From the Assistant Bishop
What on earth
am I doing here?
The Rt Revd David Bassett, Assistant Bishop
I wonder if you’ve ever asked yourself this same question? Here I am seven or so months into my new role as Assistant Bishop here in Perth. I’ve met too many people to remember, been lost more often than I care to admit, and have spent significant time at my desk praying ‘what do I do now?’ But don’t get me wrong, I am so glad to be here, there are so many blessings, and I keep seeing how God is working here.
The question is an important one for us all to be asking: what on earth am I doing here? It’s a question we ask as individuals and also as parishes or ministries. It’s asking what is it that God is wanting me to do here and now? How am I to be using my gifts and abilities, my time and resources, and my faith, in a way that honours God and builds his kingdom? It is, in many ways, the outworking of praying ‘your kingdom come, your will be done’ as we do in the Lord’s prayer.
It’s all too easy, at times, for us to just go with the flow and life has a way of controlling us rather than us being in control of our lives. As Christians, we have recognised the central place that God has in our lives and as such we adjust our lives to reflect God’s ways and priorities. So, Jesus taught us to pray ‘your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.’ I know personally that when I take this prayer seriously it has a very transformative effect in me. My attitudes and priorities change; I see ways of joining in the mission of God; I put time, effort and resources into things I believe will make a difference not for me but for others.
Jesus in Matthew 5 calls us to shine as lights in the world so that others might be pointed to God. This is a call for all the followers of Jesus, me and you. So, I ask, how do I shine? As I write this, I am looking at a tiffany lamp that my dad made for me. Its currently off but still there is a beauty that shines. The roses and shape of the lamp are a thing of beauty. We should be shining by being people who have been transformed by God – people radiating the joy of the Lord, along with the graciousness and compassion that we see in Jesus, and the hope and faith we have because of the resurrection: being loving, gentle and faithful (the fruit of the Spirit comes to mind here).
But the lamp truly shines when it’s turned on the colours pop and the room is aglow. What does it mean for me to be switched on in this way? I think we really shine when we take those risks and invite people to come to church with us, or introduce ourself to the person standing on their own, or when we join with others in running an introduction to Christianity course like Alpha, or when we pool our resources and help those who are struggling or in need.
What on earth am I doing here? Well, in short, I’m striving to live out my Christian life as a witness so that others might be pointed to God and I’m doing it as part of the wider faith community that is the Diocese of Perth. And I pray that we would grow in this together.
Grace and peace,
Bishop David
