1 June 2022|Grantham, UK [Eric Lowe]
I love the Church because it is the place where I was introduced to God and the person of Jesus. Where I discovered that life had meaning and purpose; because God wanted to be my friend and because Jesus wanted to set my life in a new direction by the work of his Spirit.
I love the Church not because it is perfect, I lost that innocence a long time ago. As the years have passed and I have had the opportunity to become acquainted with its various levels of operation, this reality has become painfully obvious.
The Transforming Work of God’s Spirit
I still love the Church because I have witnessed the transforming work of God’s Spirit in the lives of ordinary men and women, boys and girls, young and old. I have seen the grace of God inspire them to dedicate their lives to be a blessing in their homes, their places of work, and their local communities.
I can testify to that reality in my own life when, having kicked against the pricks and denied my Lord, I attended a church youth camp at Aberdaron, North Wales, aged 19. A miracle of grace took place there, through the ministry of the camp padre, Pastor Don Lowe. His ministry was followed by the gracious support of church leaders who stood guarantee for me, so I could start studying at Newbold College the same September with no school fees in my pocket – only the assumption that some money would become available from the claim against the driver involved in my prior motorcycle accident.
I love the Church because it is my second family and my second home. In 1997 I was invited to move to Watford to work at the British Union Conference (BUC) headquarters. In December 1998, at the commencement of the year end meetings with Church leaders from across the UK and Ireland, I was suddenly struck down with severe pancreatitis. For the next three months, I was in and out of hospital as several different operations were performed to try and treat my condition.
That’s When It Happened Again
That’s when it happened, when I again experienced the grace-filled community of the Church – as greeting cards and messages started pouring in from BUC colleagues and staff, the various conference office families, churches and members where I had pastored in: Birmingham, Liverpool, Nottingham, Sutton in Ashfield, Preston, Newark and Grantham – not forgetting the local church school Dudley House. My wife Margaret kindly collected them as they soon overflowed my bed side cabinet. When I was finally back on my feet, I was determined never to forget the Spirit-filled messages of encouragement and hope my church family had given me in those dark moments when you begin to wonder if there is ever going to be any light at the end to the tunnel. So, I collected them into a scrap book which I have treasured ever since – a scrap book with 75 reasons why I love my church. When circumstances conspire to cause me to doubt, I get the scrapbook out and reread those 75 precious messages.
Small Group Ministry
I love my Church for the support it gives through small group ministry. When Margaret and I retired we were relieved to be able to have a ‘home’ church. During the 18 years of administrative service, it had been our privilege to preach and worship in a different church every Sabbath and to briefly engage in their fellowship. But when we retired, we began worshipping and eventually moved our membership to the Hemel Hempstead Church. We formed a small group there, which met weekly for a reflective time of Bible study and prayer. From time to time the group would organise social outings and activities together. The group grew to 12 in number when we were all able to be present – a support network which proved to be a great blessing when various members of the group or their families found themselves facing distressing situations.
Compassion and Companionship
I love my Church because in the darkest hour of one’s life, when the grim reaper does his worst and robs you of your lifelong companion or a loved one, its message of comfort, hope and assurance carries you along on the strong arms of compassion and companionship. When the Covid-19 pandemic struck all our lives and closed the physical church, we were so thankful for those who kept the small Sabbath School group going virtually! The group was further enhanced by others who, in the light of certain other crises at the time, suggested we should also meet via video conference on Friday evenings for prayer. When my wife, Margaret, was so suddenly and tragically snatched away, I was overwhelmed by the compassion of this group of people, who organised to provide me with a cooked lunch every day for a whole month while I got myself sorted out.
Regeneration, Reformation, Restoration
No, the Church is not perfect. But I also know how flawed my own life has been and that it continues to be very much a work in progress. So, I thank God from the bottom of my heart for this community of believers who don’t always see eye to eye on everything, but whose lives nevertheless reveal a community in which the Spirit of God is continuing his ministry of regeneration, reformation and restorative work.
From 1997 – 2010 Pastor Eric Lowe served as the Executive Secretary of the British Union Conference. Now retired, Eric lives in Grantham, England where this testimony was first shared with his local church family earlier this year.
[Header photo: from left to right, Eric and Margaret Lowe (second couple from left) with Peter and Rosemary Archer, Mervyn and Dorothy Leicester, Tony and Olive Crouch, Alan and Thelma Hodges. Photos, courtesy of Eric Lowe].
