Don't worry I am not about to blog on the vital part that assessing the risk of activities plays in the life of a church ministry. They can be boring and laborious to undertake but are crucial to ensuring that we keep people as safe as possible whilst in our buildings, partaking in activities and involved in various mission projects. Yet I worry that this has had an untold impact on the life of the church. Not only have we assessed the physical risk but the spiritual ones too. There are two core elements to faith, they are risk and fear. We need these to bring in to focus our own faith and the faith of the church.
Over the past couple of weeks Katherine has discovered the wonderful world of stairs. This has brought a couple of bumps, a few tears but mainly great excitement and adventure. As her dad, I worry she will hurt herself but also rejoice that she is discovering all life has to offer for a one year old. The stairs probably fell like a mountain and provide much enjoyment despite the danger(which she seems to be oblivious too). It would be easy for us to put a stair gate on the bottom step and stop her even starting the climb.
Fear is emotion we experience in the presence of a potential risk. Once we begin to face the risk and work through it fear turns to other emotions such as excitement, joy or feeling scared. If we don't risk anything we will never fear and experience these and other such emotions. The church seems to have lost its appetite for risk in its ministry. If we as churches "play it safe" then how will we experience the protection and goodness of God. Didn't God risk everything by giving us His Son?
If we risk nothing we lack faith. I believe in a God who is faithful and is well worth risking everything for.
Matt
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