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Ministers' Musings

Who Moved My Cheese?

March to May Plan Letter

You may already know the story, ‘Who Moved My Cheese?’ by Spencer Johnson, published by Ebury in 1988. Whilst it is not a piece of sacred scripture – it is an allegory that speaks about our human response to loss and change, I see remarkable parallels in terms of how people respond to Jesus’ promise that their lives will change for the better. Whilst we can all gain from it, taking up the cross is a costly thing to do. I am reminded of Jesus’ words, ‘You shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free’ (John 8:32) and I can’t help but echo the sentiment, grounded in the experience of many a disciple, that “It may also make you miserable when you first hear it!’ Whilst Jesus Good News is good news for everyone, we will all be challenged in some way. And Jesus’ Good News will definitely be bad news for anyone who wants to maintain the status quo and keep the privilege and power they have to themselves.

We are a circuit of churches who support us by sharing the costs of ministry, and our resources. Presently, we are inviting each other to be honest about the challenges we face, and to find a sustainable way forward in how we fund and plan our ministry. Numerical decline over the decade has been a reality: some folks have gone to glory. Yet there remain powerful examples of people dedicating their lives to each other, their church, and our circuit. New people have joined us and taken up roles. Even so, the tensions become obvious when making the plan. Whilst we celebrate the fact that we have new preachers in training (congratulations to Matt Forsyth for completing his training), we lament the reduced capacity of some of our most experienced preachers. No one is shirking. Whilst we can be creative, by for example holding morning circuit services and uniting congregations, we cannot perform miracles. We also note how two of our smaller churches are already alternating a preaching service one week with café worship or a midweek gathering the next. Rather than being a reserve option, these services are appreciated for the variety and deepened sense of fellowship that they bring. But as plan makers, we cannot do miracles.

Who Moved My Cheese is a wonderful parable that illustrates some of the themes that surface within all of us, as we try to find a way forward and be open to change. It tells the story of four mice in a maze, feasting on cheese at what is known as ‘Cheese Station C’. Having cheese makes everyone happy. Two of the mice are typical, relying on their senses and instinct. Two think like humans. One day, the cheese runs out. The typical mice see this coming and search for cheese as soon they recognise that supplies are running low. The mice who think like humans overcomplicate things. The cheese is so precious that they do not want to risk losing it. They are comfortable in their surroundings. They are wary about leaving and entering the maze because they do not want to get lost or die from lack of cheese because they find nothing. They question whether the cheese is running out. In doing so they risk extinction. In the end, one of the human thinking mice makes it out. The other stays behind, never forgotten, but teased out eventually, and having missed out on what they could have enjoyed earlier.

The typical mice get the credit. They keep things simple, followed their instinct, and find a new cheese station - Cheese Station D - by instinct and exploration. The human thinking mouse reflects on how fear has inhibited them, “If we had smelt the cheese more often, we would have realized it was growing old – not like this new cheese.” “What would we have done differently if we were had not been afraid?” It turns out that despite the risk, movement in a new direction helps you find the new cheese. When you stop feeling afraid, you feel good. Imagining yourself enjoying the new cheese leads you to it. The quicker you let go of the old cheese, the sooner you find the new cheese…and above all, it is safer to search in the maze rather that to remain in a cheeseless situation. I am sure you can unpack and apply the situation to our church life, and to the challenge that Jesus gives us through a wide range of parables and teaching in the gospels. New things are happening on the plan as we search for cheese. Use this as an opportunity to leave the maze and explore. One of the features of the story is how the journey (which involves finding strength from small pieces of cheese on the way, is enlightening and uplifting in itself).

To close, I am minded, not without warrant, that perhaps the Monty Python cult film ‘The Life of Brian’ (which is not about Jesus of course but about how a man called Brian is mistaken for Jesus), has stumbled on a grain of truth when they have someone hard of hearing who mishears Jesus’ Semon on the Mount. Jesus first declaration is ‘Blessed are the peacemakers’ but not everyone can hear. A spectator asks ‘What did he say?’ To which another replies, “I think it was Blessed are the cheesemakers". “Aha, what's so special about the cheesemakers?” comes the response. To which the final reply is, “Well, obviously it's not meant to be taken literally; it refers to any manufacturers of dairy products.”

God bless you if you are part of the cheese manufacturing process, or simply wanting to be nourished by the cheese.

Langley

 

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