During my time in England, the team and I have sought to encourage the tiny congregation at St. John’s Church. Over the years, the once vibrant and numerous congregation there has dwindled from hundreds of people to less than ten.
For many years, the church has recognized the possibility of closure do to its declining numbers, finances and resources. Try as they might, the congregation has not successfully won the community to the Lord even at a slow rate. Now, merely keeping the building open is draining the elderly church members of all their strength. Consequently, they voted in January to close the church. They see it as a better use of their gifts and resources to join healthy churches and serve in them rather than fight a losing battle with their own church.
Now, while this sounds logical, it still causes difficulty. The members of the church have faithfully attended and served at St. John’s for years and years. Some have attended for decades, investing entire lifetimes in the church. As St. John’s closes, they must grieve the loss.
Today, the minister at St. John’s preached about Psalm 56:8, which states that God collects all our tears in bottles. He then gave each member of the congregation a glass bottle (the kind you might expect to find floating in the ocean with a treasure map inside) and an envelope containing nine squares of colored paper. Three pieces are blue, three are red and three are green.
On the blue squares, the congregation will grieve. They will record the sadness they feel because St. John’s is closing. Then they will drop these blue papers into the bottle as a way to symbolize giving them to God. Interestingly, once you place the papers in the bottle, it is almost impossible to retrieve them again. Similarly, once you give your grief to God, He carries it forever. You no longer have to deal with it on your own.
On the red squares, the church members will write the things about St. John’s that they have been grateful for over the years. These may be fond memories, conversion experiences, good friends, etc.
On the green squares, the people will record how St. John’s has helped them grow in Christ.
Finally, the congregation is to place the red and green squares beneath the bottle on their mantles at home. When they remember St. John’s, they won’t be able to dwell on their grief. All their sadness is safely hidden in the bottle. However, they can easily access the papers which record their gratitude and growth. In this way, they will always focus on God’s faithfulness, and the way in which He uses all things for good.
As I listened to this sermon, it struck me how this bottle analogy relates to my own life. I’m not losing my church, but I’ve cried plenty of tears over the years. I’m sure I’ll cry many more as well. At the same time, I also have many reasons to express gratitude and many memories of how I’ve grown in the Lord.
The glass bottles I saw today remind me that God carries all my tears too. I need not dwell on them. He holds them safely in His hands. Instead, I should make a habit of giving up all my future tears to God and dwelling on the wonderful ways I’ve seen Him work. I should be thankful and praise His name every day.
