chasing the wild goose.1

beginnings
Why do some seeds actually grow and some never produce a thing...even when I’ve done all that gardening wisdom suggests I should? It’s a mystery - that’s what it is - it’s in God’s hands. Life and growth are things that ultimately God makes happen - we can provide the best conditions, apply the best skills we know how, but the end result, the actual growing is Divine labour.
Because all life owes it’s beginning to God, and even the apparent raffle as to why some don’t make it past childhood and others live to an advanced and productive age; it’s somehow all His.
So with the spiritual life; we can do the best we know how in bringing the News to others, and even show them the best of God’s kindness and mercy, surround them with faithful and creative friends and still some never quite get it - some choose to do without God. From our way of looking at it, against all odds, some grasp faith in God like it was going to save their life, and hang on to faith in spite of the most discouraging adversity. The best we can do is to keep breathing the air of heaven; relating to Him, opening ourselves to his life-giving Spirit, trying everything He shows us. So, go on, live!

heroes

Who is the hero? The man or woman who speaks bravely, who dares controversy; or that
one who quietly gets out there and lives out what they say, even when there is huge and determined opposition, even antagonism? Is it more virtuous to seem to know everything about prayer, or to fill one’s life with the discipline and practise of prayer? Like saying, would you have yourself guided by the one who writes about mountaineering or the one who does it often, which would you trust? The theorist or the bold practitioner?
The same is true of spiritual warfare; lots of books and seminars; heaps of opinion about what it is and what it isn’t; no end of sermons preached about it; but who’s doing it?
Is it that wild-eyed fanatic, the self-declared prayer-warrior, who doesn’t engage with ordinary people very well, full of conspiracy theories, critical of most of the church for their ‘lack of passion’, who says he spends all night violently assaulting the heavenlies, whose text book is “This Present Darkness”?
Or is it the ordinary, unremarkable saint, replete with gratitude for their salvation, fired by the ever-present Spirit, assured of the persistent love of the Divine Father, lives out what they learn, who prays faithfully for those in need and looks for ways to serve them, who bugs government, refuses to accept injustice? The real prayer-warrior is the one who gives time to prayer, knowing it will drive them out into the mission-field at their backdoor. Eh?
For more on this check out www.fhpc.church.org.nz. click on "audio sermon" [sorry about the green]