TAKE ME TO YOUR LEADER

The final day of my Sabbatical today! Ninety-one days all different, all challenging, all amazing. What a privilege to have been given this opportunity. But what of tomorrow?

I'm guessing it'll feel a bit like going back to school after the summer holidays. That slightly strange feeling in the stomach, a mixture of excitement and nervousness, glad to be back, slightly daunted by what I've missed, wondering if I'll remember everyones name, trying to catch up with what has happened during that time, a sense of anticipation as I see what God is going to do and the opportunities He will bring. The next Faith and Football season starts tomorrow - there are over 60 children signed up, Blue Moon event on Saturday, Alpha starts next Tuesday, it is all exciting to be involved in. Lives will be changed. I can't think of anything more worthwhile for my life than that.

But instead of just doing activities, ticking off the 'to-do' list, organising events, trying to be more creative and relevant, the key thing for me is that in everything I am involved in I make sure that I am pointing people towards Jesus Christ.

Earlier this week I was listening to the Radio 4 Today programme and an item came on that made me dash to look at the calendar. As I listened to the report I was convinced that I had just woken up from a deep sleep and it was 1st April, April Fool's Day. But the calendar assured me that it was still September 2010. The report was exploring the question, 'If an alien landed on earth and they asked, 'Take me to your leader', who would you take them to?' Apparently this has been a significant question in the science community - have they nothing better to do - and a recent conference has decided who that leader will be!

The answer they have come up with is not the President of the United States or the European Union Commissioner or the Pope but a lady by the name of Mazlan Othman, Malaysia's best astrophysicist. It's a long way to go if the alien lands in Fareham and to be honest, I have no idea how I would direct the alien spaceship to Malaysia anyway - other than to log on to Google maps and print them off for them! But now you know! Actually I think I would say that they have already found the leader - me!

But, more importantly, what is my answer when terrestial people ask me - 'Take me to your leader'? Who leads my life, will I be bold enough to lead them to Jesus Christ, to point to Him in everything I do and say and make Him the point person. I don't want to water my faith down, duck the crucial issue, make Him the last thing I talk about, I want to take people to Him.

Paul wrote, 'When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power.' (1 Corinthians 2:1-4)

It seems to me that Jesus is the only person to take people to. That's my resolve as I go back to work having been reminded of His power to change lives. Will you join me in taking people to the Leader of all things?