The Room of Hidden Things

I have just spent the afternoon with two fantastic people clearing out the vestry/office/room of hidden things* at church. It is amazing how much stuff is accumulated in such a small room. Things that people don't want to make a decision about throwing away, things with sentimental value, things that were useful at some time but we couldn't remember when. When there is no sense of ownership over a room nobody takes responsibility for what it contains. 


I've been reading with interest the posts on Beyond 400 - 40 Baptist Voices discussing the future of the Baptist Union. Today's post from Beth Allison http://www.beyond400.net/blogger/listings/beth-allison asks the question 'Why am I Baptist?'. Some people might think I am Baptist because I was born this way. Perhaps that has something to do with it! However, one of the reasons that I am still Baptist is because of the commitment to the local church. Baptists are governed by their own church members. The church members will make the decisions on anything the church does. The church becomes a local church for local people (in a good way, not a scary village pub way). The church members feel a sense of ownership - they are the church where, under God's guidance, they are involved in decision making where it matters deeply to them about what happens next. Sometimes this can cause problems when we disagree, but a community of believers who are truly following God can move forward together. The members take responsibility for what happens next. 


I think that the problem we have in discussing the future of the Baptist Union is that ordinary people in ordinary churches don't always see the bigger picture. We forget about the wider union because we cannot see past our own churches that we are committed to. 


As the Union seeks to clear out its room of hidden things so that where God is taking us becomes more evident, the Baptist churches who are part of the union need to do so too. As part of a movement we can walk with one another and support one another but to do that we need to get rid of some of the baggage we are carrying, some of the stuff that sits around waiting for someone to claim it and look at one another, appreciate the diversity and step out in faith. The problem with independence is that when things are going well we forget that we are part of a movement that is bigger than us. Those churches who have hidden the Baptist Union in their room of hidden things perhaps need to go and find it, understand it and explore the things that are made possible by being part of a wider movement, not just for themselves but for other churches around them.


It makes me sad when I hear of churches in the same town who won't speak to one another. It makes me even sadder when I hear of Baptist Churches in the same town who don't speak to one another. If people don't make an effort to speak to their neighbours how can they grasp the bigger picture? 


I love being Baptist, and as a Baptist I look to Christ in all that I do. 






*room of hidden things - Harry Potter hides his spell book in here in one of the books, it's full of stuff people have wanted to put in a safe place.