Noah's ark becomes church

We broke into the third story today at LRC - "The Flood".  I made an ark of chairs and told the story of Noah standing within the ark.   The ark then became "church" - the place of holiness, separate from a world of sin and rebellion.  I wondered what would then happen when I invited them to enter the ark if they wanted to.  All but two came in and we prayed for each person in turn anointing them with oil.  There could be no doubt of the spiritual hunger, especially the desire for spiritual healing for all the pain of the years - years of wandering across Europe in the hope of finding a life worth living.  A lad of 9 had helped me do the translation work for the story sitting in the garden of our local pub as his parents washed cars. He posed the fascinating question: "did the snake enter the ark?" The Roma have a fearful fascination with snakes.   He learnt his excellent English in Ireland and now we're seeking schools for him and his siblings.  The service was followed tonight by wonderful Roma food - "galushti" or "salmale" - we had spent 30 minutes searching for the right kind of cabbage finally to find it in Lydl.  All the food went fast and we are going to have to increase the quantities.

Meanwhile, God helped one family find just enough work to pay the £700 monthly rent and avoid eviction.  "Seek first the Kingdom of God..." - they're just beginning to get the link between faith and provision - "ask and you will receive".  But I always feel I'm walking a theological tight-rope with these verses.  The dangers of preaching a prosperity Gospel are never far away:  "just believe and come to church and your material needs will all fall away!"  This is just a whiff away from heresy, and risks setting up people for later disappointment and subsequent loss of faith.  However, to fail to speak of a God who is poised ready to bless those who turn to him in their deepest need, would be equally irresponsible.  

The invitation to come to worship has to be unconditional.  This isn't easy to achieve, especially when you find a TV and a whole audio system for a guy who rolls up at church to pick it up, and then disappears happily in his car.  But Jesus never put any kind of pressure on folk to follow him.  The worst possible mistake would be to offer people material rewards for attending.  We have to leave God room to reveal himself.   This happened in a special way tonight.  The black sheep of the community came sheepishly along.  He was welcomed by all present.  It must have cost him everything to walk in the door.  May God give him the courage to enter the ark of faith.