From the Regional Team  

Rev Joth Hunt

SEBA Regional Minister
 

Storms of Change

Read Joth's article below, listen to the podcast here or watch his video here.

As I write, I find myself in the middle of a remarkable and concerning week. At the beginning of the week Israel, with America’s support, attacked Iran throwing the world into political and financial uncertainty once again. The global political tectonic plates are moving and a storm of change seems to be hitting the shores across our world.

This all is happening less than a week after our leaders’ and ministers’ conference which was focused on the topic of ‘Navigating Change’. Much of the conference was concerning how we lead in change but there are times when we are called to lead through change.

At the same time we find ourselves in the season of lent, turning our focus toward Christ, who fixed his eyes toward Jerusalem and the cross.

I wonder to myself, what can be said in such a time? What might we learn from Christ’s resilience, focus, obedience and sacrifice at a time when the ground beneath our feet is moving and the storms of change are raging.

My mind in recent days has turned to Peter’s words in 1 Peter 2:

“As you come to him, the living Stone - rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him - you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”

1 Peter 2:4-5 NIV
https://bible.com/bible/111/1pe.2.4-5.NIV

Peter speaks of Christ the rejected rock. It's remarkable how easy it is to reject the very thing that can save you and yet the rejection of the Messiah becomes the very hope and security for the world. It is the very stone chosen and precious to God himself on which a new solid structure can be built. The cross becomes the stone on which we and others are invited to stand and live.

At our conference Nick Cuthbert in his introductory session pointed to three things that don’t change - God, the gospel and the essence of the Church. In such times of uncertainty it is good for us to remind ourselves that life, death and resurrection of Jesus are fixed and secure. No one can remove these facts. These remain to be and always will be the solid and secure cornerstone of our faith; but Peter’s rock analogy doesn’t stop with Christ, he goes on to say to the Church that we too are like living stones being built on the living stone of Christ.

We live in a time when many people are finding their foundations threatened. Foundations of financial security, social freedom and relative political peace is disappearing fast. Our reliance on what has been a fairly peaceful global political order is being turned upside down. It is in such a storm of changing that the solid, firm, secure spiritual home of the Church is paramount. Not for our safety, but that others might also find the security of Christ in a time of insecurity and uncertainty of His people in a storm of change.

In this moment it is vital that we, in faith, allow Jesus to build us into his living temple which, when everything else is changing, remains firm and secure.

Be encouraged by the words of Paul:

“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Romans 8:38-39 NIV

https://bible.com/bible/111/rom.8.38-39.NIV