Mark Carey Writes:

Once again – thanks so much for the welcome back that I have received on returning from a few months of sabbatical. It was a deeply restful time. It is good to be back and to see what God is doing among us. We are a Network of Churches – the particular church that you belong to has a particular group of people, in a particular place with a particular gospel purpose. I believe in the coming time this will sharpen and focus – on Sunday evening I touched on my sense of moving from ‘building up’ to ‘spreading out’ – with reference to Isaiah 5:41-3.

Sing, O barren one who did not bear;

burst into song and shout,

you who have not been in labour!

For the children of the desolate woman will be more

than the children of her that is married, says the LORD.

Enlarge the site of your tent,

and let the curtains of your habitations be stretched out;

do not hold back; lengthen your cords

and strengthen your stakes.

For you will spread out to the right and to the left,

and your descendants will possess the nations

and will settle the desolate towns.

Spreading out comes as a result of experiencing the covenant grace of God who brings the barren and desolate to the place of singing. Who brings those who experience less, limits and loss to the place of fruitfulness.

Spreading out also comes as a result of us expanding our living space – in Isaiah 54 language – “enlarge the place of your tent”. Expanding our living space is about being obedient to God about how He wants to enlarge and expand in our own lives for the purpose of spreading out around us. Internal expansion leads to external expansion. They used to expand their tents through sewing a new patch of material into it.  This is hard work but necessary to enable more space – I wonder what expansion you and me are being called to? What does God want us to sew into our lives for expansion?

Isaiah warns us - DO NOT HOLD BACK!

We are heading into a time when we are likely to be called to expand our living space – get ready to spread out – we don’t know what this will look like in terms of results. If we give ourselves to this movement the impact, according to Isaiah, would be transformative and generational.

Let’s not hold back.

Reverend Canon Mark Carey Leader CCBN