Sailing in the Spirit

Time for the sailing analogy/illustration/parable.

I first went sailing owing to an enquiry from my son.  I went to the taster day, and liked it.  Loads of people were working hard as volunteers, showing us what to do, creating a happy atmosphere, giving us hotdogs, caring for our kids, etc.  I joined the club.  I learned to sail.  No I wnat others to join and learn too.  I got into a boat.  I read the wind.  I set the sail and caught the wind, and went as it directed.

Spritualise all that!

The club is the church - full of volunteers who work their socks off.

The open day is the evangelistic event - fun, food, friendship, happy atmosphere, kids catered for.  A taster on a boat.  Hooked!

The boat is salvation, it is Christ himself.  We are in Him.  OK it should be a wooden boat to represent the cross, but we'll make do with a plastic one.    It is the thing that I trust my life to.  the place where I will live and move and have my being.  It will keep me afloat in the storms of life, and eventually carry me to my true home.

The wind is of course the Holy Spirit.  He blows where he wills.  we have to read him and go where he directs.  But 'the spirit of the prohpet is subject to the prophet' - we have to set the sails and the tiller, so that through living in Christ and catching the Spirit we will reach our home.

I love those anaolgies, though no doubt the purists among you will spot many theological flaws suggested by over-stretching them.

But on a practical level, come on Church!  If people can put that much effort into a club dedicated to getting boats to go round and round on a lake, then surely - given how much more wonderful and fantastic our salvation through Christ is on every level and in every way imaginable - surely we can also put a bit more effort into God's church and spreading the gospel.