Poverty & Wholeness
“The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship.”
Romans 8 v 15
We have been adopted into a family and our job is to invite others into an experience of freedom from fear, shame, aloneness… and into the best of ‘family’, of the healing and wholeness that a relationship with God and with others can bring.
This element of Heart for Hull’s work is about taking that desire in us all and sharing how we do it. Both how we are putting that into practice across the Deanery – supporting what is already happening – and there is so much to be thankful for; and sometimes allowing God to challenge each other in what we could do, or do differently.
We all know enough maybe about poverty: Hull and lack and loss have a long association. But the (healing and) wholeness part is based on our conviction that Jesus moved and moves by his Spirit among us to reach deep into our souls. That ‘knowledge of your parenthood and your loving care’; that is the healing and wholeness people also need alongside some material security and some ‘community’ with other humans.
As churches across Hull we want to be ready, to be prepared to work with people that are coming to us and where there may not always be a service to signpost people onwards. We want to offer safe spaces, welcoming places, time to listen and encouragement to participate. We want to share good practice that becomes mutually re-enforcing; a deep, strong, interconnected network recognising that this takes preparation, patience and prayer.
‘In October last year we'd hoped to be in three places and 'showcase' three other things as well as what we experienced at this gathering but this was a really very special start, or step along the way.
The day we spent together at St Paul's felt to me like it spoke to, and was a balm for, our poverty. It was a kind of, a vision of and a start of some healings, and was a least a good stab at making some wholeness between, and around, this thing called 'Hull Deanery' and/or maybe, the body of Christ in and around Hull.‘