Three Parables About Kingston Ecclesia

At a Truth, Joy and Praise meeting, which we hold every Sunday, a proposal was discussed to move meetings from our beautiful Assembly Hall in Orange Street, built with such love and sacrifice eleven years ago, but which is now in the midst of a violent neighborhood ruled by terrorists. We felt that we had scriptural support to continue witnessing.

There Are three parables in Scripture, two of them ‘acted’ parables, which I am convinced describe the Kingston ecclesia, and so give us clear guidance.

(1). Ezekiel 5:1-4. Here Ezekiel shaves his head and beard and weighs the hairs on a delicate balance (it would have to be very sensitive to weigh hair accurately!). The hair represents the population of Kingston. One third is burned. Ezekiel takes another third and “strikes it with the sword all around the city.” Nearly all of the remaining third is “scattered to the wind” and migrates. Then he takes “a few strands of hair” and puts them into his pocket. That’s us: a little remnant in the folds of God’s care. Then, surprise! God tells him to take a few of these and “throw them into the fire.” That has happened to some of us too, like Stephen and James in the Acts of the Apostles. “This is Jerusalem,” God said to the prophet. But it is also Kingston. I often think of our little company here as those few hairs out of all the pile on the balance, and when I read this parable I am comforted and sustained in my conviction that we are not going to get blown away.

(2). Mark 4:1-20. This describes our seed-sowing here in the heart of one of the most dangerous cities in the world. Jesus tells us that our witness from this meeting hall is not going to be a mighty success, like the supposed results of the big church crusades uptown. We can expect varying responses, from instant rejection and hostility to fruitful commitment. Even some of our converts, perhaps even long time members, may wilt “when trouble or persecution comes.” And certainly some will lose heart and zeal because of the “worries of this life,” and allow the word to be “choked.” Even among those who bear a crop in good soil, only a few produce “an hundred times what was sowed.” But some of you here today, especially those of you living near the meeting hall, are among that faithful class, bearing bountifully amid great difficulties. That surely makes all our efforts worthwhile. And, most importantly, we must understand that Jesus does not suggest that only the hundredfold category will be received gladly by him at the judgement. We must be charitable to our weaker brothers and sisters and encourage rather than criticise them.

Mark 4:35-41. Sometimes, when our Kingston ecclesial boat is tempest tossed, as your ecclesial leader and ‘elder’ (not in age!) I forget that our Lord and Savior is in the boat. He seems asleep. I really don’t know how convinced I am that Jesus was really fast asleep on that pillow. I wonder if it was just a one-eye sleep to test his disciples. When our ecclesial boat is “nearly swamped,” I certainly do what they did, cry out in prayer, Don’t you care that we’ll all drown? Of course he cares. Revelation chapters one to three confirm that he was concerned and cared for even weak and shaky ecclesias in Asia long ago, even one that had lost its first love. He will surely still our tempest too. Outwardly, it may not seem like that, but spiritually he will calm, refresh, restore and bless. This place, this sanctuary, with its expressive foundation stone defying the world, will, I am sure, continue to be a place where weary souls can find peace and rest. That is why we can sing

Peace, perfect peace, is the gift of Christ our Lord;

Thus, says the Lord, will the world know my friends.