Spirit & Life

This heartfelt prayer of Jesus reflects deep humility and love for us all. He weaves together his incarnational life, God’s love and truth, our faith, and our response to Jesus’ teachings, through living out God’s love in the world, where we might have joy in our hearts in all its fullness.

It never ceases to amaze me the number of new songs created, enabling new generations to express themselves with delightful diversity and in ways relevant to their situations. Psalm 98 is as relevant today as it was when sung in ancient times.

‘Everything Old Is New Again’ denotes a Silversmith’s repurposing of old copper and brass roofing from a century old church. From this she created a delightful pectoral cross that I wore when being celebrant at my daughter’s wedding. It reminded me that through change and renewal in our churches, we retain what is precious and repurpose it in unexpected ways, as we prune to strengthen flourishing new ministries.

The very fabric of everyday life is changing before us; these are unprecedented times. In the midst of this, we’re invited to find God and some have little more than their bible to help. We reflect on Psalms 23 and its implications for our lives—now, more than ever.

Almost everyone can point to a time in life when they were deeply happy. For some, courtship and marriage were those times of joy. For others, high school or college days stand out. Some even point to the birth of children. In hindsight, some events stand out as times to savor.

How beautiful were the delights and joy expressed by the gathered community where I worshipped! It reinforced that when we focus on ‘personal faith’ only, we miss the significance of God’s call to the ‘gathered faithful’, in all our unique and diverse expressions.

When confronted by what is hard to hear, shocking to consider, grieving to know, difficult to understand, it is often much easier to not believe it at all. Then, in anxiety, fear and shame, choose to ridicule the truth-teller.

The walk that Jesus took was entered into not lightly nor selfishly; rather, in covenantal relationship with God. He stepped forward with God, with certainty of action. He walked onwards, knowing he was not welcomed by all.

Recently, I have been meditating on the Spiritual Practice of Lectio Divinia. Lectio Divinia is the practice of scriptural reading, meditation and prayer intended to promote communion with God and to increase the knowledge of God’s word.

For God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son,
so that everyone who believes in him may not die but have eternal life.
For God did not send his Son into the world to be its judge, but to be its saviour.