Seasons
Faith isn't faith unless it .....
Another year has begun, and resuming 'Seasons' after a long gap. The photograph is of the front entrance to Westminster College, Cambridge UK where I spent 10 weeks in study and fellowship exploring various dimensions of what the church is called to be in the very different world of today. What a privilege to be able to read and reflect, and to relate with people who have journeyed to the edge of faith and discovered God's will for today. I look forward to sharing findings as we travel on together.
But to a new year and the ever renewed call to faith in 2010. Whether serving in family or at work or in church ministry, a faith-full life will have us trusting God beyond our comfort, our convenience, and our competence. Interestingly, challengingly we don't seek more of God in order to exercise faith, but we exercise faith and find more of God. Scary it is, but full of promise. The full quotation by Cheryl Lawrie is:
'Faith isn't faith unless it involves a significant risk of failure.'
So for 2010 the call is to move out of the shallows into deeper water, to let go of the trunk and venture out onto the branches, to leave the plane and sky dive knowing you're harnessed to God. So let us leave timidity behind and move on in faith.
faith and common sense A prayer:
God of Christ Jesus;
The task of loving every neighbour
as we love ourselves has become too big for us.
The world is now too small,
its population too large,
the burden of its evil and misery too enormous.
Therefore we pray to you for common sense.
Let each of us be ready to do what can reasonably be done,
play our piece in your puzzle,
and leave you to put the jigsaw together.
Amen.
(Nakatenus - 17th century priest)
sunday@ Discovery A Transforming Confession Luke 9:18-27
sunday@ Oaks A Transforming Confession Luke 9:18-27
Finally, thank you for your faithful and loving support and prayers for Val and myself, and for our family during 2009. Through the turbulence there was found the grace of God. We are grateful.
Peace - shalom to you all
Garry
End Quote: If I were looking for God, every event and every moment would sow, in my will, grains of God's life, that would spring up one day in a tremendous harvest. For it is God's love that warms me in the sun and God's love that sends the cold rain. It is God's love that feeds me in the bread I eat and God that feeds me also by hunger and fasting. It is the love of God that sends winter days when I am cold and sick and the hot summer when I labour and my clothes are full of sweat: and it is God who breathes on my with light winds off the river and in the breezes out of the wood.' Thomas Merton
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