Collaborating with Jesus so we develop an authentic godshapedlife
In July 2017, I visited a Catholic charismatic community in Fulda, Germany, and enjoyed the generous hospitality of their guest house, a former US Army barracks. One of the sisters talked with me about sharing your life with others. In response to the question, “what is the hardest part of being in community?”, she responded that it was the self-awareness and needed growth it provokes.
Spiritual practices – and there are heaps of them – are tools for becoming aware of God within our daily life; they bring out the sacred in experiences that could otherwise seem just everyday.
One Word came about in a faith community that realised that New Year resolutions don’t work. We often use January as an opportunity to wipe the slate clean and start over, especially in New Zealand where weeks of summer holidays follow the excesses of Christmas.
The Baptist family of New Zealand churches is a network of 240 congregations who share common beliefs and practices. At the heart of Baptist life are two principles: worship – the honouring of God, and mission – the sharing of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
The Scriptures are a rich resource, not just of good words, but of God words. Although the word to which God leads you for this year will not necessarily be directly Scriptural, the Bible is a great place to start your search.
The one word we discover may be a character trait, a discipline, a person, a spiritual focus, an attribute or a value. As you listen to God in your search for your own Word, look around you for a sign or symbol that carries meaning for your life right now, or for what you hope for.
Many who have adopted One Word for themselves testify to the difference it makes to share their word with others. Some may decide to only tell spouse or family. Others use this tool in their small group. Many have found that sharing their word with a work colleague leads to a depth conversation about what word they might have chosen.
Although a plan is useful – especially for new Christians – it is not compulsory. In fact even daily Bible reading is not essential for a follower of Jesus but down the centuries it has been found to be a useful and life-giving spiritual practice that has been likened to reading the letters of a loved one.
The notion of Sabbath, a principle deeply embedded in Biblical history and still observed by Jews today, is passed down to us from the time of Moses, and his encounter with God on the mountain at Sinai/Horeb. On that day the Lord gave him Ten Commandments to govern the life of the People of Israel, not just in the wilderness, but in their community life over thousands of years to come.
If we notice the stories about food we find in the Bible, we find plenty of them; Abraham, Elijah, David, Isaiah, feasts like Passover, parables, loaves and fishes and of course the Lord’s Supper…a shared meal is an encounter with grace, a way to build community and caring, not just with family and friends, but at times also with strangers. That’s why we talk about ‘eating together’ rather than feeding.
“There is something unique and special about the experience of taking a holiday, whether that is an extended stay in some exotic clime, a couple of days away just a few miles down the road, or even a true ‘staycation’, time carved out at home which includes days out either locally or slightly further afield.” (Louise Davis, writer)….This new series of posts will pick up on that idea, and consider whether there is more that is holy about our holidays than we might realise.
For millennia, religions have regarded ritual rest as a spiritual necessity. More recently though, faith leaders are arguing that this practice, whether in a secular or religious context, can help redirect the world’s societies away from catastrophic climate change. They suggest a shared day of rest might slow the pace of consumption, curb emissions or ease the burden people working weary weekends.
We each have our own unique criteria for what makes the perfect holiday destination, but most of us would choose a place that we find beautiful in some way. In our everyday lives, we often dwell in environments that are more functional than beautiful. Taking a holiday can be a refreshing escape from this routine.
Journeys and travel are themes which return regularly throughout the Bible. Many individuals in the story of the people of God are called to move out of a place which is comfortable and familiar and go to a new place…..Whether you go to new places as visitors, or settlers, there is much to be learned from engaging with strangers and thoughtfully adopting new practices as we learn how to seek the peace and prosperity of our own cities.
I wonder what spots have been for you a place of experiencing the presence of God?…From Celtic Christian spirituality we inherit the idea of ‘thin places’, where God seems especially close, and the gap between heaven and earth seems narrow.
The Presbyterian Church is one hapu in the wider iwi of Christian churches – people who seek to follow Jesus Christ, who lived 2000 years ago and who, we believe, is alive and present, willing and able, to shape our lives today.
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