Monday 26 September 2011

Movng on-where?

I find myself in sympathy with the many who love Jesus but have fallen out of the institutional Church.
In the past I have been fully involved in active 'Charismatic Evangelical' Anglican churches where I did have a contribution- reading and leading intercessions, prayer ministry, home group leader, assisting at Communion services; and have been involved in many courses-lay training, listening and counselling, on prayer, Spiritual Direction and so on. In other words I've been around a long time!
It is not just that recent attempts to belong to a church fellowship have failed; it sems that there isn't a fellowship to join. Certainly no one is interested in what experience I have, what gifts  I may be able to offer. If I don't turn up no-one will miss me. Even in the big church where I was involved I began to suspect that I'd only be missed if I failed to carry out one of my duties!
Is it that I have grown older- I have passed that 70 milestone- and am deemed only useful for filling a pew?
I look for Christian fellowship or church  patterned on the early church where God is allowed to be in charge but those who have this vision, like the Community Churches, are primarily attracting the young and have no place for elders. In fact looking at one website there is a quite specific attempt to dispell the idea that church was for 'old ladies'!

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