Holding you in my heart

"It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart and, whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me." - Philippians 1:7

Paul certainly had a way with words. I can picture the early Christian community gathering together in a small room to worship, excitedly waiting for the elders to read the letter from Paul. And what a joy it must have been to hear these words: "...I have you in my heart!"

These words transcend boundaries, geography and perhaps even logic. They speak to us of having a connection with someone special, even though we are not physically in the same space as that person. 

For Paul, it was knowing that he still loved and prayed for the Christians in Philippi despite him being captive in prison. For you and me it could be holding a loved one in our hearts, even though we don't see them any longer or may not see them for years to come. The unique bond we have with these people is kept sacred in our hearts.

Mary's response to the prophecy of Jesus' birth was similar in some ways. She pondered the words of the angel in her heart, keeping them safe until Jesus had been born (Luke 2:19).

Thought: Who do you hold in your heart at the moment?

Living in grace

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A great display of love

 

Sometimes we don't have adequate words to express the depth of our feelings. When the woman (Mary) anoints Jesus' head, while he is eating at the home of Simon the Leper, we see the incredible love she has for Jesus. 

"While he was eating, a woman came in with a beautiful alabaster jar of expensive perfume and poured it over his head." - Matthew 26:7

The depth of her gratitude is revealed in the value she places on Jesus. The jar of perfume was worth a full year's wages for the average worker. That is a lot of money to offer up as a gift to Jesus, especially as it was only to be used in a once off act. 

Mary came to understand the true 'worth' of Jesus and her generosity always challenges me to reflect on the love that I show Christ. Is my love merely in words, or does it come with a great display of love.

"Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions." - 1 John 3:18

Living in Grace

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John 12:3-6 - Then Mary took a twelve-ounce jar of expensive perfume made from essence of nard, and she anointed Jesus’ feet with it, wiping his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance. 4 But Judas Iscariot, the disciple who would soon betray him, said, 5 “That perfume was worth a year’s wages. It should have been sold and the money given to the poor.” 6 Not that he cared for the poor—he was a thief, and since he was in charge of the disciples’ money, he often stole some for himself.

Sumballo - The great comparison

As we contemplate all that the birth of Jesus means for us, let us also spare a thought for Mary, who had been given the greatest task of all - carry the Saviour of the world in her womb for 9 months. 

In his gospel, Luke tells us that "Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart" (Luke 2:19) and who can blame her for needing a little time to think about what had just happened. In the greek lexicon we read that the English word 'ponder' is one of the meanings of the word sumballo. 

Why this is most interesting for us is because it implies that when you ponder an event, you place two different scenarios next to each other. And this is probably what Mary was doing - pondering how things would have worked out for her family if God hadn't chosen her to carry Jesus, and then also reflecting on what their lives would be like now that God had intervened.

As we celebrate Christmas let us also do our own sumballo - let us ponder what our lives would be like if God had not sent his son into the world. And when we come to that place of overwhelming gratefulness, let us hold this treasure in our hearts.

Have a blessed Christmas. 

Living in Grace

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Being mindful of God

What do the words 'being mindful' mean for you? 

In their simplest form they speak to me of having something 'fill' up your mind, or allowing someone to come to the forefront of your thoughts. When you are mindful of something/someone you are thinking of them a lot. This is what Mary describes when she sings her Magnificat - she is overwhelmed that God has been thinking of her:

"...for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant." - Luke 1:48

Not only is God mindful of us, but he also invites us to be mindful of him. This is what the season of Advent helps us to be conscious of - we allow our thoughts and hearts to be filled with the things of Jesus. We TAKE NOTICE of what is happening in the Spiritual realm and try to tune into what the Lord is saying to us.

What is occupying your thoughts at the moment?

“Be happy in the moment, that's enough. Each moment is all we need, not more.”
― Mother Teresa

Living in Grace

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Courageous Song

As I have been reading and reflecting on Mary's Magnificat (Luke 1:39-54) this week, I was stopped in my tracks by these thoughts from Rev. Carolyn Sharp. She says:

“Don’t envision Mary as the radiant woman peacefully composing the Magnificat. Instead see her as a girl who sings defiantly to her God through her tears, fists clenched against an unknown future. When we do this, Mary’s courageous song of praise [becomes] a radical resource for those seeking to honour the holy amid the suffering and conflicts of real life.”

I think that this is deeply profound. 

Singing and praising God, when we are going through good times is easy, but offering God worship and thanks, when we are confused, stressed and worried, is a true test of courage. 

How often do we trust Jesus when we are faced with the gathering of the storm clouds?

“Pray, and let God worry.” - Martin Luther

Living in Grace

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28 - Between fear and joy

It struck me today how close together the emotions of 'fear' and 'joy' are. For Mary and the disciples this was their reality on that first Easter experience:

"...afraid yet filled with joy"

There is so much to ponder in these 5 words....
 
It is fear that brings us to our knees and leaves us tempted to run away. 
It is fear that drives away our hope and dreams.
Fear builds and builds until we find ourselves entrapped in our darkest moments.
Fear threatens to dissolve all of our will to live. 

And yet...
In one historic moment all of our fears are surrounded by a Voice. 
And as that Voice speaks, it says: Don't let this fear overwhelm you.

"Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. ⁶ He is not here; he has risen, just as he said." (Matthew 28:5-6)

As the chains of fear crumble around our feet, we comprehend a liberation like no other. The Voice catches us by surprise and the darkness of fear, which once threatened to crush the living breath out of our souls, is replaced with a brilliant Light. 

Light gives birth to sight.
Sight reveals an empty tomb.
And the open grave echoes with Joy.

Reflection: 
"May the Joy of Christ's Resurrection transform your fear into indescribable peace and hope."

Living in Grace
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The Connection

"Now a man of the tribe of Levi married a Levite woman,  and she became pregnant and gave birth to a son. When she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him for three months." - Exodus 2:1-2

It is interesting to note the similarity between this verse, which speaks about Moses, and our recent experience of the birth of Jesus. Both Mary and Jochebed (Moses' mom) saw something 'fine' in their sons and both boys grew up to 'save' their people. Moses became synonymous with rescuing the Israelites from their Egyptian masters and Jesus offers us freedom from Sin, which seeks to be our master.

The other obvious connection between Jesus and Moses is that they both needed to be hidden from wicked men in their infancy. As much as evil rulers tried to destroy God's chosen ones, the Spirit took care of them and lead them to safety.
 
As we continue into 2019 may we seek to discover traces of God's grace, love and light in the Scriptures, as well as come to understand the True FREEDOM given to us in Jesus Christ. 

Living in Grace
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The depths of who I am

"Mary said,“With all my heart I glorify the Lord!
⁴⁷     In the depths of who I am I rejoice in God my saviour.
⁴⁸ He has looked with favour on the low status of his servant.
    Look! From now on, everyone will consider me highly favoured
⁴⁹         because the mighty one has done great things for me.
Holy is his name.
⁵⁰     He shows mercy to everyone,
        from one generation to the next,
        who honours him as God." - Luke 1:46-50 (CEB)

Christmas has the potential to impact the "very depths of our being", if we will allow Christ to change us. Who we are can be completely redefined by the message of Christmas. 

Will you allow Jesus into the depths of your heart this year?

Living in Grace

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Advent word - Song

Does music make you happy?
Can it also make you feel a little sad?
We often find that music expresses things in our hearts that we just can't even seem to understand ourselves, yet music tells a powerful story.

When Mary was told that she was going to be the mother of Jesus, she burst into song. Even in the midst of her grappling with this
miraculous news, her heart poured forth a song.

Luke 1:46-49
 And Mary said:

“My soul glorifies the Lord
⁴⁷     and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
⁴⁸ for he has been mindful
    of the humble state of his servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed,
⁴⁹     for the Mighty One has done great things for me—
    holy is his name.

May you sing a wondrous song this Christmas season.
May the Spirit of Christ gives you words to sing.

Living in Grace
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