Money 2: Thank you Miss Minnelli

How we do discipleship as a church is an endlessly perplexing thing. We can’t just leave it to a moment of brilliance in a sermon to change everybody en masse – although I live in hope (of a moment of brilliance.) We can’t assume that everyone, individually, will pore over the scriptures, sit with the writings of the Early Church fathers and amend their lives faithfully and accordingly. And we can’t even rely on each other to wisely guide us and to be there with scriptural insight or challenge when we need it – if there is one thing Christians have in common it’s our inconsistency. For me it is often in the place of worship or prayer that the Holy Spirit simply does a bit of heart or mind surgery; or rather more straightforwardly Revd Lee Barnes tells me how to be a holier man. Where does discipleship happen? All of the above, but perhaps put most simply, where the Holy Spirit is. A Bible (closed or open) is no assurance of discipleship, but the Spirit of God dwelling in the willing heart of a human being is the arena for discipleship. Our eyes turn Christ-wards.

What has worked for us in the last month is bringing the ‘money’ issue to the heart of our community – a discipleship issue no longer in the ‘awkward cupboard’ but in that arena of the Spirit. We’ve had teaching, communication, conversations, scripture, Liza Minnelli, PowerPoint bar-charts, worship, homegroup discussion, Abba, PCC meetings, youth group teaching, prayer meetings. I’ve enjoyed us paying attention together, coming at it from all angles, so much in fact that I’m wondering if we should do the same with ‘prayer’ in Lent 2013. (We’ve got Moses, Encounters from John’s gospel and Christmas to squeeze in before then.)

So a thank you for the open hearts and hands in the last month. Many have reflected and given significant gifts for our general funds or for specific projects. And many have reviewed and increased their standing orders. Your PCC meets to pray about our finances on 17^th June and on June 26^th we meet to make decisions. Pray for us to hold together the call to be faithful stewards of our income and expenditure and the call to lead a community of faith.

If this is a time when you might begin or increase your standing order to the Abbey then we’d appreciate it if you could do that in the next week before our meetings. If you don’t yet GiftAid your giving and you are a UK tax payer, it is very, very beneficial to the Abbey if you do so as soon as possible. Our Abbey Treasurer Chris Jager (chrisjager@malmesburyabbey.com) or GiftAid secretary Jim Druett will be happy to help, confidentially. You can get their phone numbers from Sandie in the parish office (01666 826666). Please note that myself and the Abbey leadership have no idea what anybody gives.