A Charge for the Months Ahead

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

As I begin my three-month sabbatical, I want to leave the parish with something simple and prayerful.

On Sunday we heard Jesus speak about sheep, a sheepfold, a gate, and the voice of the shepherd. At the heart of that passage is a simple truth: the sheep know the shepherd’s voice. They follow because they know him. The Christian life begins there. Not with effort, not with pressure, not with trying to prove ourselves, but with learning to hear and trust the One who calls us.  

So the charge I left with the parish was this:

Father – Identity – Obedience.

That is the pattern we see in Jesus himself. He knows the Father. From the Father he receives his identity. And out of that identity comes his obedience.

It is such an important pattern because we so often get it the wrong way round. We start with obedience. We think that if we do enough, serve enough, or carry enough, then perhaps we will feel like proper Christians and perhaps God will be pleased with us. But that always becomes heavy in the end.

Obedience – Identity – Father is the wrong way round and leads us into a practice of “works”, making us tired and unfulfilled.

Jesus shows us a better way. The Father gives us our identity. We are loved first. Called first. Held first. And then, out of that secure place, we learn obedience.

So over these next few months, my charge is simply this: pray using that pattern.

Father – Identity – Obedience.

Pray that each of us would know the Father more deeply.

Pray that our identity as a parish would become clearer. Who are we here in Hutton? What kind of church is God calling us to be?

And then pray for obedience. Not busyness for its own sake, but the kind of obedience that comes from hearing the Shepherd’s voice and following where he leads.  

That is the future of this parish. Not simply plans and activity, but a people who know they are loved by the Father, who receive their identity in Christ, and who are ready to follow with joy.  

As I head off for this sabbatical, I want to say thank you for all your support, kindness and prayers. I will miss you all while I am away. It is a privilege to serve this parish, and I will be praying for you over these months. Please do pray for me and for Alice too, that I would hear the Good Shepherd’s voice and settle well into this time of rest, prayer and renewal.  

I look forward to seeing what God will do while I am away, and to returning in due course to join in the next chapter of parish life.

So here, once again, is the charge:

Pray. Listen for the Shepherd’s voice. Ask where he is leading us. And be ready to follow.

With every blessing,

Andy.