William Temple, theologian and Archbishop of Canterbury, was fond of reminding us that the church exists primarily for the sake of those who are still outside it. Or, as he also sometimes put it, the church is “the only organization that exists solely for the benefit of non-members.”
I was reminded of these words on the second Sunday in Lent, when the gospel reading had Jesus telling us that “those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it.” (Mark 8:35)
It’s important that we always keep this in mind. It is tempting, as church leaders and members, to become preoccupied with saving the church, when in fact, what we are called to do is love and serve the world. Churches that are focused on survival and self-preservation struggle, whereas churches that are outwardly focused on the needs of their neighbours and on serving the community, tend to thrive.
There are a lot of good news stories in our diocese of parishes that are outwardly focused and are serving the needs of their communities. In the South Island, St Andrew, Sidney is preparing to serve its 100,000th bowl of soup. In the North Island, St Columba, Port Hardy continues to operate the sunrise sanctuary, which offers warmth and comfort to unhoused and chaotically housed folk in Port Hardy who just need to get warm and be safe. I am proud to serve in such a diocese.
At the end of this month, we will celebrate Easter. The tomb will be empty, Christ will not be there. He will already have gone on ahead of them into Galilee.
May we, as Christians, never be tempted to sit at the empty tomb, but always and everywhere be following the risen Christ out into the world. Christ spent no time berating the disciples for abandoning him, nor did he do the “woulda, coulda, shoulda,” suggesting that it all could have gone better, that he could have been more “successful.” No, Christ simply rose up and went on ahead of the disciples, calling them to follow him and to tend the sheep, feed the lambs and be his body in the world. May we go and do likewise, trusting in Jesus’ words: “For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it.”
