Open Air: No Sale

Here are Stephen’s recollections of last week’s Open Air.

I gave out a similar number of tracts as the previous weeks. However, there didn't seem to be a great deal of interest and no bibles were taken. The whole endeavour seemed to lack the usual flow, perhaps because of the disturbance from the Air Monitoring man and his vehicle.

For the second week running, there was very little by way of conversation with unbelievers. I know that striking up such conversations is something I find difficult but the Lord sometimes makes it possible. One young man refused a tract because he is already a Christian. Having walked away, he returned to offer words of encouragement which were very welcome.

Another young man took a tract and remarked that he had thought we were trying to sell the car referred to above! I guess he hadn't heard much of the message. An older gentleman from the Anglican church of St Clements in Higher Openshaw also approached us both with words of encouragement.

And yes, that about sums it up: it was a pretty quiet time compared with some of the busy afternoons we’ve had recently. But, every Open Air is different, and I like the variety that goes along with the intrinsic value of time spent preaching, talking and tracting.

I’m quite taken with the idea of us offering cars for sale; but, then again, it has to be said that some preachers do sound like slick salesmen… I don’t think we do. And many people’s comments make it clear that they look on churches as organisations whose primary purpose is to take as much money as they can from foolish folk. That’s why we always point out that everything we offer is free, and that we don’t get paid for what we do.

Was it all worth while, last Wednesday? I refer you to Isaiah 55.10-11. After commenting on verse 10, R. C. Sproul says: “The divine purpose in this is applied figuratively to the word of God in order to distinguish it from fallible human thoughts and plans. It also speaks of the Lord’s word as His decree by which He governs history. It never returns without accomplishing God’s sovereign purposes” … which is why we say, again and again: “It’s not what we think that matters - it’s what the bible says.”

We will be out again next Wednesday, God willing, at about 12.30pm, just opposite Superdrug on the edge of Piccadilly Gardens. Please join us if you can. If not, please pray for us as the Lord puts it upon your heart to do so.

Every blessing!