Get Out of the Fridge, Stay Fed and Stay Bubbly
As I write this, here in New Zealand we find ourselves in the thick of an unusual election with an uncertain outcome. Around the world, politics continues to polarise, long-standing alliances are being tested, and conflict and division never seem far from the headlines. Closer to home, our own movement continues to walk through the tension of change, adapting to new structures and ways of being together as we seek to respond faithfully to God’s call in a rapidly changing environment.
In that context, I want to pause and simply say thank you. Thank you to you all for your ongoing faithfulness to God’s call on your life and also the calling He has for us together. Specifically, thanks to those who have engaged so positively in the Financial Principles journey we have been on together over the past 18 months. The thoughtful conversations, questions, feedback and willingness to participate reflect our shared commitment to strengthening the mission God has entrusted to us.
Amid all the noise, uncertainty and change, it is important to continually pause, and remember that we serve a God who is constant. He encourages us to ‘be still, and know that (He is) God’ (Psalm 46:10). Before we react, strategise or worry, we remember that God is still God of the nations. Nothing taking place around us has taken Him by surprise.
At the same time, being still is not the same as retreating.
We cannot withdraw into a comfortable existence (even within our church life) and disengage from the world God
loves. We are called to remain active participants in His mission of grace, hope and reconciliation.
This brings me to a hobby I have recently taken up: sourdough breadmaking. One thing I’ve discovered is that a sourdough starter can’t stay hidden away in the fridge. To thrive and have influence, it needs to come out, be fed, and get active and bubbly ready for the dough.
Perhaps there is a lesson there for us. In a world marked by division and uncertainty, God’s people are called to stay spiritually nourished, actively engaged and full of life. As we remain close to Jesus, His influence works through us like yeast through dough, quietly but powerfully bringing transformation wherever we find ourselves.
Major Bryant Richards
Territorial Secretary for Business Administration
