I remember clearly the first time God asked me a question. It was ambiguous, puzzling, and frustrating. I was confused. Was there a right answer and a wrong answer? Surely there must be, for God was asking. And clearly, the correct answer was the one that I dreaded? Wasn’t it? The answer that I did not want to give? But how was I to know? What was I supposed to do with this question? And why would God ask me a question in the first place?
Continue reading “The munificence of the God who initiates conversation”In the times when God seems far away
This past week I have thinking about times when God seems far away. How often we hear, and perhaps speak, the language of distance when we are discussing God and our relationship, or lack of relationship, with him. We speak of God as far away. As removed. We talk about prayer going nowhere, of our words reverberating around our room but never reaching the ears of God. God is remote. Disinterested. Busy. Busy with anything, everything.
Continue reading “In the times when God seems far away”Cultivating quiet in the cacophony of life
Our world is a cacophony of noise. From the moment that we wake until we finally drift off to sleep at night, we are bombarded by sound. Furthermore, our lives are filled with demands, requests, deadlines and expectations. We are complicated, self-obsessed, and selfish – so often driven by desire. And the world and culture that we find ourselves in simply pours fuel on the fire. How are we, in the midst of all this, to cultivate a life and an attitude of quiet?
Continue reading “Cultivating quiet in the cacophony of life”The staggering reality of God contending with man
For the past couple of weeks, even while writing my last post ‘Hearing God part 3 – Hope for those who don’t‘, one passage from the Bible has sat in my mind and refused to budge. This has taken me by surprise for this particular passage is not one I have ever given a great deal of thought. I have only ever read it, thought that it was rather strange and then continued on. But as I have pondered upon it, and read about it, I have wondered if there are lessons that we can and should learn from it.
Continue reading “The staggering reality of God contending with man”Hearing God part 3 – Hope for those who don’t
I was in conversation with someone recently, and they spoke to me about how they have never heard from God. They said that they have tried. That they have sought to listen, and they have asked God to speak, but they do not hear anything. They told me how they longed to hear from God in the way so many others seem to, and yet that has not been their experience. And I said that I understood. For I too was once in that place.
Continue reading “Hearing God part 3 – Hope for those who don’t”To kneel in the dust
Today I am struck yet again by the gentleness, compassion and humility of Jesus. I am still in John, and not much further on than when I wrote this post, for I don’t read the Bible quickly. I have done so in the past, I have skimmed large portions of Scripture rapidly. But, I find that approach hard to maintain, and in doing so, I am bombarded by so much that needs careful thought, prayer and consideration that I struggle to find anything to come away with. In the presence of so much to think about, I end up with little to hold on to.
Therefore, I have found that I have to take time. To sit, to dwell and to contemplate. So I move slowly. Sometimes I sit with the same few verses for days, maybe even weeks. I have learnt that it is okay to do this and to not feel guilty for not covering vast quantities of Scripture. But, instead, to let the Spirit speak to me where I am.
Continue reading “To kneel in the dust”The invitation and the gift
Those of you who have been following closely may be aware that I have been sitting with the gospel of John lately. I love this gospel. I love the way John talks about Jesus. The way he portrays him, what he shows, the interactions that Jesus has with people. It seems to me that John lingers over these in a way that is different from the other gospels. And Jesus’ relationship with Mary and Martha, but with Mary, in particular, is developed in this gospel. The famous interaction between the sisters and Jesus is recorded in Luke 10:38-42, and John, I suppose, being fully aware of that fact does not recount that again. Instead, he picks up their story and develops it further.
Continue reading “The invitation and the gift”What do I say yes to?
Some years ago, I was feeling overwhelmed by all the possibilities, opportunities and requests that were coming my way. These were things that I could do, things I could do for and in my church, for friends, for strangers, in my community and beyond. But how was I to know what to fill my time with? In a recent post, I wrote about fruitfulness and significance and how Jesus calls us not to focus on the fruit, but rather to focus on him (click here to view that post). But today’s focus is slightly different.
How do we know what we should be doing? How do we discern what is right and what is not? Should we just embrace each and every opportunity as an open door set before us that we should say yes to? If it seems good, then surely it must be from God? As someone who hates to let others down often, it is easier to simply say yes, or at least that is how it appears. The additional stress that it often places on me, and my family, as a result, may perhaps suggest otherwise.
Continue reading “What do I say yes to?”Is there a formula for the spiritual life?
I wonder if often we distil our relationship with God into a transactional relationship? If we develop a formula for the spiritual life? We listen to God, we read our Bible, and we do what he says. But is there a danger in such thinking? We can come to understand God as a slot machine – I ask him for something, he gives me an answer; I listen to him, he tells me what to do – and we can forget that there is more. God is not looking for robots who simply do his will. He wants children.
Continue reading “Is there a formula for the spiritual life?”Fruitfulness? Significance? Where do I set my sights?
For much of my life, I have felt the compulsion, and the longing, to do stuff for God. But I have also struggled with the profound sense that what I do is not enough. Indeed, the Bible is filled with passages about fruitfulness, and good trees bearing good fruit. How am I to be a good tree? If a tree is known by its fruit then I better produce good fruit, but how do I to do that? And what kind of fruit is good fruit anyway? The only way I have been able to reconcile such thoughts is to do, and to do, and to do. To do something, anything, for God. But how do I know I am doing it for him? After all, what makes an action a God-centred action rather than just a me-centred action?
Continue reading “Fruitfulness? Significance? Where do I set my sights?”