Thought for the Week

The Rev Steve Proudlove, vicar of St John's, Menston

LIKE many people, I have two jobs - Vicar of Menston and a job with the vocations team in Leeds Diocese. As a result, I spend a fair amount of time on the train between Menston and Leeds which gives me chance to reflect and to meet fellow commuters.

Sitting on the train in the morning, there are loads of people in suits; some who have started work already on their phones or laptops, some who are enjoying personal space with music on their iPhone, some read books, some sleep and some gaze out of the window. Whatever we are doing, we are heading the same way, mostly on the way to work.

Spilling out of the train, we go our separate ways, either to the office, or, at the end of the day perhaps to family, or an evening out, or to watch Strictly, or for a date, or for sport or some other social engagement. But for a brief period, we share the same journey, travel the same way, and inhabit each other’s space. We become a community, albeit perhaps a bit dysfunctional.

Perhaps this is an odd image for a metaphor of Church? A bunch of people who come from disparate lives to travel together for a few moments before dispersing - some thinking about other things, some sleeping(!), some taking note of people around them and others involved with their own worries and concerns.

The common thread on the train is the journey to and from work; and I suggest this is also a common thread with Church. The only difference is the vocation the Church inhabits. What is the work of the Church? – It’s a huge question which many people have opinions on from both inside and outside of the formal Church. I can’t it answer fully here, but just as many of us go to work to support others (family and friends) and earn money to live (food and shelter), the work of the Church could also be described as two-fold: To support others, in our community, our village and our world; and also to live, with the life-sustaining love of Jesus which is the lifeblood of each individual.

It can still be a little dysfunctional at times, but considered in this way, Church becomes the people we travel together with on our journey of faith as we all work to reflect the love of God and try to share this love with others. Loving God and neighbour are the two great instructions given to us. Just think what a difference that kind of perspective might make to your average commuter train carriage!