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WESLEY'S MONTHLY LETTER
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Wesley Loane's monthly letter as it appears in the Bricknell Link
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* Here I stand - I can do no other . . .
* Those of you who know your Church history will know that those words were spoken by a little monk called Martin Luther when confronted by the grace of God against his trying to be
a Christian in his own strength.
By the grace of God I am coming to the end of four years servicing the Lord with you. The fifth looms ahead. I look forward with great joy to serve you another year.
Since coming back from Illness I have been refreshed in proclaiming the power and presence of the Holy Spirit. I do hope you have taken my last letter seriously for I am following a renewing track in my mind for Bricknell.
You will recognise some facets of my ministry that are important to me and my love for His Church grows with the passing of time. Through the years I have learned to let go things that do not matter one iota in the Kingdom.
I have learned to hold lightly to Church politics and lean strongly on the Christ of the Church Instead. Structures change and religiosity fades away but the word of the Lord never ceases to amaze me in its impact and power.
Here are some of my desires as we face a new Methodist year from September:
* I long for your gifts to be released.
*I am called to be the under - shepherd. You are the sheep.
Shepherds don't produce lambs - sheep do!! I really hope you are
getting to grips with the concept of every believer ministry . It is no
different from John Wesley's understanding of The Priesthood Of All Believers.
My task is to encourage you through preaching, teaching and caring to begin to open yourself to the Holy Spirit and learn to minister in His name. Who to? To one another. There are great hidden needs within the congregation and every Sunday there are broken hearts to be mended in every pew! When we become Sensitive to the presence
of the Holy Spirit He gives us a discernment and ability to help such people. We are servants to one another in praying with each other without fear or prejudice. There is more work to be done on a Sunday morning than just listening to a boring old sermon! Minister to one another. Then we minister to other people. There are people who do not believe and are wary of Church people. There are hurting people, seeking people, desiring people, lost people who need what we have got! To be equipped to share that love both verbally and practically is of paramount importance in my book. It is like one blind man telling another blind person where there is some food. We also minister to the Lord. What does Bless the Lord mean if it doesn't mean ministering to Him? That's what I mean when I say the Church is a verb not a noun! You are the Church - be the Church!!
*I long for your hunger to grow.
*You are a wonderful people and Gwyneth and I have grown to love you deeply. You have been very patient as we have introduced new things and new ways. There has been a lovely spirit of harmony as we have moved forward with outward changes. You have indicated your deepening of friendship and openness to His love. I want to warn you that that can die just as quickly as it has developed. We must always be moving on and never stand still. We must have an eagerness to grow spiritually. When we grow spiritually we will grow in numbers and in breadth of vision. To keep any fire burning it needs to be kept stoked up!! Sporadic moving or emotional response
is not what I am looking for. I long to have a people who are hungry or thirsty after righteousness and I am believing that we have the potential in all of you. That is a Big Belief but I believe in a Big God to do Big things. I will feed you if you maintain your hunger and I will keep fresh. I will guide you if you ask me the real questions that are nagging at your hearts and minds. We learn to trust one another through time with each other and openness to the Spirit's guidance.
I could go on but those are the two main desires of my heart as we enter in to September. Please get back to me if you are not understanding or if you want clarification on some of those points please.
I can honestly say Here I stand, I can do no other!!
In His love, Wesley
HERE FOR YOU
As I visit week by week I am becoming conscious of the great needs across the wide scope of people our church embraces.
From time to time people share with me their worries and fears and heartaches and I count it a privilege to listen.
I want to extend those times if there are those who wish to talk more privately or in the confines of the church premises.
I am therefore proposing that on each car wash/coffee morning I make myself available for anyone to come and in confidentiality offload or if need be ask for counselling.
I am a qualified counsellor and if you know of anyone who is especially vulnerable or over anxious or in need of getting it off their chest please let them know.
It is amazing how talking a problem through can lighten the burden;
There are others who specifically need prayer. You are very welcome also.
You may wish to make an appointment to see me on one of those mornings. Give me a ring. I am here for you, remember.
Wesley.
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