We are I don’t know how many weeks into Lockdown and things feel a bit messy.
The house is not looking its best. The garden should be looking better. And I’m not looking very tidy either.
The next few weeks are feeling messy too.
Some are still to stay at home, some are to go to work, and classrooms are feeling messy because the no-one is quite sure what’s happening next.
But I need to remind myself that Messy is not all that bad.
God works with Messy and if He can then I can try that too.
God saved the city of Ninevah that was Messy using a man who wouldn’t do as he was told. Jonah 1.
He changed the Messy heart of a tyrannical Christian-hater and made him the best church planter. Acts 9.
He forgave someone who denied Him. John 21.
Chose a small boy to be King (1 Samuel 16) who gets it spectacularly wrong (2 Samuel 11-24) but uses him to save the world (Isaiah 11).
God does Messy.
And so as Rev Jane and I prepare for a session of online Messy Church, I reflect on what Messy feels like and hold it to God for Him to do something with it. Even though we are in Lockdown and the Churches are closed – more people are searching for prayers and joining church services than ever before. Even though we cannot meet – people are sharing more, caring more, praying more and doing more for their neighbours and neighbourhoods.
God takes Messy and works with it.
For God takes a group of people with anger issues, ego issues, money issues, mental health issues, trust issues, and calls them disciples and friends.
He takes people who are struggling with life, struggling with death, struggling with the world, struggling with worries, and calls them His children.
God does Messy.
And the crime has been those times when we’ve assumed we need to smarten up, tidy up, clean up, and dress up ourselves and our words and our families and our lives before we can walk into His church or call on His name or be part of what He is doing.
And the sadness comes when we feel like we need to hurt less, cry less, spend less, shout less, talk less, be more selfless in order to be loved by Him.
But God does Messy.
God sent His Son in to this Messy World that it may see His Love more.
And His Son died a Messy Death so that the World might be saved from the guilt and shame of being Messy.
And Jesus rose from the Dead to show what Messy Love can do for Messy People like the disciples and like us.
So…if like me…you feel a little Messy at the moment then that is fine.
There is nothing you can do to make God love you less and there is nothing that He asks of you to make Him love you any more than He does right now.
And if…like me…you need a little permission to be messy and feel messy then God says Let’s Do Messy.
If you can, enjoy this week ahead. Find some messy things to do that bring you happiness and joy.
If you want to deal with any of the messy then we can talk and pray…but I’m not tidying up before you call.
And remember – sometimes things need to look a little more Messy before they get better again and that’s fine too.
Stay safe. Know that you are loved. May God Bless you and all the Messy we are dealing with right now. Amen