World Cup Churches: 16. Tunisia

Continuing a series of blogs heading round the 32 qualifying countries in the 2022 World Cup - I will pick out one church in each one.  I am not going to choose only churches that are to my liking.  This is an exploration not a recommendation! To see all in the series select the label 'World Cup Churches' below.

Tunisia has a very small Christian population.  But currently more freedom to worship than many Islamic countries.  It has, among many French Catholic churches, an Anglican Church.  Listening to this YouTube sermon from there I felt it was so wonderful that it deserved to replace any random blogging by me . . .

https://youtu.be/BuakOcxy-Qc

Scars

Today at one of our meetings a lady (whom we dearly love) turned up looking like she had just spent a few rounds in the boxing ring.

In fact she had fallen over on her way and had somewhat bravely (or perhaps unwisely) continued to the meeting on the bus when an ambulance looked like a more suitable method of transportation.  We are surely not supposed to turn up at meetings with scars.  Or are we?

The Bible makes little pretence that following  that guy with the cross is going to be easy.  Chapters like 1 Peter 3 appear discouraging to the contemporary ear that is used to relentlessly positive input.

Yet the wounds (not the self inflicted careless ones of course) of the believer are the badges of allegiance, a direct link to the One we follow.  Here's Amy Carmichael's take on the theme:

Hast thou no scar?

No hidden scar on foot, or side, or hand?

I hear thee sung as mighty in the land,

I hear them hail thy bright ascendant star,

Hast thou no scar?

Hast thou no wound?

Yet I was wounded by the archers, spent,

Leaned Me against a tree to die; and rent

By ravening beasts that compassed Me, I swooned:

Hast thou no wound?

No wound, no scar?

Yet, as the Master shall the servant be,

And, piercéd are the feet that follow Me;

But thine are whole: can he have followed far

Who has no wound, nor scar?

Expensive

Dietrich Bonhoeffer died at the end of World War II in a Nazi Concentration Camp after his willingness to challenge the Nazis.  He wrote

Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, Communion without confession, absolution without personal confession. Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate.



Costly grace is the treasure hidden in the field; for the sake of it a man will gladly go and sell all that he has. It is the pearl of great price to buy which the merchant will sell all his goods. It is the kingly rule of Christ, for whose sake of one will pluck out the eye which causes him to stumble; it is the call of Jesus Christ at which the disciple leaves his nets and follows him. 

Such grace is costly because it calls us to follow, and it is grace because it calls us to follow Jesus Christ. It is costly because it costs a man his life, and it is grace because it gives a man the only true life. It is costly because it condemns sin, and grace because it justifies the sinner. Above all, it is costly because it cost God the life of his Son: "you were bought at a price," and what has cost God much cannot be cheap for us. Above all, it is grace because God did not reckon his Son too dear a price to pay for our life, but delivered him up for us. . . 
         

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