No easy matter

How easy do you find Prayer? 

I admit that on some days I find it incredibly tough and this is usually because of outside circumstances. Yet, on other days the words seem to flow from deep inside me. Although prayer can be simple, it can also be hard. I am consoled by the words of many great saints who have paved the way for us, and of course from the pages of the Scriptures. It all helps me tremendously. 

"Praying is no easy matter. It demands a relationship in which you allow someone other than yourself to enter into the very center of your person, to see there what you would rather leave in darkness, and to touch there what you would rather leave untouched." - Henri Nouwen

Matthew 6 (The Message)

“The world is full of so-called prayer warriors who are prayer-ignorant. They’re full of formulas and programs and advice, peddling techniques for getting what you want from God. Don’t fall for that nonsense. This is your Father you are dealing with, and he knows better than you what you need. With a God like this loving you, you can pray very simply. Like this: Our Father in heaven, Reveal who you are. Set the world right; Do what’s best— as above, so below. Keep us alive with three square meals. Keep us forgiven with you and forgiving others. Keep us safe from ourselves and the Devil. You’re in charge! You can do anything you want! You’re ablaze in beauty! Yes. Yes. Yes."

Observation: Prayer is not an easy matter, but it is one of our deepest necessities. 

Living in Grace

D3LM3

Falling into the hands of mercy

David said to Gad, “I am in deep distress. Let us fall into the hands of the Lord, for his mercy is great; but do not let me fall into human hands." (2 Samuel 24:14)

Initially I read this verse very quickly and almost skipped over the essential meaning, but am glad I lingered a little longer. What do you notice when you read it through a few times?

David understands something very profound - that God is way more merciful than many human beings are! I saddened by the judgement that many Christians make of each other, sometimes in very painful ways, yet we easily forget how much mercy we have all received from God. 

I realise I am still a work in progress, but I would rather be judged for being too merciful, than for being too bigoted. Thankfully God will decide our fate and not those who oppose us. 

What do you think?

Living in Grace

D3LM3

Overcoming ourselves

Thomas a' Kempis wrote in the 15th Century, “the hardest struggle is the struggle to overcome ourselves." I think that what he could have meant by this is that we are often our own worst enemy. We struggle with our faults, short-comings and sins, wondering if God could even love us. This can sometimes move us away from the embrace of our loving God. Thankfully we have Jesus who has paved the way for our salvation and he is the ultimate victor.  

What things in your life do you struggle with? 

Do you find that your mind plays tricks on you? Does your mind sometimes run away from you so that your biggest struggle is with yourself? If you can relate to this, then I pray that these scriptures help you today.

Jeremiah 1:19 - They will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the Lord.

Mark 9:24 - Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”

Living in Grace

D3LM3

Re-imagining Church - part 2

Last month I wrote an article for Scripture Union magazine on Re-imagining Church. As I began to explore this huge topic I realised that I have undertaken a task that was larger than I initially thought. Thankfully, SU was gracious enough to let me explore the subject in a second part, which was released yesterday. If you would like to read the article please simply click this link. 

I do believe it's a worthwhile read and I would love some of your comments on what I have wrestled with in writing. Thanks and God bless. 

Stanley Hauerwas says it best when he writes,

“God’s truth is credible to the world only when it sees a community shaped by the truth … if the Gospel is to be heard, it must also be seen.”

Living in Grace

D3LM3

The Juggler

The world record for juggling stands at 14 balls at one time and is held by Alex Barron. If you want to watch him breaking the record you can click on this link. So, why am I talking about juggling on this blog? Well, I feel it has a lot to say to many of us at the moment and I am including myself in this group.

What are you juggling at the moment? Are you feeling a little overwhelmed with all the balls in the air? I know that I have felt a little overawed at times. It just seems that the more balls one has in the air, the more we are tempted to add others to the game. However, the odds are always going to be stacked against us - the more we try to juggle, the greater chance there is of us letting the balls drop. So, what is the solution? 

Well, we would be wise to listen to the words of Jesus. He spoke to a different generation, but his words are still very relevant for us all.

³³ But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. ³⁴ Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. (Matthew 6)

What are you juggling at the moment?

What things are perhaps being dropped or neglected?

Living in Grace

D3LM3

Turn your eyes upon Jesus

The words of this beautiful song have been helpful for me today. Sometimes we find ourselves brought low by the issues that surround us, but we can always TURN OUR EYES UPON JESUS and know that he will hold us close. 

We don't always remember that the song we usually sing in church is just the chorus of the hymn. The rest of the words are equally special and reassuring. May they offer you love and support today.

Living in Grace

D3LM3

O soul, are you weary and troubled?

No light in the darkness you see?
There’s light for a look at the Savior,
And life more abundant and free!

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,

Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.

Thro' death into life everlasting,
He passed, and we follow Him there;
O’er us sin no more hath dominion--
For more than conqu’rors we are!

His Word shall not fail you--He promised;
Believe Him, and all will be well:
Then go to a world that is dying,
His perfect salvation to tell! (Helen Howarth Lemmel)

Is forgiveness possible?

This weekend has been a significant reminder of the atrocity of 9/11. I really can't believe that twenty years has come and gone so quickly and it is hard to imagine what our world was like before then. Of course the pain of remembering loved ones is always there for each one of us, but when your family are killed in such brutal ways, it must be hard to even contemplate forgiveness. 

This is the truly difficult part of Jesus' teaching on forgiveness and loving our enemies. It sounds good in theory, but when we have to put it into practise it is a mammoth task. Paul offers us this suggestion and it is a helpful starting point for us: 

"If you want to keep from becoming fainthearted and weary, think about his patience as sinful men did such terrible things to him. After all, you have never yet struggled against sin and temptation until you sweat great drops of blood." (Hebrews 12:3-4)

May you know the love of Jesus as you seek to love those around you.

"To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you." - Lewis Smedes

Living in Grace

D3LM3