Safely Home

•March 9, 2013 • Leave a Comment

Stephen Cottrell tells us that in his temptations, Jesus is coming to discern God’s very particular call on his life (p71).  He is going to tread the path of suffering love, and by doing so, lead the world to its true home – a New Creation.

The New Heaven and the New Earth

21 I saw a new heaven and a new earth. The first heaven and the first earth had disappeared, and so had the sea. 2 Then I saw New Jerusalem, that holy city, coming down from God in heaven. It was like a bride dressed in her wedding gown and ready to meet her husband.

3 I heard a loud voice shout from the throne:

God’s home is now with his people. He will live with them, and they will be his own. Yes, God will make his home among his people. 4 He will wipe all tears from their eyes, and there will be no more death, suffering, crying, or pain. These things of the past are gone forever.

5 Then the one sitting on the throne said:

I am making everything new. Write down what I have said. My words are true and can be trusted. 6 Everything is finished! I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will freely give water from the life-giving fountain to everyone who is thirsty. 7 All who win the victory will be given these blessings. I will be their God, and they will be my people.

Jesus has come, not just to live with us here and now, but also to take us home.

Cottrell tells us that on his death-bed, Spencer said

dying and reaching heaven would be a sense of relief of being safe again, of being home, of being where one belongs (p72)

Lord, how I long for the safety of being home with you.

These thoughts are reflecting on Stanley Spencer’s painting The Foxes Have Holes (seen here).

This year for Lent, I am reading Christ in the Wilderness by Bishop Stephen Cottrell, published by SPCK, reflecting on Stanley Spencer’s paintings of that title.

I’m not necessarily going to blog every day on it, just when something leaps out at me – and they will be thoughts rather than full blog posts

Posted in bible, faith, hope, Jesus, lent, Religion, theology
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No Place Like Home

•March 8, 2013 • Leave a Comment

All who follow Jesus will be accompanying him in this restless, homeless wandering (p70)

Jesus answer in Matthew 8:20 is in reply to someone telling Jesus they will follow him wherever he goes.  Jesus implies that he has no home on earth – that is what we are joining when we follow him.

Perhaps that makes some sense for me of why my favourite journeys are not in any sense to places one would consider homeward bound – for to me, wherever I live, where I live now is home, but it has no greater pull in me than that.  I guess those favourite journeys have a more permanent pull on my heart and life.

A Wandering Jew

The pull in following Jesus is to be where he is.  To not have too deep roots.  To be ready to go.  We can invest a lot of time and energy in our homes and keeping them looking lovely, the rash of home improvement programmes and programmes to find the “perfect” home show us that.  Perhaps as God’s people, as Jesus’ followers, we are called to hold our homes much more loosely than that?

This passage reminds me of the word of a hymn (which has copyright, so I’ll just give you one verse):

‘Foxes have places to go’,
The Lord said,
‘But I’ve no home here below,’
The Lord said
‘So if you want to be with me all your days,
Keep up the moving and travelling on,
You’re the people of God,
So every day,
We’re on our way,
For we’re a travelling, wandering race,
We’re the people of God.
                                           Estelle White

As God’s people we are called to be free to go, ready to follow him.  Are we ready to follow him wherever he goes?

These thoughts are reflecting on Stanley Spencer’s painting The Foxes Have Holes (seen here).

This year for Lent, I am reading Christ in the Wilderness by Bishop Stephen Cottrell, published by SPCK, reflecting on Stanley Spencer’s paintings of that title.

I’m not necessarily going to blog every day on it, just when something leaps out at me – and they will be thoughts rather than full blog posts

Posted in faith, follow, Jesus, lent, Religion, theology
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The Journey Home

•March 7, 2013 • 1 Comment

Stephen Cottrell begins this section by reflecting on the question,

What is your favourite journey?

These are mine – very different to Cottrell’s:

The journey across the foot of the Pennines through the Hope Valley from Grindleford to New Mills.

PICT1031

The road along the coast from Étaples all the way to in Sangatte in France.

2013-01-13 16.23.19

Or along the coast between Fréjus and Monaco, by either car or train.

Unlike mine, Cottrell’s favourite journeys are all about heading home.  Which leads us to this picture of Christ without a home.

He has a home, but it is not here (p69)

When we think of home, generally we think of a warm, safe place – though that is not true for everyone.  Home should be the place where we are free to be the person we are, where we are truly loved and accepted.

Jesus gave his home up, to come and live in our home.  To show us God’s ways.  To reveal God’s love.  To share God’s hope.  Quite a sacrifice – but one he was willing to make for you and I.

Which brings me to this song

How do I respond to that?  Is there room for Jesus to live with me? In the places I inhabit?  Deep in my life?   Or shall I leave him homeless?

20 Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens, and birds have nests. But the Son of Man doesn’t have a place to call his own.” (Matthew 8:20)

These thoughts are reflecting on Stanley Spencer’s painting The Foxes Have Holes (seen here).

This year for Lent, I am reading Christ in the Wilderness by Bishop Stephen Cottrell, published by SPCK, reflecting on Stanley Spencer’s paintings of that title.

I’m not necessarily going to blog every day on it, just when something leaps out at me – and they will be thoughts rather than full blog posts

Posted in faith, hope, Jesus, lent, Religion, theology
Tags: , , , , ,

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