I’m going to try and make a New Year resolution at the beginning of August to try and not be so critical of the church that we all belong to and love so much - maybe that is the result of a number of days reflection after a holiday away from Church. ‘Church’ is too easy a target, it sets itself up beautifully every time, and, although it can be a great bit of fun and it probably deserves constant censure, it doesn’t do you any good and, at the end of the day, I suppose it doesn’t really do me any good either. I can save it all up for when I retire, if I have the energy then! Being critical has its uses, and it is crucial that Church doesn’t have complete carte blanche – we know the dangers of that all too well, particularly in this country – but, there is no doubt that we need to be a more positive witness in a needy world.

What we really need to concentrate on, as a parish, is getting ‘Church’ to connect, or indeed re-connect, with those who have who have become disenchanted with what Church stands for, what it teaches. In September, there is going to be a ‘Back to Church Sunday’ on Sunday 26^th. It is an opportunity to offer someone a special invite to come (back) to Church on that particular date, and the invitation card is entitled ‘Come as you are’. Perhaps we’ll talk more about that at a later date – back to Church Sunday on 26^th September!

A number of year ago, there was a popular Church Survey Report which actually featured on BBC 2’s Newsnight. It was entitled, ‘Help Your Church Grow’. The participants were not Clergy, but people in the pew, which made it all the more valuable. The Survey helped to show the methods which need to be adopted for the Church to regain its vision and confidence. Vision and confidence!

The Bishop’s recent ‘Ad Clerum’ highlighted the success of the new Seagoe Parish Centre in Portadown. It was the original idea of the then rector, David Chillingworth, now Primus of the Anglican Church in Scotland, and the whole process from conception to completion took ten years. The Bishop says, “Visions take time and tenacity to make real, and perhaps this new centre is a reminder to us that this is a time to seek the Lord’s vision for ten year’s hence”.

Vision and confidence are surely two elements which keep churches alive and positive.

You may well be aware that Glencraig wrote out a very clear and detailed ‘Development Plan’ a number of years ago. It was all connected with the Vicarage family moving out of the Vicarage, the sale of certain sites and all the rest. However, the timing, as it turned out, was rather unfortunate. The property market went to pieces and we all headed for the worst recession, some have said, since the Great Depression. As you will completely understand, we have been deliberately dragging our heels over the whole issue, and rightly so. However, in September, the Hewitts will have lived in their ‘new’ house for the last three years. This ‘Recession’ or ‘Credit Crunch’, or whatever is the latest popular term for it, is probably not going to go away in my lifetime, and perhaps will last way into the next generation.

It’s interesting that our reading this morning is about wealth and money and possessions. The rich fool isn’t a fool because he is rich - by the way, we’re all rich – no, it’s not because he has money, but because he has become an island: he couldn’t see beyond himself and he couldn’t see beyond this world; he was aggressively self-centered.

 

We can all be like that, and we can be like that as a Church sometimes too. Perhaps it is time that we stepped out with vision and confidence and not let ourselves be stifled and nullified and stagnated by lack of ‘turnover’. It’s easy to say, isn’t it? We do not want to stay still and we do not want to become an island. Our first step is to write out a new updated Development Plan; perhaps it’s about time to think creatively and positively towards the future, a time to stop sitting on our assets, if I could put it that way. Vision and confidence will give our Church a whole new perspective.

 

There’s a story I have on which you can decide the moral of the tale – most illustrations have their limitations, and I’d like you to decide on this one yourself.

 

A boat docked in a tiny Mexican fishing village. A tourist complimented the local fisherman on the quality of their fish and asked how long it took to catch them. “Not very long”, they answered in unison. “Why didn’t you stay out longer and catch more?” The fishermen explained that their small catches were sufficient to meet their needs and those of their families.”

“But what do you do the rest of the time?”

“We sleep late, fish a little, play with our children and take siestas with our wives. In the evenings, we go to the village to see our friends, have a few drinks, play the guitar, and sing a few songs. We have a full life.”

The tourist interrupted, “I have an MBA form Harvard and I can help you! You should start by fishing longer every day. You can then sell the extra fish you catch. With the extra revenue, you can buy a bigger boat.”

“And after that?” asked the fishermen.

“With the extra money the larger boat will bring, you can buy a second one and a third one, and so on until you have an entire fleet of trawlers. Instead of selling your fish to a middle man, you can negotiate directly with the processing plants and maybe even open your own plant. You can then leave this little village and move to Mexico City, Los Angeles or even New York City! From there you can direct your huge new enterprise.”

“How long would that take?” asked the fishermen again.

“Twenty, perhaps twenty-five years,” replied the tourist.

“And after that?” said the fishermen. “Afterwards? Well my friend, that’s when it gets really interesting,” answered the tourist, laughing. “When your business gets really big, you can start buying and selling stocks and make millions!”

“Millions? Really? And after that? Asked the fishermen.

“After that you’ll be able to retire, live in a tiny village near the coast, sleep late, play with your children, catch a few fish, take a siesta with your wife and spend your evenings drinking and enjoying your friends.”

According to that email I received, the moral of the story is ‘Know where you’re going in life...you may already be there’. Perhaps you have gleaned a different moral!

The rich man in our parable, the Harvard businessman, and even the fisherman in the tiny village have become islands – they are unable to see beyond themselves and they are unable to see beyond this world. All the plans are based on life in the here and now.

What about building up plans that ensure the survival of the church for generations to come? Remember, we are in this for the long haul, just look in your Prayer Books for the dates of Easter; they are listed for years hence, whatever about the next ten years.

A little vision and a little confidence will ensure that we make plans successfully.