Malcolm Potts July 13th 2014 ~ Eye of the storm
Jenny Maclean came to prayers on Thursday. We do pray but we also read and discuss a passage of scripture.It is often a bit like the Charlie Brown cartoon where Lucy asks Charlie and Linus what they can see in the clouds. Linus says he sees Hades seducing Kore into the underworld and Andromeda chained to a rock suffering for her father’s hubris.“That’s good,” says Lucy. “What about you Charlie Brown?”Charlie says. “Well…..I was going to say I could see a puppy and a horsey and a fishy but I changed my mind.”As we look at the passage of scripture on Thursday, the boys burble on with Theology 307. But Jenny cuts right through it and says, “Well…..I just see a storm with Jesus’ stillness in the eye.”What a brilliant picture. If only I could just be where Jesus is - still, at the centre.I visit Dennis and want to be able to do something but there is nothing to do, little of material worth to offer. Can I find a still centre?I go to a community group meeting and there is so much rejection, disappointment and discouragement there. What should I do? What can I do? Can I just seek Jesus’ grace, love and stillness at the centre of their storm.What about the budget? What about the happy people and the unhappy people, sick people, stuck people? What should I do? Maybe just be still at the centre with Jesus. He certainly isn’t in the storm.You’ll notice on the wall is a poster that captures your feedback of a couple of months ago around what we value about St Philips. Thankfully it is balanced - being as well as doing. There is stillness there.I was saddened this week to read that John McIntyre had died suddenly at just 62. Johnny Mac as most people knew him was a long-haired, clever ratbag who was a priest in Melbourne. It was John who I heard speak at Uni before I was a Christian. What John said began the Spirit’s work to turn my life upside down and lead me into life-long friendship and followship of Jesus.John was the minister in Redfern in Sydney for 16 years - a job that no one wanted. He frightened lots of people; they didn’t know what to do with him. He loved all the wrong people. Hilariously, John was out of work in 2006 and applied for a Bishop’s job in Gippsland in Victoria. He has been the Bishop of Gippsland ever since. I always thought it an appointment that showed God’s sense of humour.Not long before he died, John said, “God’s mission has a Church. [Growing churches is not our aim. Our aim is a singular allegiance to Jesus.]” The church will grow when God’s people have a singular allegiance to Jesus. I agree with John.I have a lot to thank John for; he was unafraid of the storm and never shirked it. He never shirked it because of his confidence that there was and is an eye of truth, justice and peace that blossoms when we have a singular allegiance to Jesus. This week’s hot tip? Jesus, only Jesus. Malcolm