Norwich poet and author Rachel Snell believes that revival is coming to Norwich and a united church must go alongside it.
Revival is coming to Norwich - that is what has been prophesied. When it comes the local church will want the people of Norwich and beyond to know about Jesus, that He is God's Son. What is necessary in order for this to happen?
The answer to this question can be found in Jesus prayer for us, in the gospel of John's Chapter17: 20-26. His prayer for us was that 'We would all be one,' one in heart and one in mind, as God is; verse 21 'You Father are in Me and I am in You.' Our being one in God speaks to the world. As Jesus says 'they might believe that Jesus was sent by the Father.' That will be the result.
Clearly unity is very close to the heart of Jesus. It is also to mine. My journey of faith has taken me through many denominations. My mother was Jewish and my father from a Quaker family. I was brought up Quaker until I was nine, when my parents became Roman Catholic. I attended RC schools and college and remained RC well into my adult life. Then I felt the Lord was calling me out into an Evangelical Charismatic Anglican church, where I worshipped for many years. Now I attend a Pentecostal church.
The unity of which Jesus speaks, our being one in God, need cause us no concerns or anxiety. We have been given the where-with-all to be as unified and together as Jesus is with the Father. This Jesus makes clear in His prayer. We have been given the same glory that was given by the Father to the Son, - verse 23. 'I in them and you in me.' He has given us his glory so that we will be one. We will be mature, living in this complete unity. This will be evidence to the godless world that 'You, Father, have sent me and loved them in the same way you have loved me.'
With this same prayer that we would be united, Jesus is still interceding for us to the Father. There is much that depends on this oneness in and under Christ. We want the world to know that Jesus is Lord, sent by the Father. The key is as Jesus himself tells us our being one in Christ.
Rachel Snell is a poet and member of the Association of Christian Writers. She moved to moved to Norwich six years ago and is married with two grown-up sons.
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