The Real Dr Doolittle!

I have heard of people preaching in all sorts of ways and to a wide variety of audiences, but this one is a little different. In fact a very different audience!

 

Our author this week, well not so much an author as the subject of a biography, The little flowers of St Francis. Which is of course about St Francis of Assisi. Following his brief 44 year life time this man's voice has echoed down through the ages to this day. This preacher and founder of the Franciscan Order of monks. St Francis lived on the cusp of the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. 

 

Having confirmed his calling to preach salvation to the world through the most prominent intercessors and mystics of his time. He went about his task with great gusto. He had such authority that he could command the birds to be silent and to sing, which they duly did! As I said he preached to a very different audience............. a flock or more precisely a collection of different bird species. He told them about salvation and gratitude to Christ. That they needed to lift their voices in praise in gratitude for their Saviour and they did as he commanded. So next time you here the dawn chorus, you may take a slightly different slant on it.

 

 There is a simple lesson in here for us. We like the birds need to regularly acknowledge with gratitude and praise the work of our Saviour. Practicing an attitude of gratitude and praising God will change you life. I know, I have been consciously practicing gratitude for the past year and it has made such I difference in my life. I look at things so differently. Try it you may like!

 

I am just starting to really come back to private praise and worship. However, I must say it was such a blessing to be back in God's House after nearly two months away. Our corporate worship was awesome last weekend!

Heartfelt Cry!

You ask a lot people what they want out life, they will tell you they want to be happy. Upon observation this would seem to be quite an elusive commodity. As a society and community there would not seem to be too many "happy people." The question then begs why is that?Especially in the western world when we have such material wealth.

I think for myself that we as a culture are looking in the wrong place and in fact looking for the wrong thing. We are seeking happiness and expecting happiness because that's what the movies and the media tell us is our right, so why isn't happening. The answer maybe that we are listening to the voice seeking the wrong answer. Happiness tends to be an externally driven process dependent on events, possessions and happenings that please us. Things that go our way giving us what we want which may in the end be inherently selfish. It comes with entitlement, we figure we should be happy everybody selling anything will tell us this is the answer if you have just one more thing.

I think this maybe the old story of I climbed to the top of the ladder and found it was on the wrong wall. I would humbly suggest that the commodity we are missing or looking for is Joy. Joy is driven from within not by circumstances and while they would appear to our culture to be similar, they fundamentally different. Joy to my understanding comes from within. It is a by-product of recognising the grace by which we are saved. It is the deep understanding of grace that brings joy even when as the Bible suggests our circumstances can be less than ideal. James suggests that we should count all joy when we are in trials. This does not match with our culture.

I have not mentioned our author this week because they simply did not resonate with me to any large extent with me. What did happen though is that God has brought the beginnings of revelation about how important grace is to us living a fulfilling joyful life. I am at the beginnings of working this out.  I am sure this is not about knowledge and learning, but about revelation of the Holy Spirit and the changing of our inner structure. So this will be a journey will be truly a spiritual journey and  will take the rest of my natural life. I will be seeking further revelation of God's grace on my life and I will see were it takes me. This is becoming a heartfelt cry of the my spirit!

Maybe a revelation of grace worth having for you as well. Like me you could ask "Father reveal your grace to me so I can begin to grasp a little of the joy you intend."

 

Moving habitually closer!

My last blog ended the Compassionate Life section now we are moving into the heartland of the evangelical tradition the Word Centered Life. the double edged sword of the centrality of scripture and the importance of evangelism.

Our first author is E. Stanley Jones is known for his missionary work in India and the Ashram Structured Retreats of the mid twentieth century in the United States. He had a keen understanding of spiritual life and the means of spiritual renewal. These excerpts comes from his work "Conversion".
He comes from the perspective that we are constantly being converted it is not a one time occasion. Some may see this as sanctification but as long as we understand the term it really doesn't matter.

Stanley bases his structure on 3 simple examples that Jesus modelled in his walk on earth. He calls Jesus the best man who ever lived, who did these three things by habit.

1. He stood up to read as was his custom - He read the word of God by habit.
2. He went to the mountain to pray as was his custom - He prayed by habit.
3. He taught them again as was his custom - He passed on to others by habit what he had and what he had found.

The habit of reading especially in the morning allows the cleansing power of the revelation of person of Jesus to wash over us. It is not knowing about Jesus but the knowing of Jesus through the inspired word of God that brings the cleansing. He cleanses your mind, your motives and emotions.
Stanley states "Take the prescription of the Word of God daily. No Christian is sound who is not Scriptural"


The habit of private prayer is key. It is so easy in our modern busy age to go to the occasional or weekly corporate prayer meeting and feel that we have ticked that box. We need to think again! In prayer we have a conversation with our Father. A conversation where both speak to each. it can take practice. If it is not working persevere! Interestingly the famous United States President Abraham Lincoln said these words "I have been driven many times to my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go; my own conviction and that of those around me seemed insufficient for the day." Lincoln's habit was to spend between 4.00-5.00am in prayer and reading the word of God.

Sharing and passing on what we have learnt brings life to others but it interestingly brings life to you. I can personally testify to this in the simple act of writing and sharing this blog has brought new revelation and depth to my spiritual formation. As I think and ponder what to share with the prompting of the Holy Spirit I gain clarity and depth. Try it! It works if you work at it. It is after all the essence of coaching. Jesus practiced it with the disciples every day for 3 years, look at the difference it made to them! This simple act makes you evangelistic depending on what sort of revelation you are sharing. Evangelistic people are growing people. You are not necessarily trying to convert them you are just sharing your revelation of what works for you in your life and why it works? Not necessarily how it works because you may not know! But you do know it works!

I have loved this weeks reading it is so encouraging while still be so challenging. Practice your habits or start you new habits have a great week

A view that could change your world

As a 21st century person who lives in a modern western democracy, I think it is probably difficult for me to grasp the sense and understanding that Jesus had of community. His whole life was spent was spent in close proximity to others. He did take time away for himself to refresh and spend time with "the Father." I think it was not just a cultural thing, but actually he was modelling what Christian community could look like.

Our author today had some decided views on Christian community. Dietrich Bonheoffer  was a theologian and pastor in Germany at the time of Nazis Regime. He was fiercely opposed to the regime whicheventually resulted in his execution by the Nazis on the final day of the Second World War at Flossenburg Prison.


Bonheoffer made this basic statement: Christianity means community through Jesus Christ and in Jesus Christ. No Christian community is more or less than this.

These are his 3 basic premises:

1. A Christian needs others because of Jesus Christ.
2. A Christian only comes to others through Jesus Christ.
3. In Jesus Christ we have been chosen from eternity, accepted in time, and united for eternity.

The part that stands out for me in that statement is the second statement that A Christian only comes to others through Jesus Christ. I find that challenging simply because I had never really considered my relationships with others in the light of coming through Jesus. When you think about it makes perfect sense that it is our knowing of Jesus and our relationship with Jesus that will effect every other relationship we have. I am not just talking about Christian community I am talking about all relationships.

We are the carriers of the Gospel in words, deeds and interactions with others. We are the directors of others towards salvation in Jesus Christ. When we come to others Bonheoffer suggests that we come with Jesus is our "Prince of Peace". Which makes us purveyors of peace to those we meet, making us significantly different from those in the general culture around us.

Only in Jesus Christ can we truly be bound together. To eternity he remains the one mediator.

Food for thought as we start the new year.

How is your peace quotient?