New Life Church

God spoke to me recently from Psalm 84 v 10 “Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the House of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked”.

Being a “doorkeeper” has rather negative overtones these days – the over zealous secretary or doctor’s receptionist acting as a gatekeeper protecting her boss from his clients, the dodgy club doorman turning a blind eye to drug taking and underage party-goers. But, in a way I am a “doorkeeper in the House of my God”  - not so as to keep people out but rather to welcome them in, both on Sundays and when I sit by the door during the week. Being a doorkeeper to the psalmist was obviously the lowest possible position, yet I think God still thinks it important. The doorkeeper is the first person anyone meets on entering a building and first impressions count!

Whilst it is great to see people coming in, we are also called to “go (out) into all the world and preach the gospel”. I feel very privileged that I am able to visit and get to know people in their own homes, in residential homes, or sometimes simply on the streets. I am continually amazed at how ready, desperate even, people are to talk about their hurts and disappointments to someone who really wants to listen.

We can have a very narrow view of what it means to “preach the gospel”. Someone told me recently that the reason they like being around people in our church is because “You don’t continually ram God down my throat. You only talk about Him when He comes up in conversation”. The same person said that they were amazed that people in NLC litter pick the streets. My answer was that the reason we do it is because it is a way of sharing Jesus’ love with them. Yes, there is a time to speak out, but I believe that some of the things I am privileged to be involved in - like Coffee & Books (our monthly reading group), Tea@3 (monthly social for retired people), picking up rubbish and visiting the lonely and the hurting in our community, are also part of sharing the good news.

See you soon,

Marion

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