desperate
so a new series starts with returning to the hotspot up the front.
it invites us to look at how much the spiritual life actually means to us...even how much it is genuinely entwined with all the stuff we take for the ordinary. is this how i felt returning to the hotspot after 3 months away? not really, but there is an element of desperation that things oughtn't to be the same any more. however i was really responding to where i perceive people around me to be as far as what makes life worth the trouble. so the first word is " to see - seeking God."

Jonah 2:1-10; Matthew 7:7-11; John 6:35-40

A. DOING WITHOUT GOD

...we’ve been taught to say “God helps those who help themselves.” But is that true? Really?
in a desire to seem independent in a "material world" we find it hard to envisage a God who would disrupt the natural order to either communicate with us much less intervene in our tawdry everyday lives...so we say He blesses our independence. we come to the decision that whatever was the motivational currency of the day we have a better idea - do it yourself and God will have to bless your hard work. hmmmm. really? is that the best we can hope for?
Jonah acts like he knows better than God [see Jonah chapter 1]
Jonah didn't like any idea that his doing things God's way would lead to the liberating of the Ninevites from well deserved judgement and the consequent destruction! So he chose to run away rather than do what he was called to do...y' can never run away from the omnipresent.

B. LOST WITHOUT GOD

Jonah comes to the end of himself to see he needs God [2:1-45]
So there's Jonah in a terrifying storm knowing he's badly messed up...yelling his head off for help from the everpresent who, lucky for him, is also the allpowerful. From the belly of the fish of his salvation he realises he's at the end of himself, totally dependent upon God.

We will come to the end of ourselves
It is part of God's rescue plan to bring us to the end of ourselves as well, because it is only when we know we've reached the end of our autonomy that we know the only hope is beyond us...in the good grace and mercy of God.

“You will seek me and find me,
when you seek me with all your heart.”
Jeremiah 29:13

C. GETTING DESPERATE (Getting it right.)

calling for God’s intervention [2:7]
so desperation is the only attribute that impresses God that we mean to be shown something of His startling attitude of loving acceptance...and it's the only satisfactory attitude we can bring to a relationship that has any chance of engaging with God's rescue plan...it also guarantees that we will take seriously the means He has put out in our path to be the medium of that engagement.

taking Him seriously [Hebrews 11:6]
when God offers to help or rescue He means it and we can't enhance that startling willingness to engage in any way...we can only go with it the way it's offered...without strings, or any ability on our part to qualify. so we concentrate on getting through as it were...only to discover He was on-line the whole time.

"anyone who wants to come to Him,
must believe that He exists and
rewards those who sincerely seek Him."

heartfelt desperation
...it's all y' got...it's all He sees...use it, go with it.

D. DOING SOMETHING ABOUT IT [2:8-9]

paying attention - the Bible - read, study, think
pick it up...give it a real go...take time over it...again, take it seriously

turning to God - prayer - honour, confession, guidance
the point is He's listening more keenly than we ever give Him credit for...unbelievably, He actually likes hearing from us...we're His kids after all.

learning from His friends - listening, asking, humility
y'see, He's already at work in a bunch of similarly flawed people just like you and me, and has made them available to rub off a few rough edges and to speak such words of wisdom that even startles them, if they're honest.
find some of His friends, often to be found in churches on Sundays (but not always), take time to get to know them, and practice a little humility in learning from them...especially from what they do.

own the hunger...don't be afraid of it...I can show you how to satisfy it...

Taking stock of the good things
I say to the Lord, "You are my Lord;
apart from You I have no good thing."
Psalm 16:2
(first journalled, May 6)

Here I was finding it hard without Bernie, realising that she the is most wonderful person in my life on this Planet - how well she organises and arranges things - don't know that I would have gotten very far on this Grand Adventure without her love and her attention to detail and far-sightedness. (Coupled with having incited the generous help of a friend in England.) But it's not just the organising of this trip - it comes out of a tremendous gift of relationship that fills and completes me as a person - not a gift I've always appreciated for all she's worth (beyond calculation anyway)! So thanks to the Divine Lover for this tremendously "good thing".

Another good thing is the relationship that sees me here in this place at this time. That's the circle of relationship that's Forrest Hill Presbyterian - they're so kind and affirming - and very generous. There has been real growth in character and confidence because of their kind and good encouragement; and it looks like they're growing too - in character, in fruit and more recently in numbers showing up and their giving to God. So here I am, in the midst of a whole new Grand Adventure, in large part because of my wife's gifts and the generosity of my loved fellow-travellers at home. Another "good thing".

A new "good thing" is mostly appreciated in potential, yet already experienced as remarkable generosity; this is the other, single "r", Forest Hill community here in Charlotte, North Carolina. Their openess to me coming and their generosity in providing a lovely place for me live and sleep; - pure Americana and truly comfortable. This is a relationship to nurture and cherish, and to be surprised by in the nicest ways - and in which to grow, and to find and explore new potential in myself, as well as this rather vast work of God.

Under all of this is the amazing "good thing" of having been called to a ministry, this giving of my life to the Gift, and to those among whom I find myself to love and serve in the name and for the sake of the Lord - the relationships that come from it, the joys of seeing lives change (and yet not being at all sure it comes from anything I'm doing - actually the Lord at work, but through me? - well that's the surprise and the delight!) So apart from the Lover of my soul I have no good thing - and that in itself is strength.

Pete

staying in touch with the gift

One of the things that concerns me with being away is the threat of losing my edge in reading and drawing out the nourishing life of God's word of self-revelation. So I'm going to take some time each week to think about a verse or two from Psalm [16 as it happens] which was given to me as a passage to carry into the Grand Adventure of being so far from home.
Keep me safe, my God,
for in You I take refuge
The first phrase depends entirely upon the second for its likelihood of becoming a reality. In our struggles, at some time we must come to the realisation that there is nowhere safer, more secure, more likely to lead to our heaing and restoration than consciously and intentionally bringing ourselves into the presence of God. This has been my experience during the pain of being separated from my wife Bernie. For nearly a whole week I wallowed in the most horrible grief and loneliness - finding all sorts of things repugnant about the environment in which I'd become immersed. A salutary challenge from my daughter got me searching for a better frame of mind.
Then as I read through Rob Bell's excellent book "Sex God" he talks about channelling my life's energy into something that is both good and generous. I saw that applying to launching into things here with real verve, but also about the passion and vision that I'm hoping to take back home to both Forrest Hill and the North Shore Presbytery.
This came as I had sat reading and seeking God (almost without knowing that was what I was doing.)
From that point the sense of ache has remarkably diminished - but not only due that particular nocturnal conversation, but has been sustained by successive similar conversations. And these conversations can actually had out loud too when no-one else is around.
So take refuge in God and find the safety that he longs to impart to you.

If you want to ask how to take refuge in God, you're going to have to reply to this or email me directly at brickbristow@gmail.com

HEARTS AND TEARS.1

Longing Heart (tears of passion) March 22 Lent 4

Ex 20:1-17; Ps 19; 1 Cor 1:18-25; Jn 2: 13-22 

Exodus 20:1-17: The account of the giving of the ten commandments which is in fact a display of God’s heart for  healthy relationships; between God and creature, between one person and another, between a person and the world around him.

In the first three commands God reminds them that He stands alone as the one who rescued them and cared for them, and that He has chosen them to be His unique and special people. His longing, expressed in this communication is that they would learn to trust and rely upon him and His compassion for them.

He then gives them a prescription for healthy living for the community of both people and animals. Don’t try to work every day of your existence – take time to rest and reflect on this God who has selected and surrounded you with His goodness. This ensures a godly focus as well as justice for all people in their community whether slave or free.

The final five commands are about relationships within the community of God’s people. These commands create an environment in which every person and relationship is treated with respect as one who is equally loved and treasured by their Creator. They also strengthen the need to rely on God and His provision as sufficient for each.

 

1 Corinthians 1:18-25: Paul reflects on the apparent foolishness of God’s willingness to restore us to relationship at an immeasurable cost to Himself – and that this apparent foolishness is in fact great wisdom, so great that it is beyond the wise.

What amazes me is that the One who creates and sustains the Universe by His decision alone chooses a way of bringing us into relationship that to the sophisticated makes him look ridiculous – such is the depth of His longing for us. Of course, as Paul rightly discerns, in the process being willing to look ridiculous, God has made a mockery of all that humanity offers as wisdom, subtlety, and discretion.

God here is demonstrating the lengths to which He is prepared to go in order to draw and hold us in a relationship of healing and transforming intimacy – the Creator with His creature.

 

John 2:13-22: The cleansing of the Temple reveals the radical nature of God’s loving desire for us – He is prepared to sweep away whatever stands in the way (using violence at need). The truth of the matter is that, even in the light of God’s grace revealed in Jesus, we are still trying erect our own religious superstructure on the glorious foundation offered us in Christ crucified and risen.

The Temple had been intended as a place where people, God’s people, would interact with him in prayer – in worship, in listening, in sending out aid to the poor and the weak – instead these same had come to see it as an opportunity for a significant indulgence in free enterprise reinforced by religious edicts that had come to be oppressive and discriminating. In John’s account it comes as an early dramatic statement of what Jesus is about – setting the scene for the conflict between institutional religion and the astonishing freedom of relationship with God to which Jesus had come to call us.

 

Reflect on the ten commands of God to secure great relationships. (Exodus 20:1-17)

Ask yourself what is God trying to help me embrace? What is God trying to get me to reject or even repent of? Where is God challenging me to grow and change?

 

Repent of anything that you discover, especially those things that are firmly entrenched as a way of living or being that is contrary to what God has shown you to be His purpose. Bearing in mind that repenting is turning from the wrong way to the way God points us toward, go on to…

 

Respond by talking over with God what you’re beginning to discover about the longing of His heart for relationship with you; and the longing in His heart for you to relate readily and freely with others. Further, you can answer God’s longing by seeking for ways to build deeper and stronger relationships with others; this in fact a practical way of giving expression to the movement of repentance.

 

Relate what you have been finding out and the decisions you have made as a consequence to others, either in a house group, or a group to whom you are able to make yourself accountable.

from Petes Page March 22

Choc and chicks or hearts and tears

What is the most dominating theme for you as Easter begins to loom on our emotional horizon? The commercial world continues to trot out the same tired clichés of Easter eggs (bet they start calling them “holiday eggs”) and fluffy chickens (& bunnies) – but they know nothing!

This Lent and Easter I’m thinking about hearts and tears as meaningful and evocative images for this season. Why hearts and tears?

Hearts because the heart of God is revealed to us in the achingly beautiful story of His one and only Son taking upon Himself all the nasty things that stand between Him and us, paying the cosmic price of our reconciliation with the One who made us and sustains us. It’s about hearts because it is a heart to heart work that rescues and redeems us; His heart transforming our heart, renewing our heart, rebuilding our heart in the image of His heart.

His heart was caused to cease beating, while the Cosmos held it’s breath to see if God’s incalculable risk had any effect. Would the hearts of His creatures be changed, would the world be changed, would the Cosmos be renewed?

Tears…well do I have to explain that?! See there is Jesus in the garden – confronted with the sin of the world in all its horrid variety and it’s pollutant power – hearing the unerring call to be the One who takes it ALL to Himself. Faced with the choice of disruption in the eternal bond of the Trinity, or the final damnation of the loved but foolish human creatures, He weeps in the anticipation of pain and suffering as if already suffering. This torture almost as bad as the lash of the whip and prick of the sarcastic crown, the excruciating pain of nails and spear.

Tears also as they fall from the eyes of astonished and grateful children of God throughout the intervening years, as they are gently confronted by the Spirit with the truth about the depth of God’s heart of love for them; of His willingness to embrace them heart to heart regardless of, some say because of what they have done in their rebellion.

Hearts and tears? Let it be your theme this year.