Sabbath - Lenten reflection

Sometimes it is all about timing or as we like to call it "God-incidence."
I happen to be re-reading an incredible book called An Altar in the World (Barbara Brown Taylor) and on Day 1 of our Lockdown I started at the chapter entitled 'The practise of saying No.'

I am probably not going to do justice to her incredible wisdom, but I just love the way that Barbara shares her thoughts on Sabbath and entering into a time of Rest. Here are a few of her words:

"Sabbath is not only God's gift to those who have voices to say how tired they are; Sabbath is also God's gift to the tired fields, the tired vines, the tired land..."

"Sabbath is the great equalizer, the great reminder that we do not live on the earth but in it, and that everything we do under the warming tent of this planet's atmosphere affects all who are woven into this web with us."

"On this day we shall not do, but be.
We are to walk the path of our humanity, no longer ride unseeing through a world we do not touch and only vaguely sense.
No longer can we tear the world apart to make our fire..."

And then she shares the familiar words from Jesus in Matthew 6:

^"Look at the birds! They don’t worry about what to eat—they don’t need to sow or reap or store up food—for your heavenly Father feeds them. And you are far more valuable to him than they are. ²⁷ Will all your worries add a single moment to your life?"

Enjoy your rest during this time of Lockdown and pray for those who still have to work in order to keep us safe. 

Living in Grace
D3LM3

The One who sent it!

 

 

In her marvellous book 'Bread of Angels', Barbara Brown Taylor reflects on how when we ask God for things (for example, when the Israelites asked for food in the desert) we often create an impression of how God should answer our prayers. The trouble with this is that we then limit God to our image of the answered prayer. The manna in the desert may have not looked appetising, yet it was an answer to prayer and this helped the people survive on a daily basis.

Barbara Brown Taylor writes:
"...it is not what it is that counts, but who sent it, and the miracle is that God is always sending us something to eat. Day by day, God is made known to us in the simple things that sustain our lives - some bread, some love, some breath, some wine - all those absolutely essential things that are here today and gone tomorrow."

May we come to know the gift in the answer to our prayers and that God is still in the business of providing manna for his people.

Living in Grace
D3LM3

Lent #11 - Refreshing others

"A generous person will prosper, he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed." - Proverbs 11:25

In the rush of our lives, we often miss the opportunities to encounter other people and to offer them God's grace. We are so introspective that we don't even notice the needs of those around us. Jesus encouraged us to 'love our neighbours as we love ourselves', which points us to look around at our 'neighbours' and to pay attention to them.

When we offer God's love and grace to others we end up refreshing them and encouraging them on the journey of faith. In doing this, we also end up being refreshed too.



“…the everyday practice of being with other people is the practice of loving the neighbour as the self.” – Barbara Brown Taylor

Action: Take a quick look around your circle of influence today. Notice who is around you and what some of their needs might be. Is there a way that you might be able to refresh them with love and grace today?

Living in Grace
D3LM3