Lord of the unexpected

"Lord of every pilgrim heart,
you are beside me and before me on the way,
surprising me through your Spirit
at every turning on the path.
Yet, like your disciples
on the Emmaus Road,
I often fail to recognise my companion.
In this morning hour,
and in whatever the day may hold,
open my eyes to see your presence,
that I may celebrate with you
the gift of the morning,
O Lord of the unexpected." - Prayer from Iona

"That same day two of Jesus’ followers were walking to the village of Emmaus, seven miles[c] from Jerusalem. As they walked along they were talking about everything that had happened. As they talked and discussed these things, Jesus himself suddenly came and began walking with them. But God kept them from recognizing him." - Luke 24:13-16 

“Earth is crammed with heaven And every bush aflame with God But only those who see take off their shoes. —ELIZABETH BARRETT BROWNING”

Living in Grace

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Unexpected times

"Moreover, no one knows when their hour will come:

As fish are caught in a cruel net,
or birds are taken in a snare,
so people are trapped by evil times
that fall unexpectedly upon them." - Ecclesiastes 9:11

Perhaps we could all agree that this year has been a very tough year for most of us and in some ways 2020 could be the 'evil times' that Solomon refers to in today's scripture. If I stop and take note of the fallout and the stress of this year, it certainly seems as if many people have been tripped up by the unexpected nature of Covid. These 'evil' and 'weird' times have trapped many good and godly people - we have become ensnared in issues we never dreamed would occur. 

In order to offer us hope, despite these circumstances, I want to remind us of the words of Jesus. He lived with the poise and balance that we all seek to have in our inner worlds. Jesus knew what his destiny and purpose was and he trusted his Father to guide him through the uncertainty of our world.

John 1:5 - The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

Matthew 6:13 - And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’

C.S.Lewis wrote - We must stop regarding unpleasant or unexpected things as interruptions of real life. The truth is that interruptions are real life.

Living in Grace

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Advent word - Unexpected

The coming of the Messiah was definitely expected by God-followers - for hundreds of years before he was born people were waiting for his coming. However, what was unexpected was the way things happened (i.e. born in a manger in Bethlehem) and where Jesus would position himself in society (with the poor, widows and sinners).

In a deep sense, everything that Jesus did was beyond the norm - it was UNEXPECTED.

Our Messiah is a God of surprises and if we "box" him into a particular place this Christmas we may just miss out on the miracle of the Nativity.

Matthew 2:6 - “‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
    are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for out of you will come a ruler
    who will shepherd my people Israel.’

John 4:27 -  Just then his disciples returned and were surprised to find him talking with a woman.

Living in Grace
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