Blue Striped Shirts 

I looked around the room, rows of convicts in their tailored blue-striped shirts facing their visitors. One, two, sometimes three visitors to each inmate. The prison visitors were old, young, parents, children, wives, girlfriends or “colleagues”.
 
I was visiting Dirk. Having cautiously crept through the bureaucracy and then passed through five security doors I found myself in a remarkably relaxed place, a bit like an airport waiting lounge – without the airplanes … or the duty free shop.
 



They won’t let you take anything in but the searches and sniffer dogs didn’t detect the Holy Spirit within me and as Dirk and I talked and prayed He readily reminded me of freshly resonant scriptures “for such a time as this”.
 
After a couple of hours we stood up, embraced, said goodbye and walked out the door. Different doors. One to the wide open countryside and home, the other to a 6’ X 8’ locked room.
 
As I walked toward my door I realised that if it hadn’t been for the blue striped shirts and seating layout I wouldn’t have been able to tell the difference between many of those heading for freedom and those heading for a cell.
 

I believe it’s the same in the spiritual world. You can’t always see the Holy Spirit in someone. The soul of the driver in traffic next to you, of the person standing beside you at the bus stop, of the people around us as we dance and drink – are those souls free or in prison?
 
Jesus said that if we follow His teaching we will know the truth and the truth will set us free (John 8:32). Those who have decided to follow Jesus have been given the keys to freedom, to eternal life. Freedom from judgement, freedom from condemnation, freedom from fear. They know that the God who created them loves them, saves them and has a purpose for their life.
 
Look around you. Can you tell who is free and who is prison? Not all of the time. Whatever they look like, many people around you are locked up. Locked up in fear, anxiety, falsehood, lies, ambition, addictions, bitterness, loneliness, without purpose, nursing broken relationships. Until they meet Jesus their souls will always languish in a 6’ X 8’ cell, instead of soaring free.
 
(Liz Harden spoke about this on Sunday, A Beautiful Rhythm of Life, Running Free – you can listen to it here or read the text here).
 
That’s why I want to grow Leeds Vineyard. I believe that a healthy, growing church is God’s pre-eminent plan spread the good news that Jesus set us free. That’s why I want our church to grow, so that more and more people get to meet Jesus through the people and life of the Vineyard.
 
This weekend most of the current leaders of Leeds Vineyard will be clearing their diaries, arranging baby-sitters and putting their hands in their pockets to attend our biennual leaders’ weekend at Hothorpe Hall. Our theme is “Commitment to Growth” and whilst we will worship, pray, eat and drink together we will also be thinking, planning and committing ourselves to do what it takes to allow God to grow the church.
 

This means that there will be fewer people at weekly worship on Sunday (so if you can go, please do! And if you are a regular please look out for visitors and make them feel welcome). We will provide the usual “full service” with children’s ministry, worship, teaching and prayer. Our guest speakers are the entertaining Alex & Karen Griffin (They lead the Sheffield Vineyard - which was planted out of Leeds two years ago). The fragrant Ian and Liz Harden will be your hosts and the maestro Alex Holt will be leading worship. The Bunker will take place in the evening as usual.
 
Peace
 
David