#adventbookclub Reflections

•January 5, 2013 • 3 Comments

Well we’ve come to the end of the book.

This year for Advent – and into Christmas, some friends and I have been using Advent and Christmas Wisdom from Henri J. M. Nouwen.  

This is not your usual Advent book.  There is no following the birth narratives and prophecies, no gradual approach to Bethlehem,  but rather a journey in to ourselves.  We have had the chance to consider where our lives are at.

Along the way, we have paused to consider not missing God in the small things, because we’re waiting for the Big Thing; waiting – for God and his time and place; being prepared to go to the lonely place; allowing God to paint our hearts; considering not just what we want to be rid of from our lives, but what things we are going to cling on to; thinking who we are called to support; finding our worth in God, rather than ‘things’; being careful about judging others; allowing our lives to be an immaculate space for God to take on human flesh; waiting for God to do his New Thing; keeping our eyes on Jesus; focussing on nothing other than the love of God; listening – really listening; those who affirm, stretch and support us; seeing God in those around us; allowing God “in”, to love us; belonging to God; laying down power; being ready; being known by God; seeing through the eyes of love; being part of community; giving and receiving forgiveness; responding to God’s invitation; God coming, as promised; surrendering ourselves to God’s future; reaching out to God; sitting at God’s feet; giving of self; travelling God’s way; not to always over-intellectualise, but sometimes to just stand and watch and wait; choosing gratitude for what we have; God’s welcome to us all; living generously; letting God have what we’ve got – however small and useless we think it is; and inviting God to cleanse and renew us.

For me the most powerful was seeing through the eyes of love – learning to look at people with love, seeing the good things in them.  I have also had the opportunity to allow God to touch some painful parts in me, and bring some peace.  For those insights I give thanks.

Others who have been blogging have brought other insights that have widened the experience:

http://www.likeasthehart.me.uk/

http://drbexl.co.uk/

http://clairemaxim1.wordpress.com/

http://runninglife.wordpress.com/

http://dorothy726blog.wordpress.com/

Thank you to them all.  Thank you to all who’ve read this blog, and joined in with #adventbookclub on Twitter.  I hope you’ve enjoyed the ride, and that God has blessed, challenged, encouraged and comforted you on your journey.  May you know his hope, peace, love and presence through the rest of the year.

My blog will continue in it’s usual, rest of the year format, of blogging on each Sunday’s lectionary readings.  Do join me for that if you want to continue to explore God’s word.

Posted in Advent Book Club
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All Washed Up – Christmas Day 12

•January 5, 2013 • 3 Comments

The Baptism of Jesus

9 About that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee, and John baptized him in the Jordan River. 10 As soon as Jesus came out of the water, he saw the sky open and the Holy Spirit coming down to him like a dove. 11 A voice from heaven said, “You are my own dear Son, and I am pleased with you.”

Our power shower has not been working since before Christmas.  Don’t worry, we do have an over the bath shower, so we are getting clean, but it is a rather pathetic stream of water.  I miss the gushing, invigorating, cleansing power of the other one.  Then you feel really clean and refreshed.

By Photo by and ©2006 Derek Ramsey (Ram-Man) (Own work (Own Picture)) [GFDL 1.2 (http://www.gnu.org/licenses/old-licenses/fdl-1.2.html)%5D, via Wikimedia Commons

Water is a powerful metaphor.

Henri Nouwen speaks of his experience at Lourdes.  I have to say that when we went to Lourdes it was scorching hot, and we spent most of the day searching out water to drink – which is an analogy in itself!

Perhaps as we have made this journey with Nouwen we have realised where there are dry places in our lives that need refreshing.  Perhaps we have seen the parts that could do with a good clean.  Perhaps we have taken on refreshment for the journey to come, or known fresh blessings pouring into our lives where we are.  Whichever it is for you, I pray that you will know that power of God washing over and through you.

As we come to the end of our Advent and Christmas readings, my prayer is for God to wash over me, cleanse me and renew me – for all he has for me on this continued journey.

For the prayer, I’m going to use the word of a hymn by Dougie Brown:

RIVER, WASH OVER ME
Cleanse me and make me new.
Bathe me, refresh me and fill me anew,
River wash over me.

Spirit, watch over me,
Lead me to Jesus’ feet.
Cause me to worship and fill me anew,
Spirit, watch over me.

Jesus, rule over me,
Reign over all my heart.
Teach me to praise You and fill me anew,
Jesus, rule over me.

Dougie Brown
Copyright © 1980 Thankyou Music

This year for Advent – and into Christmas, some friends and I are using Advent and Christmas Wisdom from Henri J. M. Nouwen.   You’re welcome to join us on this journey.  Feel free to comment here, or on Twitter using #adventbookclub

Also blogging on the #adventbookclub are:

http://www.likeasthehart.me.uk/

http://drbexl.co.uk/

http://clairemaxim1.wordpress.com/

http://runninglife.wordpress.com/

http://dorothy726blog.wordpress.com/

Posted in Advent Book Club, faith, God, Jesus, Religion, theology
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Giving What You Have – Christmas Day 11

•January 4, 2013 • 1 Comment

8 Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, was one of the disciples. He spoke up and said, 9 “There is a boy here who has five small loaves of barley bread and two fish. But what good is that with all these people?”

10 The ground was covered with grass, and Jesus told his disciples to have everyone sit down. About five thousand men were in the crowd. 11 Jesus took the bread in his hands and gave thanks to God. Then he passed the bread to the people, and he did the same with the fish, until everyone had plenty to eat.

I love this passage.  The God of such abundance taking the humble offering of one boy, surely inconsequential in terms of the need, and making it beyond belief and plenty.

He ignores the stupidity of those who came unprepared and the disbelief of the disciples that anything could be done – and he gives and he blesses.  In the hands of God what is there is way beyond expectations and more than enough to fill the hunger.

The boy didn’t worry about how small a lunch he had to offer, he just gave it to Jesus to use. He could have worried how little it was, known it was not enough and so said nothing – then what would Jesus have had to work with?  But in being willing to hand it over, there was a beginning.  Andrew sees the paucity of what is available, Jesus sees a gift offered.

Nouwen reminds us that what we give is multiplied – that is God’s way.  And the more we give away, the more we discover how much there is to give away – but we have to be willing to give it.

The theme of giving generously continues.

What have I got that I can offer to God?  It may seem small or insignificant to me, but in the hands of God, what may it become?  I can hide it away, embarrassed at the meagerness of it, or humbly offer it to God for him to use it.  We all have something we can offer to him.

Lord

I offer to you,

what I have,

what I am.

To me it seems small,

nowhere near enough,

but I give it to you,

that you may do

with it what you will

This year for Advent – and into Christmas, some friends and I are using Advent and Christmas Wisdom from Henri J. M. Nouwen.   You’re welcome to join us on this journey.  Feel free to comment here, or on Twitter using #adventbookclub

Also blogging on the #adventbookclub are:

http://www.likeasthehart.me.uk/

http://drbexl.co.uk/

http://clairemaxim1.wordpress.com/

http://runninglife.wordpress.com/

http://dorothy726blog.wordpress.com/

Posted in Advent Book Club, faith, God, Jesus, Religion, theology
Tags: , , , , ,

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