Birth

•March 5, 2013 • 4 Comments

I’m not entirely sure I can see this picture as giving birth, as Stephen Cottrell suggests (p64).  I see it more as Christ sitting amongst the desolation and danger, holding danger, fear and possibility – an image I find powerful in itself.

But I’m happy to go along with the birthing suggestion.  That from the desolation, the darkness, the fear can come new life.

By Carly & Art from Washington, DC (Gamboling lamboling!) [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)%5D, via Wikimedia Commons

For there has to be the possibility and hope of the wilderness – it is not the end, there is something else to come, another hope, another way, different potential.  Jesus returned from the Wilderness strengthened for his work.  Life may never be the same again.  Both the wilderness and birth change that, but there will still be life.

Jesus will go from this place to suffer.  But his suffering and scars, bring us healing.  In the depths of fear, deep in the wilderness, caught up in anger and pain, we may not feel that, but it remains a truth to cling to – sometimes all we can cling to.

In the words to The Romans:

A Wonderful Future for God’s People

18 I am sure that what we are suffering now cannot compare with the glory that will be shown to us. 19 In fact, all creation is eagerly waiting for God to show who his children are. 20 Meanwhile, creation is confused, but not because it wants to be confused. God made it this way in the hope 21 that creation would be set free from decay and would share in the glorious freedom of his children. 22 We know that all creation is still groaning and is in pain, like a woman about to give birth.

23 The Spirit makes us sure about what we will be in the future. But now we groan silently, while we wait for God to show that we are his children. This means that our bodies will also be set free. 24 And this hope is what saves us. But if we already have what we hope for, there is no need to keep on hoping. 25 However, we hope for something we have not yet seen, and we patiently wait for it.

These thoughts are reflecting on Spencer’s painting The Scorpion (seen here at the bottom of the second page).

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, God, Jesus, lent, life, Religion, theology
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“I Forgive You”

•March 5, 2013 • 1 Comment

I hate cleaning.  Mainly because you come back a few minutes later and it’s already dirty again.  Oh to be able to wipe away dirt, dust or spills and them stay away.

I feel the same way about the things that I get wrong.  Oh for them to be wiped away.

Forgiving By scem.info [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0) or CC-BY-SA-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)%5D, via Wikimedia Commons

Psalm 32

(A special psalm by David.)

The Joy of Forgiveness

32 Our God, you bless everyone
whose sins you forgive
and wipe away.
2 You bless them by saying,
“You told me your sins,
without trying to hide them,
and now I forgive you.”

3 Before I confessed my sins,
my bones felt limp,
and I groaned all day long.
4 Night and day your hand
weighed heavily on me,
and my strength was gone
as in the summer heat.

5 So I confessed my sins
and told them all to you.
I said, “I’ll tell the Lord
each one of my sins.”
Then you forgave me
and took away my guilt.

6 We worship you, Lord,
and we should always pray
whenever we find out
that we have sinned.
Then we won’t be swept away
by a raging flood.
7 You are my hiding place!
You protect me from trouble,
and you put songs in my heart
because you have saved me.

8 You said to me,
“I will point out the road
that you should follow.
I will be your teacher
and watch over you.
9 Don’t be stupid
like horses and mules
that must be led with ropes
to make them obey.”

10 All kinds of troubles
will strike the wicked,
but your kindness shields those
who trust you, Lord.
11 And so your good people
should celebrate and shout.

How awesome and amazing that God should forgive us.

I don’t know about you, but I’ve done some really stupid things, things to be ashamed of, actions that have done me no good and certainly haven’t helped anyone else.

Oh, how I long for forgiveness.  To be able to follow the right way

I have done things that have upset and hurt others – and God.

Yet this Psalm assures us that if we confess our sins, say we are sorry, God truly forgives us.  Not until next time he’s narked with us, or wants to score points over us, but totally forgiven and wiped away.

Wow!  Thank you God

Posted in faith, forgiveness, God, Lectionary, lent, Religion, theology
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Darkness

•March 4, 2013 • 3 Comments

Stephen Cottrell points us to the gathering gloom behind Jesus (p63), and reminds us, God does his greatest deeds in darkness and unknowing:

Indeed, Christ’s Passion and death are an encounter the darkness of the world (p64)

I don’t know about you, but I’m glad God in Jesus knows about the darkness, has been there, experienced it – and done his work in it.  What an awesome God, that he didn’t avoid the darkness, but he has been in the depths of it.  He knows what it is like to be there.  That makes him a God who really understands life and all it throws at us.

God is not just God of the sunshine, but God of the deep darkness too.

Jesus not only knew the darkness, he brought the light that only he can bring – by being there, by sitting with it, by returning from it.

By lilivanili from London, UK (the fire within Uploaded by tm) [CC-BY-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)%5D, via Wikimedia Commons

Christ may I know you in my darkness in my darkness. Bring me through to resurrection I pray.

These thoughts are reflecting on Spencer’s painting The Scorpion (seen here at the bottom of the second page).

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, God, Jesus, lent, Religion, Thanksgiving
Tags: , , , , ,

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