I was walking Gypsy our Border Collie along Paton Road the other morning and at one stage smelt one of those delightful summertime smells – (I think it was honeysuckle). It brought back memories of times in the past.
I guess zooming through the years in my mind made me think about life and about being human and the enjoyment and pleasure we all have in this world. All of us have smiled and laughed in the last wee while.
Life – yes it has it downsides but oh life is good – there are so many more upsides. Working in the garden, going for a stroll, listening to the water flow down a stream falling over rock, watching a mother care for her toddler at the mall or in the park, the smell of a baby’s head, the sweet flavour of a creamy boysenberry gelato – life has so many blessings.
And what is more, we in Christ have the added bonus knowing that there is more to life that meets the eye. We have this knowledge that the giver of life also has given us peace with Him. The shackles of the fear of death or the uncertainty of being considered of value or loved have been blown apart by what God did at Christmas. There is no need to be burdened by the fears that too many people experience. In Christ there is a level of freedom, of contentment and of fulfilment that can only come from God. A gift – freely and all knowingly given – God’s wonderful grace.
As I walked along the road this morning I marvelled at the grace of God. With God being all knowing (and all the other omni’s), and therefore ahead of time foreknew what I (what we, what humanity) would be like with our amazing ability to be selfish and whatnot, it makes God’s Christmas actions all the more astounding.
Knowingly God the Son put aside his crown and glory and “being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!” (Philippians 2: 6-8).
This Bible verse speaks of both Christmas and Easter – but lets focus on the Christmas side that Christ “taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.” So that we can enjoy life to a deeper and fuller level, not only enjoy that which is around us but also experiencing peace with God, experiencing hearing that small still voice. Oh Blessed Be God. Think to the song we sing sometimes in church - He has brought us this far by His grace.
V1 He has brought us this far by His grace
He has led by fire and by cloud
He will bring us to Zion
to look on His face
O blessed, O blessed be God…
Blessed be God, blessed be God
O blessed, O blessed be God
V2 He has sheltered us under His wings
And He planned every path that we’ve trod
To bring us to Zion, His praises to sing
O blessed, O blessed be God…
Blessed be God, blessed be God
O blessed, O blessed be God.
[By Bonnie Low, © 1977]
May God be with all St. David’s folk and your families this season of Christmas and summer holidays.
From Vivienne, the children and I – thank you so much for your prayers, love and support. May you know the deep peace of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit as you live and move and have your being. God Bless, Jon.
Monday, December 27, 2010
Sunday, December 19, 2010
let us pray
a verse or two
“Are any among you in trouble? They should pray…are any among you sick? They should send for the church elders … prayer made in faith will heal the sick…the prayer of a good person has a powerful effect.” James 5:13ff
Than this world dreams of.
Wherefore, let thy voice
Rise like a fountain for me night and day.
For what are men better than sheep or goats
That nourish a blind life within the brain,
If, knowing God, they lift not hands of prayer
Both for themselves and those who call them friend?
For so the whole round earth is every way
Bound by gold chains about the feet of God." [Tennyson]
There are many folk within our church family facing difficulty. Do pray for them. As James says in the reading above – the prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.
I am distracted!
I am stubborn!
I am self-centred!
In your mercy, Jesus, bring my ‘want-er’ more in line with my ‘need-er’ so that I can come to want what I need.
In your name and for your sake, I pray. Amen
“Are any among you in trouble? They should pray…are any among you sick? They should send for the church elders … prayer made in faith will heal the sick…the prayer of a good person has a powerful effect.” James 5:13ff
Spiritual Walk and Musings: Lets Pray.
We end our journey through the letter of James—and James directs us to prayer. And right now in NZ, prayer is something needed. I’m thinking of the miners, their families and the rescuers. Be encouraged to pray as it does work.
Than this world dreams of.
Wherefore, let thy voice
Rise like a fountain for me night and day.
For what are men better than sheep or goats
That nourish a blind life within the brain,
If, knowing God, they lift not hands of prayer
Both for themselves and those who call them friend?
For so the whole round earth is every way
Bound by gold chains about the feet of God." [Tennyson]
There are many folk within our church family facing difficulty. Do pray for them. As James says in the reading above – the prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.
To Ponder and Pray: A prayer by Richard Foster.
I am distracted!
I am stubborn!
I am self-centred!
In your mercy, Jesus, bring my ‘want-er’ more in line with my ‘need-er’ so that I can come to want what I need.
In your name and for your sake, I pray. Amen
Friday, November 26, 2010
Criticism or Critique
a verse or two
“Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up. Do not criticize one another, my friends…” James 4:10-11a
What an emotionally amazing week this has been. Could you get to sleep after the Silver Ferns gold medal? Could it be that this week there has been a higher percentage of good news than the sensationalised grim news? The other day I read “Plane crashes, terror threats, oil spills, toxic leaks. The TV news diet is often dire, rarely joyous. And then there were the pictures on Wednesday of brave, dignified miners who had been trapped beneath the ground for more than two months being brought to the surface, to breathe fresh air and to hug their loved ones.” Every time I watched a miner being lifted out of the ground – it was an emotional moment.
Think of the different teams working together from around the world focused on one thing – to rescue those 33 miners. The depth of human spirit God has blessed us with is tremendous. When humans work in unity and bypass the blame game – it is amazing what can be achieved. Perhaps that is one reason James warns against criticising (James 4:11–12). Without knowing all the facts – it seems the Chile government did not waste time criticising or playing the blame game. Instead they quickly focused on rescue. They were not so proud as to try and do it alone but sought help from around the world quickly – and look at the outcome. We all know stories of other countries where people have been trapped alive deep below, and sadly they did get caught up in the blame game and sadly they were too proud to ask for help outside of their own country until it was too late.
Lord – may we be open to critique of self,
knowing none of us are perfect.
We seek a healthy humility.
Lord – may we be closed to the temptation to criticise others.
We seek a healthy self-awareness
of our words towards other.
And Lord – help us to encourage.
“Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up. Do not criticize one another, my friends…” James 4:10-11a
Spiritual Walk and Musings: Criticism.
What an emotionally amazing week this has been. Could you get to sleep after the Silver Ferns gold medal? Could it be that this week there has been a higher percentage of good news than the sensationalised grim news? The other day I read “Plane crashes, terror threats, oil spills, toxic leaks. The TV news diet is often dire, rarely joyous. And then there were the pictures on Wednesday of brave, dignified miners who had been trapped beneath the ground for more than two months being brought to the surface, to breathe fresh air and to hug their loved ones.” Every time I watched a miner being lifted out of the ground – it was an emotional moment.
Think of the different teams working together from around the world focused on one thing – to rescue those 33 miners. The depth of human spirit God has blessed us with is tremendous. When humans work in unity and bypass the blame game – it is amazing what can be achieved. Perhaps that is one reason James warns against criticising (James 4:11–12). Without knowing all the facts – it seems the Chile government did not waste time criticising or playing the blame game. Instead they quickly focused on rescue. They were not so proud as to try and do it alone but sought help from around the world quickly – and look at the outcome. We all know stories of other countries where people have been trapped alive deep below, and sadly they did get caught up in the blame game and sadly they were too proud to ask for help outside of their own country until it was too late.
To Ponder and Pray: Critique.
Lord – may we be open to critique of self,
knowing none of us are perfect.
We seek a healthy humility.
Lord – may we be closed to the temptation to criticise others.
We seek a healthy self-awareness
of our words towards other.
And Lord – help us to encourage.
Monday, October 18, 2010
Spring cleaning
Spiritual Walk and Musings: Spring cleaning the soul:
Spring Flower Sunday last year the theme was a play on “spring cleaning” – about spring cleaning the soul. Well – how are things with your soul? How is the feeding of it going? Remember last year three elders shared things they do to feed their soul. Well…….what is it you are doing to feed your soul? What vehicle, what tools are you using to help with this. This week I took my Honda motorbike into be serviced. Picking it up afterwards I noticed things were working properly again that I didn’t even realise needed attention. Things I’d put up with thinking they were normal – after the servicing – were now much better.
It’s the same with the way we feed our soul – over time methods and things get a little corroded. We need to tune things up now and then, refresh things, oil the things that are getting dry. And because there are plenty of different tools we can use to feed the soul, if what you are doing is not working – try something fresh and new. Perhaps the most important thing is that we do feed the soul – even if at times the method seems dry.
God Bless
Jon
Oh my soul does rejoice and delight
in the wonder of Gods handiwork.
For he made you and me and delights
in the wonder of His handiwork.
Spring Flower Sunday last year the theme was a play on “spring cleaning” – about spring cleaning the soul. Well – how are things with your soul? How is the feeding of it going? Remember last year three elders shared things they do to feed their soul. Well…….what is it you are doing to feed your soul? What vehicle, what tools are you using to help with this. This week I took my Honda motorbike into be serviced. Picking it up afterwards I noticed things were working properly again that I didn’t even realise needed attention. Things I’d put up with thinking they were normal – after the servicing – were now much better.
It’s the same with the way we feed our soul – over time methods and things get a little corroded. We need to tune things up now and then, refresh things, oil the things that are getting dry. And because there are plenty of different tools we can use to feed the soul, if what you are doing is not working – try something fresh and new. Perhaps the most important thing is that we do feed the soul – even if at times the method seems dry.
God Bless
Jon
To Ponder and Pray: Time with God
Oh my soul does rejoice and delight
in the wonder of Gods handiwork.
For he made you and me and delights
in the wonder of His handiwork.
Saturday, September 18, 2010
The goal is soul
a verse or two
"Your eyes are windows into your body....” Matthew 6:22
They say the eyes are the window into the soul. To add to that I wonder if the tongue is the soulometer? It would seem that when the soul is disturbed, when we are under pressure (say things go wrong), it affects the very core of our being till our soul starts to feel crushed and suddenly our tongue unleashes a volley of whatever – and so the old soulometer indicates we need to feed the soul. An awareness of our soulometer is a healthy thing.
In a world that says “I” ought to be the goal. I would beg to differ, in life the goal is soul. The soul is different to “I”. “I” is individualistic, it is self absorbed, and self obsessed. On the other hand, a healthy soul is connected to the “other”, as well as the “I”, as well as the Father Son and Holy Spirit. Feed the soul, and when the soulometer indicates the soul needs feeding – feed it some more.
God Bless
Jon
To Ponder and Pray: Verse 1 of “Be Still My Soul” by Katharina Von Schlegel 1752
Be still, my soul: the Lord is on thy side.
Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain.
Leave to your God to order and provide;
In every change, he faithful will remain.
Be still, my soul:
your best, your heavenly Friend
Through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Too busy?
Spiritual Walk and Musings: Too Busy?
I muse………….do we get ourselves too busy?
I wonder………...do we do too much?
Could it be…………...for a healthy soul
We do less…………………..and be more.
To Ponder and Pray: Something to pray
Dear Lord,
help me
to do less
and be more.
Amen
Oh….and Lord….thank you….thank you for
the new buds
the smell of spring,
the feel of warmer air,
the taste of fresh produce
and the sound of the bird song.
Thank you for letting us be…..in the here and now.
I muse………….do we get ourselves too busy?
I wonder………...do we do too much?
Could it be…………...for a healthy soul
We do less…………………..and be more.
To Ponder and Pray: Something to pray
Dear Lord,
help me
to do less
and be more.
Amen
Oh….and Lord….thank you….thank you for
the new buds
the smell of spring,
the feel of warmer air,
the taste of fresh produce
and the sound of the bird song.
Thank you for letting us be…..in the here and now.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Why I still go to church
With all the negative press the churches worldwide have been getting lately some people might wonder why I still go to church. All too often people in church do wrong things; you do not need to be a rocket scientist to know that church is not perfect. One of the reasons it’s imperfect is because I go to it. You might have heard it said that when searching for the perfect church, if a person finds it they should not join it as it will no longer be perfect. We all bring baggage to church.
So why do I still go to church? Well, there is the social side. It’s a good group of folk who care for one another and also gather to help others in the community. Yet obviously I could join a service club to cover my social and community work quota.
There is the spirituality; I find church a good place to zen out, feed the soul and grow spiritually. It’s a place of teaching and of learning how to connect what is known in the head and in the heart with the whole of self so hopefully actions become more Christ like. Yet obviously there are a multitude of options out there for some form of spiritual growth stuff – so why choose a Christian church?
And why go to church regularly Sunday after Sunday when life is so hectic and there are plenty of other things to do at that time. Why not just chill out at a cafe or on the beach on a Sunday morning?
I go to church because of Jesus Christ and because of what he did on that first Easter Sunday. That historical event is so far-reaching it demands a relook at what is real and the meaning of life. Plenty of people have died...but how many have risen from the dead never to die again? This Easter it felt like a lot of Nelsonians had forgotten the historical fact (and good news) that just over 2000 years ago, Jesus Christ claimed he was God, was executed on the Friday morning, confirmed dead by a trained executioner and that evening buried in a tomb. On the following Sunday several women went to place spices on his body to find he had risen from the dead and over the next 40 days over 500 people saw him, heard him, some ate with him.
So why do I still go to church? Well, there is the social side. It’s a good group of folk who care for one another and also gather to help others in the community. Yet obviously I could join a service club to cover my social and community work quota.
There is the spirituality; I find church a good place to zen out, feed the soul and grow spiritually. It’s a place of teaching and of learning how to connect what is known in the head and in the heart with the whole of self so hopefully actions become more Christ like. Yet obviously there are a multitude of options out there for some form of spiritual growth stuff – so why choose a Christian church?
And why go to church regularly Sunday after Sunday when life is so hectic and there are plenty of other things to do at that time. Why not just chill out at a cafe or on the beach on a Sunday morning?
I go to church because of Jesus Christ and because of what he did on that first Easter Sunday. That historical event is so far-reaching it demands a relook at what is real and the meaning of life. Plenty of people have died...but how many have risen from the dead never to die again? This Easter it felt like a lot of Nelsonians had forgotten the historical fact (and good news) that just over 2000 years ago, Jesus Christ claimed he was God, was executed on the Friday morning, confirmed dead by a trained executioner and that evening buried in a tomb. On the following Sunday several women went to place spices on his body to find he had risen from the dead and over the next 40 days over 500 people saw him, heard him, some ate with him.
I still go to church because Jesus Christ rose from the dead and this historical event requires a complete change in how I view life and perceive reality. It gives empirical evidence that God exists and His love for us is deeper than we perceive. Local churches will have books in their libraries written by atheists who set out to disprove the resurrection only to end up discovering it really did happen. Allow yourself some space to check out this claim by Jesus to be God and how this shows God’s love for you.
God Bless
Jon
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