Forward

Joining with the #Five Minute Friday group of writers, where we write for 5 minutes on a one word prompt. Today’s prompt is: Forward

For me just now as we approach the lifting of ‘Lockdown’ my biggest fear and regret will be if we just go back to the way things were before, back to our old ways of living, working and worshipping.

Instead my biggest desire is that we move forward on to new things, that having taken stock, we move forward in the way we live and move around this earth, that we find new, creative, meaningful working enivornments and working lives with balance.

And also most importantly I want us to move forward in church!! No longer shackled by the bondage of traditions, but really becoming a church of the people, a church of the community, where the relevance of the gospel is seen and known in everyday life. I want to move forward in God, finding new ways to worship, new ways to serve, new ways to encourage, new ways to BE the church.

Thy Kingdom come

Thy Will be done, on earth as it is in heaven

Matthew 6:10

Man of Sorrows

Sharing today a post I wrote for our Church’s Peace in the Storm Daily Devotions:

I have a friend who is overcome by grief just now.

Not just the grief of recent weeks and recent losses, but all the griefs and all the losses and all the hurts from all the years of her life.  She is completely engulfed.

I feel for her, my heart aches for her, but I am unable to reach her at this time.

The problem with being engulfed like that is that it is all-consuming, it is all we think about, from the moment we raise our weary head to the moment we put it down again.  There is no light or spark at the moment, nor even light at the end of the tunnel, just grief.

Total, engulfing grief.  Grief from one day’s end to another.  Grief which overcomes.  Grief which wearies and saps our strength and yes even our faith.

Where do we go with our grief?  Who will lift this grief from us?  Who will carry it for us?

The Prophet Isaiah speaks of Jesus when he says:

“He was despised and rejected of men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

Isaiah 53:4

Surely, he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.”

Jesus.

Only to Jesus can we go with such grief.

Only Jesus will lift this grief from us.

Only Jesus will carry it for us.

Only Jesus.

I know it is hard for my friend to even look out of her grief enough to be able to look up and look to Jesus.  But one look at a time, one tear at a time, one sigh at a time, one lifting of a prayer at a time and Jesus will come, that man of sorrows who is acquainted, who knows all about grief, will come and ease and lift that burden of sorrow and pain and grief.

My friend, you are not alone in your grief, Jesus is there, Jesus is with you in it and Jesus will help you carry it.

Normal

Writing today with the #Five Minute Friday group on a one word prompt. Today’s prompt is: Normal. So just a bit of fun today:-

Normal through the eyes of a 3 & half year old Collie:

Hi, my name is Glenn and you ask me what is normal? Well, I have no idea.

When I came to this house I was brought by a big lad and a mistress. The lad was my trainer, my friend, my playmate, but after a while he left home (sad). That left just the mistress and sometimes the master, but he seemed to be here for 2 weeks and then gone for two weeks, then occasionally a young lady would come home, she would give me lots of fuss and cuddles and play with me. Then they would all go away again and it would just me and the mistress. Some days I would be left alone, other days I would go to work with her. Some days I would have to go in the car on a journey, [which I still don’t like] but yeah often those journeys were short and meant a long walk and I would often get to meet other dogs! [though not all liked to play with me].

Just now my mistress is home all the time, yeah!! The young lady is here all the time too!! Double yeah!! and the master for the past year or so has been home most of the time, going out to work in the morning and coming back in the evening, though sometimes he goes out in the evening and back in the morning!??! As for the young lad? I haven’t seen him for months, where is he?? I miss him.

So basically I have had to learn just to accept all this coming and going and going and staying! I have no idea from one day to the next who will be here or when, when I will be walked or taken out. I just keep my eye on the mistress! I follow her around, she has some consistency so where she goes I go. I know her body language now, I know by what coat she puts on whether it is a walk, or the pen for me. But importantly she knows me, she knows my body language, she knows what I need and what I want, whether that is attention, food or outside or when I am scared or unsure.

She would say that she has a Master too and that she follows Him, where He leads her she goes, and He doesn’t seem to do ‘normal’, so she has to keep her eyes on Him incase there is a change of plan or direction. Her Master is always there and He knows what she needs and provides for Her, He takes care of her and looks out for her and she can run to Him when she is scared or unsure.

There is no normal here, everyday is a new day, every day is a fresh challenge, but also the opportunity for new things and fun!!! Everyday is keeping your eyes on the Master.

Refrain

Joining again with the #Five Minute Friday group to write on a one word prompt for 5 minutes. Today’s prompt is Refrain.

Refrain = chorus, the part of a song where a soloist is joined by a group of singers.

Now I am no singer, and don’t always remember all the words of songs or hymns, but the chorus .. it sticks, it comes back to me, I remember them. May get a bit lost with words and tunes for the rest of the song, but I usually manage the chorus!

So what is my chorus today? What is the refrain of my life today?

Well strangely enough I was reading earlier from Revelation Chapter 4 and there are two Refrains there, two Choruses which we can sing over and over again, which when joined with a miriad of other believers is going to sound phenominal!

Holy, Holy, Holy

is the Lord God almighty

Who was and is and is to come

and:

You are worthy, our Lord and God

to receive glory and honour and power,

for you created all things,

and by your will they were created

and have their being.

God is still on His Throne, He is all-powerful, all-wise, all-seeing, all-knowing, Victorious and King!

So today what will my refrain be? One of Praise and trust in the all Mighty and Glorious King, or will I allow fears and anxieties to be my refrain? I know which one will bring me peace, I know which one will still my heart, I know which one will lighten my step and allow me to walk in joy and liberty.

Today my refrain will be worship:

Holy, Holy, Holy

Is the Lord God Almighty

Who was, and is and is to come

Revelation 4:8

Wisdom

Sharing today a piece I wrote for our Church’s daily devotional called Peace In the Storm

What are you praying for today?

I am praying for wisdom.

I am praying for wisdom for those in the Health Service, tracking this virus and responding to it.

I am praying for wisdom for those in care homes that they would remain clear headed in the midst of panic and frustration and be able to find ways to keep staff and patients safe.

I am praying for wisdom for our MPs, that they would make wise decisions that benefit the people they serve.

I am praying for wisdom for Bosses/Executives in our workplaces that they would seek guidance as to best working practices and not just go back to old ways. For small businesses that they would be able to resurrect their fledgling enterprises.

I am praying for our church leaders, that they would seek God for new ways to do church once we are back in our buildings, that the buildings would not become boundaries or barriers to people.

I am praying for wisdom for our Community Leaders that the care shown at this time will be extended as a ‘new norm’.

I am praying for myself, that I would be seeking God for today and for tomorrow, for next steps, next opportunities, that I would align myself to His ways.

I am praying for us all, that we would seek the wisdom from Above, wisdom from God as to how to look after His planet, and everyone in it.  That we would not rely on our own understanding but look to God for His ways and His guidance and that we would align ourselves to those ways and work to put them into practice.

What are you needing wisdom for today? 

Trust in the Lord with all your heart
    and lean not on your own understanding;
 in all your ways submit to him,
    and he will make your paths straight

[Proverbs 3:5,6]

Distraction

This week’s FMF writing prompt is: DISTRACTION.

I am a very task-orientated person and so don’t like distractions. Let me finish what I am doing first and then I’ll sit and talk with you, let me tick off the items on my list before I sit down and be still.

So I wonder if in my task-focus whether I am missing out not only in human fellowship, but fellowship with God. I want to finish something before I listen, before I take on anything else. I want to finish my agenda before I listen to God’s. If this is so then I need to be distracted by God, I need Him to break through my task list and distract me with His Word, with His presence, with His guidance, with His command.

Then the Lord came and stood there, calling as before, “Samuel, Samuel!”

And Samuel answered,”Speak, for Your Servant is listening”.

1 SAMUEL 3:10

I need to put my lists aside, I need to be willing to listen, I need to be willing to be distracted from my own things and be distracted by the Lord and say, “Speak Lord, for I am listening.”