see-through faith

I’ve been in a bit of a funk for days. Spiritually speaking nothing seems to be working. The Word seems to be draining me rather than filling the tank – and truth be told I’m so far behind on reading John over at into the Bible that I’m thinking of abandoning that project for something that is more manageable!

As I told a friend last night, I’ve really been struggling to pray too. It’s horrible. It’s as if the volcanic ash over Europe (invisible from where I am in Turku, Finland) is actually acting like a real physical barrier … and every prayer is bouncing back, unheard and unanswered. That’s not spiritually sound of course, (God always hears us!), but there is precedent for it being difficult for prayer (or answer to prayer) to get through (Dan 10:12-14)!

As I was pondering this I came across a thought that helped me somewhat …

Alan made a comment on the previous post which I found very useful

An interesting thing about the command “Submit” in the New Testament… it’s always in the middle voice, which means it is something someone does for one’s self. Thus, it would be something like “submit yourself”, not “let someone else force you to”… (I hope that makes sense…)

As I thought about this I realised that that is why I prefer the word “yield”. Submission – in some contexts at least- suggests a measure of  coercion, and that’s most definitely not God’s way.

Today I’ve been meditating a little on James 4: 7-10

⁷Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. ⁸Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. ⁹Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. ¹⁰Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

There’s a lot in it – and I cannot claim to fully ‘get’ it – but I find it encouraging that as we submit to God we find out who we really are.

Later (in late Feb or March) over at into the Bible we’ll read James in depth, but as from New Year’s Day we’ll start looking at the Gospel of Luke. Do join us if you feel that gettting into the Word on a regular basis in 2010. There is no need to comment – though all comments, questions and thoughts are of course very welcome.

Good King Wenceslas looked out
On the feast of Stephen
When the snow lay round about
Deep and crisp and even

…

In his master’s steps he trod
Where the snow lay dinted
Heat was in the very sod
Which the Saint had printed
Therefore, Christian men, be sure
Wealth or rank possessing
Ye who now will bless the poor

Shall yourselves find blessing

(This English Christmas carol is unusual as there is no reference in the lyrics to the nativity, nonetheless it is sung at Christmastide mostly, I suspect, because today December 26th – i.e. boxing day – is the feast of St Stephen, the first martyr. You can read about him in Acts 6:8-10 and in Acts 7).

The words to the carol “Good King Wenceslas” were written by John Mason Neale and published in 1853, the music originates in Finland 300 years earlier.)

Here’s where hubby, dogs and I trod on the feast of St Stephen

I’m not really into poetry – sometimes it hits the mark though

“How about
A PRAYER?”
Meister Eckhart offers

“Or FASTING
Or GOODWORKS
Or …”

“No, no!”
God interupts
What I really like is

REST

(Richard Skinner, Echoes of Eckhart, Cairns, 1998)

I found this amongst some papers on spiritual direction. And it stopped me in my tracks.

It’s so easy to become a striving-Christian – but it takes grace to enter His rest. I once was given a prophetic word that I was running so fast that God couldn’t keep up. I don’t think it was theologically sound – and at the time it also stung a bit a lot- but today (years later) I think I see what the person meant. Certainly I’ve come to value sitting in His presence (though it’s still a struggle to stay there)

Over at into the Bible we’re looking at Hebrews right now. Heb 4 is a bit of an ouch really.

God’s rest is there for people to enter, but those who first heard this good news failed to enter because they disobeyed God … so let us do our best to enter that rest. But if we disobey God, as the people of Israel did, we will fall. (Heb 4: 6, 11)

I’m not sure I understand it fully (I am finding Hebrews a tricky book to study even with the wonderful help of Tom Wright) but God’s warnings are always to be taken seriously.

What I do get from this is that I need to trust God more and imitate Him more … if he needed (or chose) rest on the seventh day it’s really high time I followed suit.

looking ahead

Tomorrow over at into the Bible we’ll start to read through the anonymous book of Hebrews. Tom Wright calls this book ‘one of the most bracing and challenging writings in the New Testament’ – but don’t let you put that off because reading this is going to good.

It’s open for everyone – and you are free simply to read along, but comments are of course very welcome. (The first time you comment it will need to wait for approval – after that it’s plain sailing)

This is the reading schedule

Weds 4th Novemeber Hebrews 1
Thurs 5th Hebrews 2
Fri 6th Hebrews 3

Mon 9th Hebrews 4
Tues 10th Hebrews 5
Weds 11th Hebrews 6
Thurs 12th Hebrews 7
Fri 13th Hebrews 8

Mon 16th Hebrews 9
Tues 17th Hebrews 10
Weds 18th Hebrews 11
Thurs 19th Hebrews 12
Friday 20th Hebrews 13

In a drive to try to combat what is reported as the most unproductive day / week of the year (Hat tip to my friend American Ruth for that snippet of info!) I’m doing a final marathon push with my MA thesis this week with the aim of submitting the first draft by the weekend.

That means I won’t be blogging much this week – although will still keep active over at  into the Bible. We’re two-thirds of the way through the Gospel of Matthew now, which I’m really enjoying. Should you feel like you’d like to join us – you can jump straight in where we are – or then note that Hebrews is next (begins November 3rd) , followed by Romans (from November 23 on).

I’m also more or less boycotting facebook right now in an attempt to recover my life (grin) and get this thesis tidied up (and the wordcount down) … hoping that the withdrawal symptoms aren’t too bad.

See you all in a few days

-stf

Over at Into the Bible we are looking at 2 Timothy this week. Next week we’ll step into one of the Gospels  – Mark – to rediscover who Jesus was, the circumstances of his life, what He taught and how He lived. Everyone is welcome to join in …

I am reading a really interesting book right now Search and Rescue:Becoming a Disciple who Makes a Difference by Neil Cole. I already quoted from it here.

Cole asks

Who is the Timothy in your life? Who will carry on after you’re gone?

and goes on to make the point

Christianity’s very survival depends on the lives we leave behind, lives that have been changed and prepared to carry on after us.

I’ve talked a lot here on the blog (and elsewhere) about the need for Pauls and Paulinas in our lives. I’ve also posed the idea that we need to be willing to be a Paul or Paulina to those God puts on our hearts. But I’ve never really thought about it in terms of ‘who is the Timothy in my life’ before.

Timothy was so special to Paul. Paul had become his spiritual father and in every way possible Timothy had become his son by adoption.

There are so many terms of affection and ways of expressing longing to see him in the letter. And I can only imagine the pain that Timothy went through when he got the second letter from his spiritual Father, probably along with the news that Paul was now dead: Executed by the order of Rome because of what he believed, taught and lived out. I am sure as he wrote Paul was in tears and as Timothy  read, and re-read the letter over and over again, the tears would have been falling … but at the same time he’d have been hanging onto every word, every nuance in the advice and every word of encouragement.

Both Paul and Timothy were disciples of Jesus Christ. But Paul was Timothy’s guide and mentor.So my question today -to myself too- is who are we guiding and mentoring? Who are we daring to pour our life into. Who will carry the flame after we are gone? And are we doing all we can to encourage, train, equip and release the Timothys in our lives?

We use the expression ‘set your heart on’ quite easily in English, as in “I’ve set my heart on a new coat / ipod superdooper model / getting into med school … whatever’ don’t we?

Paul categorically tells us that setting our heart on those kind of things is not what being a follower of Jesus is all about.

Since you have been raised with Christ (i.e. born again, given hope of salvation because of what Jesus did for you on the cross) set your hearts on things above … set your minds on things above, not on earthy things) (Col 3:1b, 2a)

It would be easy to interpret this – I guess – as ‘don’t worry about today because your future (in heaven) is secured’. Grrrr. I know that some people do think of salvation as some kind of fire insurance, but I’m convinced – more and more – that that is not what Jesus died for.

Our future in heaven – at the right hand of the Father with Jesus – is important. But so is the way we live out our faith before we die. In the prayer Jesus taught us His disciples (Mt 6:9-13) we pray for His Kingdom to come (here today on earth) and for the Father’s will to be done (here today and every day on earth). That means, I believe, that what happens here on earth wherever we are living, whatever our circumstances, does matter to God.

When Paul calls us to set our mind on things above he does not mean we are to ignore life on earth and live some kind of holy denial existance,  but it does mean first seeing the world, our everyday situations, the cicumstances around us, through His eyes instead of our own and feeling the pain of the separation of the world from Him with His heart. That is the beginning of a new way of life for us – because it leads to our stepping out in obedience because of who we are in Christ.

What have you set your heart and mind on recently?

I have to confess that like most of us I get caught up in longing for -even l*sting over the wrong things – but a day or two ago it was as if the spirit of reconcilliation rested on me. That follows on from the prayer Jesus taught us.

If you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. (Mt 6:14)

Some people don’t deserve to be forgiven – that’s a sad reality – but if that’s my attitude I’m starting off on the wrong foot. God’s forgiven me so much -that’s what his grace is all about – and it’s awesome.

These thoughts (and more!) have been sparked off by a daily look my friend and I have been having at the book of Colossians. We really felt that we needed to encourage each other to get back into the Word. Now I’m extending the same invitation to you. Tomorrow we’ll start looking at Paul’s first letter to the people in Thessalonica (one of Paul’s earliest epistles) and I invite you to join us over at into the bible.  Welcome!

I thought I’d pick up my Lenten fast again – because I need it. So from this week on (for a while at least) I won’t be using the internet on Fridays. What I thought I’d do though, is post a few questions for each of us to meditate on -and see where the Spirit of God takes us. OK?

Another thing. I didn’t have time to discuss intotheBible with eija when we met at new wine – however what I’m doing (with a friend) is reading through Paul’s letters a chapter a day right now. We looked at Ephesians the week before last and while I was at New Wine (and immersed in other thoughts) my friend looked at Philippeans. This week it’s Colossians. If you want to join us please do. Any version /translation of the Bible is ok.  Let me know in the comments.