Dear friends

I went to see Yeovil play Stevenage last month – my first trip to Huish Park. I was taken by friends, and I said I would only go if Yeovil won. And we lost by six goals to nil. Six goals! At the annual meetings for our two churches this year, I pointed out six biblical goals, and our churches need to score every one of them.

Jesus says to Herod, ‘I will drive out demons and heal people today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will reach my goal.’ Jesus is speaking about his his death, though mention of the third day makes us want to add his resurrection also. Good Friday and Easter were the goal of his ministry, the completion of his work, and therefore the very heart of our faith. One goal.

Galatians 3:3: ‘Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?’ Here the goal is to be saved and put right with God. And this is not achieved by human effort, but by God’s grace, as the Holy Spirit applies Jesus’ death and resurrection to our hearts. Two goals.

2 Corinthians 5:9: ‘We make it our goal to please him.’ This is indeed our aim, as individual believers and as churches. Jesus is raised, Jesus is Lord, and so our goal is to please him in faith, love, and obedience to his word. Three goals.

1 Timothy 1:5. ‘Command certain men not to teach false doctrines nor to devote themselves to myths… the goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.’ This goal has to do with love, unity and purity within the fellowship of the church through keeping our teaching and doctrine sound and true. We all have a role to play in ensuring that what we teach, and what we devote ourselves to, is not false doctrine or empty myths. Four goals.

Philippians 3:14. ‘I press on towards the goal.’ This is about perseverance in our faith, because it won’t always be easy, and indeed it will sometimes be hard and frustrating work. We can’t sit down, we can’t rest on our laurels, we haven’t arrived, we need to keep pushing forwards for God, in our own lives, and in the life of our churches. Five goals.

1 Peter 1:9. ‘Though you do not see him, you love him, you believe in him, and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.’ The end of it all is salvation for our souls: we shall be with the Lord for ever, and this should enable us to love him and believe in him and rejoice. Great things that should mark our church life: love, faith and joy. So that’s six goals.

Jesus died and rose. We are saved by grace. We respond in obedience. We maintain sound doctrine. We press on in our work. We have the joy of knowing that we are safe for ever.

I’d have liked the Glovers to score some goals. But our churches matter more, and our goals matter much more. The health and vibrancy and love and truth and joy and faith that should mark us out – these things matter. Thank you for caring about the church life God has given us together.

We need a new leader.  Rowan Williams has announced that he will cease to be Archbishop of Canterbury at the end of the year.  While the media enjoys the rather unseemly promoting of favoured candidates, what we need to do is pray. First, for Archbishop Rowan in all that lies ahead for him, as he presides over debates on women bishops, the Anglican Covenant, the redefining of marriage, and as he writes and speaks and ministers in his current and future roles.  And then we need to pray for those with responsibilities in the appointments process – for prayerfulness and faithfulness, as they look for someone who can lead ordinary Christians and ordinary churches in mission and ministry, while holding their own on the national and international stage, as ambassadors for Christ at all levels.  And in due course we shall really need to pray for the next Archbishop of Canterbury. Christ is little honoured in our nation; Christian values are increasingly seen as old-fashioned and bigoted; the Church of England is in decline; the Anglican Communion is deeply divided.

But it’s Easter time, and actually we need no new leader at all.  We already have a leader who is one with God the Father from all eternity, appointed and anointed by God, announced in advance by his prophets, sent to earth as history’s only envoy from heaven, the greatest teacher, healer, leader of all time.  We have a leader who has voluntarily given his life for us in personal pain and at immeasurable cost, to redeem us from our sin and captivity, to free us into new life with God, accepted, forgiven and loved.  We have a leader who has conquered every enemy, even death itself, on our behalf, rising to life triumphant and glorious, and who now reigns from the throne of heaven.  Do you need a new leader? No.  This leader is committed to you by divine covenant, gracious towards you in selfless patience and tenderness, and utterly dependable as a rock in every storm.  He warned us 2000 years ago of social upheavals and ecclesiastical waywardness; those things may distress us, but they should not take us by surprise.  And they should certainly not shake our faith in the Lord of Easter, who will never step down and never be replaced.

Jesus lives! For us he died;

Then, alone to Jesus living,

Pure in heart may we abide,

Glory to our Saviour giving.

With all best wishes – James.