Sometime ago now, actually it was in the summer of 1999. When I was driving through Theydon Bois were I use to live down into Abridge the village where I was born. I was being challenged in my spirit that I have travelled around the world as missionary sharing the Good News of Jesus. But never where my christian walk began.
I met with the vicar of Lambourne Church to discuss a memorial stone. This gave me an opportunity to share what was on my heart. Rev Roger Gayler shared that in 2020 it was celebrating 900 years of church at Lambourne – “ and still serving the community”.
A meeting was arranged with the other churches in the village the Encounter Church who meet in the village community hall and The Abridge Free Church who all decided to work together and have a mission weekend.
Saturday morning a Community Breakfast
The Community Breakfast saw around 40 people arriving to enjoy a full english breakfast it was going to be a little different. Because Peter Ruck was introduced as the local lad who had come to share his story.
Peter began telling everyone how he was born in the village and beginning of his story, Right at the beginning as there were three churches working together stressing the importance of the churches working together to reach out to the people in the community. He shared the story and Parable of the lost sheep it is one of the parables of Jesus. The story is all about a Shepherd who leaves his flock of ninety-nine sheep for the one which is lost.
Luke 15:3-7 New International Version (NIV)
3 Then Jesus told them this parable: 4 “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? 5 And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 6 and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbours together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ 7 I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.
Peter asked everyone were are you today? Are you in that Dark Valley are you lost like that sheep? Can you hear your name being called God want’s to save you and heal just like the sheep who was caught in the bush!
He ended by sharing the importance of Cross and how Jesus died for us to set us free from our sin – sharing John 3:16.
Peter said, this was a fore taste of the Sunday evening meeting “Songs & Stories that everyone was invited too.
