Mission

‘Across Lincs’ Mission Walk

Two teams of six men walked across Lincolnshire at the beginning of June. One team started at the Humber Bridge and the other at Sempringham., the final destination was Lincoln Cathedral: Christians from various walks of life who’ve come from Shropshire, Cambridgeshire, Yorkshire, Norfolk, Nottingham, Newcastle, Blackpool and Lincoln were taking part in the mission. It was not so much a pilgrimage as a walk of proclamation in partnership with many local churches.

The teams on this ‘Across Lincs’ mission walk have been involved in a whole variety of activities in partnership with local churches – school assemblies, men’s and ladies’ breakfasts, quiz evenings and coffee mornings, getting alongside young people and older people, praying with folk on their doorsteps and even in the street, stopping to chat on rural byways or in a Farmers’ Market or late at night outside a club.

All of the team members have either preached or given testimony in churches large and small across a whole range of denominations along the route – churches who have stepped out in faith and discovered the God of Mission to be guiding them and inspiring them. It is this God, the Living God, who is calling out to people in the midst of their daily lives.

Throughout the twelve days the team were borne up by people’s prayers, and at times were aware of the Lord’s voice saying ‘This is the way, walk in it’. They have known His Spirit’s presence when trying to discern who we should be in conversation with – whether at one of the specially arranged events like a garden party or BBQ, or simply visiting a pub at the end of the day. God by His Holy Spirit had prepared the way for His Word to be heard.

A couple had decided to invite their whole village of 200 people to a Garden Party at their home. About 80 people accepted the invitation. On the day the weather was warm and sunny as we walked across the fields to their area. The vicar and curate took us by car the last part to the Garden Party after helping us to set up base-camp in the parish church. The clouds were getting darker and as we and others arrived there was light rain but everyone was obviously glad to have been invited by these valued neighbours. People loaded up their plates with food and went under cover to keep dry. In one gazebo one of our number, who is a member of the Fellowship of Christian magicians, entertained the children, but we were wondering which of the other two gazebos we should use for the planned community hymn singing? I positioned myself with guitar at the side flap of one tent where I could see as many people as possible, and we started singing ‘Amazing Grace’. At this point the rain seemed to stop and people stood in a semicircle outside the tent as well as inside. One of our number, a farmer, spoke of the way lost sheep are redeemed for a price after being carefully collected together and placed in a pen to be claimed by their true owners – a wonderful illustration from his own part of the country. I spoke of the way Jesus on the cross broke the power of sin, evil and death and brings us life in all its fullness through His transforming love. We sang ‘I heard the voice of Jesus say come unto me and rest’ and ‘To God be the glory great things He has done’, and we led people in a prayer of coming back to God or coming to God for the first time. Later, I was told that many in the gathering were not regular churchgoers but valued greatly their host’s faith in Christ and interest in them as people. We pray that God’s Word will be at work in their hearts through His Holy Spirit in the coming weeks and months to draw each one to Himself.

Elsewhere, there were those we met, (who seemed to be ‘outsiders’), who were glad to be told there was a God who loved them, who were making the wonderful discovery that they were indeed included in God’s plan. Salvation was coming to their house! But there were others we met who seemed to have hardened their hearts to the glory of the Gospel and the reality of God’s judgement, and who would perhaps be just as unmoved if we were to lead them gently by the hand round this great Cathedral and show them the same story of God’s salvation and judgement told in the sculptures and stained glass here. Report from Rev Canon Ian Silk