddlers to a ladies’ afternoon friendship group. You will find youth organisations, pickleball, a choir and praise group. You will see crafters and flower arrangers, practitioners of pilates, Bible studies in people’s homes, prayer groups and courses on exploring faith and mental health struggles. You will find people connecting and phoning and supporting one another, taking people to appointments and doing their shopping when they are not so well. You’ll find people coming together to pray for the sick and worship together and trying to walk with others who are keen to put God at the very centre of their lives, and it’s a beautiful thing.

It can be a messy thing, too. People fall out and misunderstand each other. Some people are more careless than others and we don’t get it right all the time. Yet there’s nowhere I’d rather be.  

I continue to be moved and encouraged and blessed by the wonderful people who, mobilised by the love and the Spirit of Jesus, continue to transform the world and invite me to be a part of that journey with them.

Please join us, if you have children or grandchildren of primary school age, on Friday from 3.30-5pm for a wonderful afternoon of crafts, games, Bible teaching, food and fun as we enjoy another Messy Church afternoon together in the church hall.

Look forward to speaking again soon.

Much love to everyone,

Jono.

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