Roy’s sermon from 1 March “How to Grow Gracefully” is on podcast.
Download the discussion questions here: 1.3.14 How to grow gracefully
"But those who drink the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life." John 4:14
I am getting to know my internet provider’s customer representatives by name.
Not because I am trying to make new friends, mind you. I have been calling almost every day for the past week trying to get internet set up at our new place.
After being transferred multiple times and being on the phone for hours, I am beginning to recognize certain voices and names. Oh, hello again, Christy. Yes, I’ll hold…
And so I’ve been holding my breath for over a week now waiting for my internet light to flash green.
In the meantime, we’ve been tethering our phones and anxiously watching our usage meter get precariously close to our monthly limit. I’ve been hunting for McDonalds and other cafes with free wi-fi.
Obviously, we’ve been frustrated.
But oddly, we’ve also been creative.
Roy and I swap our phones when one of us is going out and the other staying in (Roy’s phone tethers better than mine). I’m using my paper Bible more than Biblegateway (Did you know that most Bibles have a concordance in the back? It’s no Google, but hey, it helps). I type this blog on Word and then upload it quickly once I connect to the precious internet. I’m calling people instead of emailing them.
Being disconnected requires searching for ways to connect in alternative ways.
I think we need the same creativity and effort to connect with God. Not because He is unwilling to draw near, but because we have limited vision and hearing. The communication lines are often broken on our end. There are many distractions (not just without, but within, in our own minds), and the noise pollution complicates what could be such a simple conversation with our Friend.
So for those of us who need that re-connection this week, here are some tips:
What have you tried and liked?
"But those who drink the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life." John 4:14
When it comes to choosing a career, partner, or even salvation, do we have a choice? What are the main Christian perspectives on free will and the implications of those views on our choices?
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Download the Discussion Questions.
"But those who drink the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life." John 4:14
Who likes moving? Maybe you like the packing, unpacking, and cleaning up involved. I for one am not a fan. Having moved over 20 times (twice intercontinentally), I know first-hand how exhausting moving can be.
Each time, I moan to myself as I kick the Everest of boxes, “Why do I have so much stuff?!”
Really, why do we accrue so many things? Why do we have three shirts that look almost identical in color and style, two copies of the same book, and a dozen mugs that never get used?
Whatever happened to simplicity?
It’s not just in material things. Our time gets cluttered with items that demand or distract our attention. Our minds are littered with all kinds of information, thoughts, and ideas. Our lives feel like a Jackie Chan movie, incessantly moving, hurrying, and fighting whatever real or imaginary foes (deadlines, bills, tempers, illnesses, hormones, diets, rush hour traffic, etc).
To the storm in our lives, Jesus says, “Peace! Be still” (Mark 4:39, NIV). He calls us to come aside and pray awhile. To focus our minds on Him and silence the buzzing of sounds and conversations. To listen for that still, small voice that reminds us that yes, not only are we pilgrims whose lives are not about stuff, but our journey also involves sharing the source of peace with others. But we can’t share what we don’t have.
So I am closing my eyes to the chaos around me. I am silencing my phone. I am opening my paper Bible and reading Psalm 46: “…. Be still, and know that I am God….The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge.”
If God sheltered Jacob when he ran away from home (Genesis 28:10-22), how much more will He shelter us from the pursuit of anxiety and stress?
He bids us, “Come away with me to a quiet place and rest awhile…” (Mark 6:31).
"But those who drink the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life." John 4:14
The podcast is updated with the second sermon!
Listen & subscribe to the podcast here.
Then browse through these questions & discuss with a friend!
(*FYI: we are working on getting the funds for a proper recording system)
"But those who drink the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life." John 4:14
So I was on Facebook and ended up watching a video of babies being scared of their own shadows (below for your viewing pleasure). At first I laughed pretty hard because it was pretty cute and heartlessly hilarious to see the little ones trying to toddle away from their own shadows. And then I plotted ways to get Micah to see his own shadow for the first time … and then finally the non-evil side of me (thank God, it’s there, I promise) imagined poor Micah crying and trying to crawl (or currently, worm) his way away from his own shadow and I felt really, really bad for him.
Because really, shadows can be creepy.
They appear and disappear. They grow and distort. They merge and mask.
And while shadow puppets and baby videos are all fun and good, we all have shadows that scare us. That follow us and appear when we least expect them. That distort the truth.
The shadow of insecurity – fearing what others think and say of us. The shadow of shame – regrets of the past that linger. The shadow of loneliness – what if I never find love?
No wonder we try to run away from our own shadows.
But as psychiatrists like Carl Jung and philosophers like Zhuangzi have discovered, shadows are best dealt with in the shade:
There was a man who was so disturbed by the sight of his own shadow and so displeased with his own footsteps that he determined to get rid of both. The method he hit upon was to run away from them.
So he got up and ran. But every time he put his foot down there was another step, while his shadow kept up with him without the slightest difficulty.
He attributed his failure to the fact that he was not running fast enough. So he ran faster and faster, without stopping until he finally dropped dead.
He failed to realize that if he merely stepped into the shade, his shadow would vanish, and if he sat down and stayed still, there would be no more footsteps.
~ From The Way of Chuang Tzu, by Thomas Merton, page 155.
What or where is your shade?
How do you find rest?
My favorite passage in the Bible is Psalm 121:
I will lift up my eyes to the hills—
From whence comes my help?
2 My help comes from the Lord,
Who made heaven and earth.
3 He will not allow your foot to be moved;
He who keeps you will not slumber.
4 Behold, He who keeps Israel
Shall neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The Lord is your keeper;
The Lord is your shade at your right hand.
6 The sun shall not strike you by day,
Nor the moon by night.
7 The Lord shall preserve you from all evil;
He shall preserve your soul.
8 The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in
From this time forth, and even forevermore.
This passage has strengthened me through many dark days, when my shadows or the shadows of the world seemed looming and ominous. I don’t think it’s saying that we won’t face difficulties; we live in a world of pain. But it is promising that the Lord will preserve our soul so that the evil cannot penetrate our core. He will be that hill that provides the shade we so desperately need when the sun is scorching down and our shadows are long.
He is the rest we are longing for.
He knows what it’s like to walk in the valley of the shadow of death, and He understands how scared we are of our own shadows. So He offers us come, rest awhile – let me be the security you long for, for I will never leave you. Let me be the righteousness you thirst for, for I will always forgive you. Let me be the Love you yearn for, for I will always love you.
He is the shade that swallows all shadows, for in His death He conquered sin. (“O Death, where is your sting? O Hell, where is your victory? … thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” 1 Cor 15:55-58).
In His shadow, our own shadows can disappear and we can discover who we truly are. In His presence, there is peace.
Lord, Keep me as the apple of Your eye; Hide me under the shadow of Your wings…. Psalm 17:8.
"But those who drink the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life." John 4:14
"But those who drink the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life." John 4:14
I hope everyone enjoyed the first Exchange of 2014 as much as I did!
It was great to meet new people and to talk about the topic of the day: failure. The full list of discussion questions are up: Discussion Q. My favorite questions were: “Do we risk normalising moral indiscretions by being open about failure (If everyone is messing up, then it’s not that big of a deal)?” and “How does humility fit into the idea of failure? How about humanity?” What questions grabbed your interest?
We’re working on getting these on podcasts and once we have funds to get a video camera, we will have video versions for you to download (thank you for your patience!).
I also thoroughly enjoyed our first children’s program – we sang songs (“If I were a butterfly..”) and listened to a story about Noah. 🙂
And who can resist free pasta? Thanks to Vapiano, we relished our dinner at The Exchange.
Check out the pictures from this Exchange on our Facebook page.
"But those who drink the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life." John 4:14
I love living near the Vic Market.
This afternoon, Roy and I were coming back from an appointment on Swanston St and decided to take a shortcut through the markets. I forgot it was Wednesday and while Night Markets is usually crowded and crazy, at 4:45 pm vendors were setting up and it was the perfect time to browse. Who can resist the smell and sight of the Korean twist potato or the stands of quirky goodies?
One stand caught my eye in particular.
It was a tea shop and they had various boxes of tantalizing flavors – orange licorice, mint jasmine, etc. The one that made me forget about my New Year’s budget was a little brown box with a heart on top labeled “caffeine free chai: certified organic, fairtrade, Aussie-made.”
Roy waited patiently while I sniffed the sample, recalling scenes of Uni nights working on papers or Manhattan winter mornings walking to work. The smell alone was enough to send me down a memory lane as distinctive as Marcel Proust’s madeleines in Remembrance of Things Past.
Once I was home, I carefully prepared my tea with soymilk and honey and sat down to enjoy it to its fullest. Every sip and swallow, I fell in love again.
And just as marketing planned, I began to read the writing on the box as I relished my cuppa. The company name is “love chai” and they are a member of 1% For the Planet, donating to over 2,000 environmental organizations worldwide. They provide a recipe for “the essence of love chai”:
That’s not such a bad recipe. If only drinking this cup of tea could somehow infuse those character traits in me …
But perhaps the idea is that the process & packaging portray a philosophy of hope – hope that such a world is possible.
I believe it is. For God lives. And God is love, and love is –
kind and patient,
never jealous, boastful,
proud, or rude.
Love isn’t selfish
or quick tempered.
It doesn’t keep a record
of wrongs that others do.
Love rejoices in the truth,
but not in evil.
Love is always supportive,
loyal, hopeful,
and trusting.
Love never fails! (1 Corinthians 13:4-8, CEV)
So as I drink my chai love and listen to this song (below) by Brandon Heath (my favorite song at the moment), I can almost taste the assurance of the promise: Love never fails.
No matter how much I fail – God never fails.
"But those who drink the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life." John 4:14
"But those who drink the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life." John 4:14
When Tanja and Nadine sent me the website preview, I was elated to see what a great job they had done. Kudos to Grid33 Design.
We’re also excited to officially launch The Exchange this Saturday!
Roy will be sharing a thought-provoking message about failure. I don’t know about you, but I have failed many times – especially in the same things! In those moments, I think, God must be so tired of forgiving me for the same things... and I wonder, how much is too much? Is there a limit to grace? And, can I ever truly change?
If you’ve ever been discouraged by failure, or if you want to explore ideas on how to experience spiritual growth, don’t miss out this Saturday’s talk and discussion (we start at 3 pm).
In the meantime, here’s something to think about*:
Samson was one guy who made a lot of mistakes. No, let’s call them what they were – intentional, rebellious acts defying God and what He had called Samson to do. God had given him extraordinary abilities and opportunities to be a champion for social justice and a reformer of religious and political Israel. But if you read about his life in Judges 13-16, you recognize a pattern of behavior: desire, reveal, anger, destroy; desire, reveal, anger, destroy; desire, reveal, anger.. you get the idea. Before Deliliah there were others.
Samson’s life was a roller coaster of deceptions and disasters. So why is his name in the Roll of Faith found in Hebrews 11? Of Samson and the others listed there, it says, “Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them” (Hebrews 11:16, NKJV).
Not ashamed?! Of Samson? I blush for Samson – how could God proudly claim Him as His?
It’s the mystery of the Christ-centred worldview. Intrigued?
* Roy’s talk is not about Samson. But he will be addressing the concept of failure from a Christ-centred worldview. This is just to get your mental, spiritual juices flowing.
"But those who drink the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life." John 4:14
