Further Lenten thoughts...

So I am continuing my thoughts on lent with a little help from a few helpful thoughts and comments from Mr Moo and from Jane via Facebook.

So my thinking at the minute is mainly regarding some kind of self-sacrifice, greater focus and the motivation behind it. Ultimately it is to bring myself before God and bringing a greater glory to Him. When thinking around this for college prayers today I came across the first instance in which Jesus talks about fasting in Matthew 6:16-18....

And when you fast, don’t make it obvious, as the hypocrites do, for they try to look miserable and disheveled so people will admire them for their fasting. I tell you the truth, that is the only reward they will ever get. But when you fast, comb your hair and wash your face. Then no one will notice that you are fasting, except your Father, who knows what you do in private. And your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.

So it should be done with an element of humility (...does that include broadcasting it on my blog...hmmm!!!?) but also with Joy and the expectation of meeting Jesus.

So what have I decided to do...I'm going to try my best to fast from lunch for the next 40 days, but I will continue to enjoy the fellowship around the meal table when I am with friends (unless they continue to make comments such as...mmmm this curry is amazing!!!) but if I am on my own I will try to make an effort to spend the time I would take to prepare and eat my lunch in prayer and/or bible study.

Well my first day hasn't been too bad and it is nearly teatime!!! But this is a journey that intrigues and excites me just a little bit.

Lent

So what is Lent and why do people give things up that they enjoy for 40 days??

Lent is the 40 day long period leading up to Easter starting on Ash Wednesday. The number 40 has many biblical references - the 40 days Moses spent on Mount Sinai with God, the 40 days and nights Elijah spent walking to Mount Horeb, God made it rain for 40 days and 40 nights in the days of Noah. Jesus retreated in to the desert, where he fasted for 40 days and was tempted by the devil, all 3 of which temptations he overcame.

Traditionally the 3 practices to be taken up with renewed vigour during lent are prayer...justice towards God, fasting...justice towards self, and almsgiving...justice towards neighbour.

Today some people give up a vice of theirs, add something that will bring them closer to God and sometimes give the money saved to charity.

For most modern Protestants the observation of lent is considered to be a choice rather than an obligation deciding to give up a favourite food (chocolate) or drink (alcohol) or activity (video games, facebook) or take on a new or strengthen a current discipline.

My question is what does giving up chocolate or sweets do in the eternal scheme of things? Does it really have any effect? (other than potentially on the waistline!!) Is that what God wants us to do? Does not using our hair straighteners for 40 days help to bring us closer to Him? Or is it all about the attitude in which we approach these acts? Is it about testing our will power and turning to God for the strength to persevere?

So what Im trying to decide is am I going to give something up this year...or am I going to take on or work harder at a discipline?? But what??

Not long left to decide so any thoughts or suggestions would be very welcome!

Wee trip to the seaside...

Today I decided to take some time out so I went for a wee drive and ended up beside the sea at an old time favourite place - Murlough Bay Nature Reserve. When we had a caravan in Newcastle I used to go there every morning with a friend to help her with her 2 dogs. I hadn't been there in ages and there were a few changes...like the herd of cows free to wander around!!


There were even some Irish Goats...I doubt these ones will make it on to a plate though!!


It was a perfect day, the sun was shining...it was still freezing but it was clear and bright and the scenery was awesome. Just me, my ipod and my journal and the inspiration of my Father's creation.

We Cry Out...

This morning I went out to Hillsborough for a walk before college, I find it’s a great place to think things over and just clear out my mind. I was listening to some music and often that’s how I pray, through the words of the songs and well today I had one of those moments when I was sent the right song just at the right time and I wanted to share it with you.





A BIG shout out to Andrew Jernigan who first introduced me to Brian and Jenn Johnson's music...they have become a big favourite :)

Tears

To follow on from what I mentioned in the last entry...one of the things that really struck me was about crying...cry if you need to. Sometimes the words just don't come and only tears make sense...even if they don't!! I certainly found this to be true during my time at Lake Bosomtwe...and one day Rebecca showed me the following passasge from a book and it just helped to make so much sense of some of my tears at least!!!

The Secret of Tears

One of the greatest gifts you can bring to your King is the gift of absolute sincerity. I’m talking about a purity of heart that says, “Lord, I’m coming to You because You really are the center of my universe. You truly are all that I live for. My heart is totally and fully set upon You.” Nothing surpasses the delight of being able to sing songs of total consecration with absolute abandon.

Feelings of sincerity are quickly defused when we allow the flesh to defile our conscience. No earthly pleasure is worth a defiled conscience. Feelings of guilt arise when we feel hypocritical before God – when we’ve spurned His overtures in order to gratify the desires of the flesh. Oh what delight when we can come boldly before His throne with a clean conscience! Even though we’re not yet perfected and even though we struggle with weakness, our hearts reach for Him with impassioned desire.

I call this “sweet sincerity.” This sincerity of heart has settled the issue once and for all: Jesus truly is the great love of my heart. This sincerity is “sweet” because when you know you’re totally sincere in coming to God, you feel the sweetness of His reciprocating love. This is when “love [is] without hypocrisy” (Romans 12:9). I have personally found my awareness of His presence to be strongest when I have had great yearning of heart for Him. When my soul longs for Him in sweet sincerity, even to tears, my awareness of His reciprocating affections is heightened.

True love must function in total sincerity, void of duplicity adulterous passions. This is why we must find those measures that evoke our sense of sweet sincerity before the Lord. Now, here’s the beauty of it: When love is without hypocrisy, the sweetness of this sincerity is often accompanied by tears.

Of the seven psalms that refer to tears, three are attributed to David’s pen. The man who had an absolutely sincere secret life with God was a man of tears. David cried, “Do not be silent at my tears” (Psalms 39:12), as though his tears commended his sincerity to God. Clearly tears are not meant for women only. Another psalmist expressed the sincerity of his cry by pointing to his tears: “My tears have been my food day and night, while they continually say to me, ‘Where is your God?’” (Psalm 42:3).

There’s something about tears that is pure and unfeigned. I suppose it’s possible, in a technical sense, to fake tears (as actors learn to do), but let’s be honest about it: Nobody is about to fake tears while praying. When it comes to the secret place, tears are either honest or absent.

So the presence of tears is a profound statement to your departed Bridegroom. Tears are liquid words. Tears say more than words often can. Whereas words can sometimes contain the pretense of plastic platitudes, tears come straight from the heart.

Have you known tears? You are blessed. Do you struggle to find tears? Then ask for them. It’s a request He will graciously fulfill.

We cry because we desire or because we’re in pain; so tears are the language of desire. We desire Him, even to tears. If we lack that desire, He will cultivate it within us by seemingly withdrawing from us in His mercy. It’s famine that makes us hungry; it’s drought that makes us thirsty. Deprivation produces desire.

Do not despise the pain that gave you tears. Pour out your heart to Him; God is a refuge for us! Those who “love much” still wash the Lord’s feet with their tears (see Luke 7:36-48).

Weeping and tears have always gained the Lord’s attention. David understood this when he wrote, “Put my tears into Your bottle” (Psalm 56:8). Not only does the Lord notice our tears, He actually bottles and stores them as an everlasting witness in His presence.

There are two kinds of sickness in the Bible that produce tears. The first is mentioned in Proverbs 13:12, “Hope deferred makes the heart sick.” When the hope of God’s deliverance is deferred, the heart grows sick. This heartsickness produces a groaning from the depths of the spirit and is expressed in tears. These are the tears of the brokenhearted, and they are not despised by God. Heartsickness cries, “Oh God, visit me! Come to me in Your power and fulfill your word in my life!”

The other sickness that produces tears is seen in Song of Solomon 5:8, “I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if you find my beloved, that you tell him I am lovesick!” Lovesickness is the consequence of our Lord’s restrained self-revelation, who reveals Himself to us dimly as through a veil or a dark glass. When the heart is awakened to the beauty of the King and the eyes long to behold Him, but He reveals Himself in but a fraction of His fullness, the saint becomes sick with love. Lovesickness cries, “Show me Your glory, Lord! I want to see You, I want to know You!”

Heartsickness is the product of unrequited power; lovesickness is the consequence of unrequited love. David articulated both passions when, during his years of hiding in the wilderness, he cried, “So I have looked for You in the sanctuary, to see Your power and Your glory” (Psalm 63:2). Heartsickness weeps, “Show me Your hand!” Lovesickness weeps, “Show me Your face!”

I am told the story of a certain young man who was seeking a breakthrough in his life in a certain area, but had exhausted all he knew to do to gain spiritual breakthrough. He wrote General William Booth (founder of The Salvation Army) for advice. The General wrote back two simple words, “ Try tears.”

William Booth had learned the secret. The inner chamber of prayer gains its impetus from the liquid power of tears. Do you long for a greater reality in your walk with God?

Try tears.


(C) Secrets of the Secret Place, Bob Sorge, Oasis House, 2001

Global Vision 2009

Today was Global Vision...a yearly conference held by the Methodist Missionary Society (Ireland) to highlight overseas mission and to inform people of what is going in out there in the world of overseas mission, with our overseas mission partners and other current issues.

There was a great range of seminar topics to choose from including feedback from a mission partner recently returned home from Tonga, the story of a previous Muslims conversion to Christianity, the changing face of mission, Papua New Guinea and Afghanistan.

Everybody that spoke had a wonderful and engaging story to tell but for me the best part of the entire day was the last 15 minutes or so when the General Secretary summed up the day and added his thoughts. What were we going to do with what we had heard, learnt or felt called to. Would we go home saying we had, had a great day or would we go home changed...prepared to make a change...go home to pray...fast...and if we need to cry...but most of all let God use it and listen to how He wants to use it.

What would you attempt if you knew you wouldn't fail??

I'm not quite sure what we were talking about or how this came up at SAP this week but someone mentioned that little phrase..."what would you attempt if you knew you wouldn't fail?"..It's so true that often we don't step out or attempt to do something because we are scared of our own failure.

There was one thing that came to my mind...which I am not going to reveal!!...and it's something that i've often thought, yeh i'd like to give it a go. So why haven't I? Am I scared what others will think, am i scared of rejection, scared i'll not be good enough, ultimately scared of failure?!!! Or maybe it's not something God has in my future, I guess it's something that needs a little more thought and prayer, all prompted by that little phrase.

For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.
Philippians 4:13

snow...woohoo...

Tonight...there was snow...yay!! I love the snow it's just so fresh and pure.

But it can cause so much hassle for so many people. As a country which doesn't get very snow we are totally unprepared when it comes and everything just seems to shut down.

Which is why I was even out in it in the first place! To be fair when i left the house there was none in sight but when I arrived home a few hours later this was the scene. I had been babysitting for Janine as Clifford had been stranded in England...airports closing down because of the snow!


As much as I like the snow I'm glad it didn't even last the night...its nice to look at but it's not much fun to drive or walk out in!!

All for love...

We have been following a series on Grace and Gideon in our evening services over the past couple of weeks which Ive really been enjoying or perhaps to put it a better way Ive got a lot out of it and learnt a lot.Something that just seems to keep popping up for me at the minute is just how incomprehensible God is. From studying Job who's suffering is inflicted by the Satan with God's approval. But suffering is not the only topic to be found in Job but also the journey that Job takes with God coming to the point of submission because he will never understand God's ways or means. Then there is the divine name of God...'I AM who I AM'. This is something that has always intrigued me...there is just so much meaning in those 2 very small words I AM. 2 words that sum up the essence of my God who was, is and evermore shall be...transcending all space and time...any wonder we could never possibly understand all that He is.

This was the conclusion I had come up with regarding the sacred name for my Old Testament exam but never got to use...but that's a whole other story!!!

In the diverse cameos which emerge in an attempt to unravel the complexity of the origin, meaning and significance of the sacred name YHWH, a rich tapestry of challenging ideas can be taken for our worship today. When we enter God’s presence is there the same echo of excitement which evokes an ecstatic cry from the depths of our being as we reflect on the otherness and greatness of God in creation and all of life. We often have a casual familiarity which can easily degenerate into a performance. But as it is revealed in the culmination of the passage in Exodus in which God’s name is revealed, Yahweh’s name and nature exists in all time, in all directions, for ever and for all generations. God is essentially the God of presence in every conceivable experience that life throws at us demonstrating that the unpronounceable I AM speaks in the life death and resurrection of the One who claimed in John 8:58 – ‘before Abraham was , I AM’.

It can really be quite mind bending stuff which i guess for me is where faith comes in...He is the great God...Yahweh...I AM...and He cares about me...how awesome is that. The creator of the universe who breathed life itself wants to know about me...even though He already knows everything about me, He still wants me to chat to Him about it!

And it was this I was thinking about as we thought a little more about grace and prepared for communion on Sunday night and there was a verse that kept running through my head...

May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. Ephesians 3:19

How can we understand a love that is prepared to die for us...a stranger...but that's just it...we aren't strangers as God knows every little intimate detail about us and just loves us that much.