Over the weekend I read Matt Hyams book, I Still Have More Questions Than Answers. I was initally drawn to it because of the titles… its one of my key phrases I think! Then having a flick through it I saw one of the chapters was titled “Messing up the Church” which grabbed my attention even more! It’s a quick read, I read it on the 6 hour car journey back up from England at the weekend.
Its a very personal account of the journey of Southampton Vineyard and of Matt himself. He writes candidly about his struggles and questions. I was encouraged and challenged and provoked as I read this book… at one point Matt shares how they scrapped their very slick, polished, professional Sunday services where the “professionals” lead the worship, in favour of giving each housegroup responsibility over leading the Sunday services, providing everyone with a chance to bring their gifts to the table . It’s something I’ve been thinking about lately… what we display on Sunday at our meetings is naturally what we put our efforts into. Does it reflect the priorities we want to have, maybe even the ones we say we have?
Matt also shares a bit about his heart for the poor and the broken, things that encouraged me because I often feel them, and still things that challenged me, because I still have so far to go…
“Certainly, we can support work in these countries financially from here but I just cannot believe that this is all Jesus wants for us. It just seems too distant and cold. It seems to cost us so little and, ultimately, it does not really affect our hearts that much…”
“It will cost us to be Christ to them because the very thing that makes them poor in spirit will make them hard to be with.”
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