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”Where is Jesus to be found?
We often talk about seeking God, and of finding him. Of searching for him, and of longing for him. Oh, how I long to find him, to see him, to touch him. I long for the day that I will see him face to face. (See the end of this post for a list of our previous posts that have touched on this topic). Oddly enough, though, in the context of those thoughts, I have not often given much consideration to the following verses. But over the past few days, these are the words I have been pondering. These words of Jesus have echoed in my heart and reverberated in my mind.
Continue reading “Where is Jesus to be found?”May I never miss when you are speaking
As those of you who have followed this blog for some time will know, I have been making my way, albeit slowly, through the book of John this year. But now I find myself nearing the end. And so as I was reading, John chapter 20, this week the following passage leapt out at me.
Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb; and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet. They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.”
When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni!” (which means Teacher).
John 20: 11-16
Sleep as a spiritual practice
Before I had children I did not realise what a gift sleep is. Now, after nearly six years of my sleep hours not being my own, I see differently. Sleep is precious and sometimes fragile. I hope I never take a full night’s sleep for granted again and am grateful always for it.
But even in this appreciation for the physical benefit of sleep, I have not until now thought of sleep as a spiritual practice. I’ve recently come alive to the idea that even in sleeping we can be in the presence of God and God can be at work in us.
Continue reading “Sleep as a spiritual practice”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?”The hope of the practice of the presence of God
For as long as I can remember the most fundamental thing I’ve known about reality is that there is an all-powerful, all-loving God who is attentive to us and present in all. This is the bedrock truth influencing and overshadowing everything else.
But, for me, this awareness about God has been partnered with an enduring frustration. Why can’t I retain awareness of God and God’s presence as I live through my life each day? If God holds this prime position in reality, then shouldn’t this colour everything? Yet, much of the time, how I experience the world – what draws and retains my attention, where my thoughts dwell, how my feelings are influenced, the sensations in my body – seems disconnected from that fundamental truth.
Continue reading “The hope of the practice of the presence of God”The invitation of Jesus
There is a cry repeated throughout scripture and one that is voiced numerous times by the Son of God himself. Jesus says,
“Come to me.”
Here are just a few instances where this is found in the Bible: Isaiah 55:1-3, Matthew 11:28-30, numerous verses in John 6, Revelation 22:17.
I wonder if often we, myself included, fail to do just this. It is as if we are happy to do things for God, to talk about “God stuff”, to read books about God, to sing and listen to songs about God, to even speak to God. But do we take the time to actually come to him? What would that look like if we did and how would it be different? And what does this mean in practice?
Continue reading “The invitation of Jesus”Hearing God part 2 – How does God speak?
When I was younger, I was terribly frustrated that the Bible didn’t give a blueprint for how to hear God. For it doesn’t. I expressed my frustration to a wise person that I know (also known as my Dad). He said to me that the reason God doesn’t do this is that he speaks in an infinite variety of ways. And he speaks to each person differently. If the Bible told us one way we would all be looking for that one way, instead we have to learn, to seek, and to find. Instead, we each get to go on the incredible adventure of discovering how God speaks to us.
Continue reading “Hearing God part 2 – How does God speak?”Lent 2020 v2.0: How coronavirus has rebooted and upgraded my Lent practice this year
Just the other day I stood before my kitchen calendar to count the number of days since the coronavirus lockdown began. When that number turned out to be 40, something (God I hope) caught my attention.
Continue reading “Lent 2020 v2.0: How coronavirus has rebooted and upgraded my Lent practice this year”Tell me about Jesus
I’m not really a fan of small talk. I know my personality type has a lot to answer for here, but as an INFJ, I would rather just skip the small talk, and talk instead about what really matters. Don’t get me wrong, I can talk about the weather just like anyone who has lived for any length of time in this southern city at the bottom of the world. I know that social norms dictate small talk as a safe and comfortable place to converse, I get that many would much rather stay there than delve into meaning and depth of connection.
But if I had a choice, and if I thought anyone would respond with even a little enthusiasm, this would be the question I would ask: Tell me about Jesus, please? Not just about what you know of him or what you have read about him, but tell me about him. What does he say to you, and how does he say it? What does he look like? Can you describe him for me? How have you found him?
Perhaps, you know nothing of this Jesus and these questions strike you as being profoundly odd, if so please continue reading, I hope what follows brings you a little clarity, perhaps you might also like to read this.
Continue reading “Tell me about Jesus”