The Power of Purpose

With the arrival of storm ‘Ali’ it seems like the long dry summer is definitely over.  The new school year has started, the nights are drawing in and the harvest celebrations are upon us.  The seasons have changed, and Autumn has arrived. 

We are facing a new season in the Jackson household too; with our youngest leaving home for university we are now, officially, empty nesters!  Even though our youngest has been largely independent over recent years (and even more so since he passed his driving test), it is an odd feeling now that they have all left home.  No-one bursting into my study to ask where a clean shirt is because he’s late for work, no shouting upstairs to let him know that his tea is ready, no going to bed and wondering what time he’s coming in, etc.  There are some definite plus aspects; the kitchen is a lot tidier, the TV remote stays where we leave it, wet towels are hung up on the towel rails, lights are switched off when rooms are empty and the toilet rolls get changed when they run out.  However, the house seems very quiet, and all the more so because all three of our children were home for a long period over the summer.  We know we will settle into new patterns, but for now things feel a little strange. 

I know that this loss is nothing compared to the grief that friends have had to deal with when they have lost children, or parents they’ve been caring for.  It is also nothing compared to the sense of loss that people can feel when they are made redundant from a job or career that they have committed their lives to.  Any sudden change in our circumstances can make us feel out of balance; like we have been leaning against something for a long time and suddenly it is taken away.

We commit a large part of our lives to caring for our children; clothing them, feeding them, ferrying them places, picking them up when they fall down and more.  Whilst the sort of help they need changes as they grow, they do still need us.  Providing for the care and nurture of our children, or caring for any friend/relative in need, takes us out of ourselves and gives us a purpose in our lives beyond ourselves.

Many experts say that having a purpose that’s bigger than just personal success, makes us more resilient when we are confronted with life’s challenges.  If a key purpose in our lives is the wellbeing of our children, of any other dependent, or success in a career or business, then with that motivation we can overcome all sorts of obstacles and challenges.  That’s also why it can be so destabilising when that purpose is taken away. 

Having a purpose that is bigger than ourselves, something that we may never even complete in our own lifetime, can help energise and fortify us for the storms that life throws at us.  I am always impressed by the many people in our villages that give so much of their time and talents to work for charities at home and abroad, to organise events that bring community together, to volunteer in public office and volunteer in so many other ways that make a positive difference in the lives of others.

We don’t have to read many news headlines to see that our world is messed up, but we also don’t have to look far to see people of many different beliefs that regularly go beyond themselves to help others.  I find it inspiring and encouraging that the local ‘reality’ in many places is very much the opposite of the picture that the media can portray.

It was the desire to see our broken world set on a path to healing and the desire for people to know how precious they are to God, that brought Jesus to earth 2000 years ago.  It was for that bigger purpose that he came and lived among us to show us how life could be, it was for that bigger purpose that he endured all the frustration of working with a dozen guys who were very slow on the uptake and for that bigger purpose that he endured the agony of the cross. 

My own greater purpose is wrapped up in his; to see the world healed and whole again when his Kingdom comes in all its fullness.  My purpose is not to change the whole world, but it is, in my own fallible way (and I know I am very fallible), to share God’s love where I am now; to walk alongside people in their grief, to celebrate with people in the joys of life, to help grow a community that (with all of its differences) loves and cares for each other, and to help people to understand and to know the love that God has for them.  It is what gets me out of bed in a morning and what motivates me to keep going when I’d tired or fed up.

I believe that this is the purpose that Jesus gave to his church and despite the many times in history, and today, that we have got it badly wrong, he still uses his church to make a difference in the world today.

So, whatever season you find yourself in, if you are looking for a new purpose, if you want to explore the big questions of life and faith in a relaxed and informal environment, or if you just want to come along for a drink and listen, can I invite you to join us for a practical exploration of the Christian faith at Alpha in the Pub in the Swan, Kineton starting Tuesday 2nd October at 7.30 (more details on https://www.facebook.com/pg/EdgehillChurches/posts/?ref=page_internal).

Rev Barry Jackson