John 17:21-23 Jesus prays, “that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one – I in them and you in me – so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.”
Sunday Evening 10th September 1988
Our final opportunity to share in Worship in Poznan saw us cross the city to the Evangelical Methodist Church. The church, originally a Lutheran place of worship dating from 1885, became a Methodist place of worship in the 1950s. The Methodist church in Poland is quite small with little over 4000 members across the whole of the country. In the words of greeting, we learned that the church minister of 40 years ministry and who was looking forward to welcoming us, had recently died of a heart attack, so the evening became a testimony of praise and thankfulness for a life of service of this faithful minister.
It was also at this church, a number of years earlier, that Brian had a vision for this campaign.
The church was packed with over 400 gathered from across the free churches of the city united worship. There was a natural affinity with our Methodist cousins particularly as Salvationist share the same Wesleyian heritage. It was here that a dawning began stirring within me. On the one hand I had a sense of rejoicing in the rainbow nature of the church of God and yet a regret that we muddy it’s multifaceted spectrum into a pale representation of the body of Christ by emphasising our differences or claiming our particular viewpoint has greater status than that of another.
As the service proceeded, I recall as a young man presented me with a handmade baton he had whittled from a piece of willow, and in perfect english said, “I would be honoured if you would use this”. The congregation showed their delight as we played a brass transcription of Chopin’s Polonaise. The Colonel in his sermon spoke of the new life in Christ; of the rebirth offered in Christ.
It was moving to hear the congregation and band sharing their testimony in the hymn, “this is my story, this is my song, praising my Saviour all the day long”
You will recall how I needed to alter the tempo of some hymns in order for the congregation sing at a their familiar pace. However, far from being a laborious exercise, it had a significant impact on me. As a child I had often sung the hymn, “Come to the Saviour make no delay” with the refrain, “joyful, joyful will the meeting be,” usually sung to a martial beat. Now at a more sedate contemplative tempo the words took on a new and lasting image. The lesson of that evening remains and is a reoccurring prayer, Lord, slow me down that I might hear your words and find my life in harmony with you.
Just one question today; “At what speed do you take on board the spiritual offerings of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit?” Read the the hymn in a contemplative manner and you will see what I mean.
Come to the Saviour, make no delay,
Here in his word he’s shown us the way;
Herein our midst he’s standing today,
Tenderly saying: Come!
Refrain:
Joyful, joyful will the meeting be,
When from sin our hearts are pure and free,
And we shall gather, Saviour, with thee
In our eternal home.
Come to the Saviour! O hear his voice!
Let every heart leap forth and rejoice,
And let us freely make him our choice;
Do not delay, but come.
Think once again, he’s with us today;
Heed now his blest commands, and obey;
Hear now his accents tenderly say:
Come to the Saviour, come.
Tomorrow on to Warsaw and the sustaining power of God’s Word
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