Eternal Echoes

... to breathe of you is life

You fill the lungs of those who draw on you.

You fill the sails of those who wait for you.

You carry us,

move us,

lift us,

caress us,

you are the air,

and to breathe of you is life.

( From Elemental by Gerard Kelly))

Light, shadow and reflections ( today at the beach)

As we walked on the beach tis evening we watched the tide roll in, with it came a storm, light and shadow eclipsed reflections... ....and it made me think...

... are we able to embrace our shadow side? If not are we truly aware of the light, and is real transformation possible?

The field of transformation- sermon blogging Matthew 13: 24-30, 36-43

I am not a good gardener, and I find the garden at the Firs a constant struggle. But I wish I did know what I was doing, or how to tell the weeds from the plants before they began to grow to any significant size. My parents on the other hand really know what they are doing, not only does their garden look wonderful at almost every time of the year, but they also grow more vegetables than they can eat, and we are often the grateful recipients of a bag or basket of fresh produce!

 

I know from watching and learning from them that although keeping the ground clear of weeds is important there are times when to weed out every thing might damage the fragile growth of newly planted seeds, and that some of the seeming imposters are actually good for the garden.

 

Even knowing this Jesus parable about the wheat and the weeds is not easy to understand, what kind of dedicated farmer of gardener would happily allow weeds to grow up amongst his crops, why on earth would you allow them to flourish taking nutrients from the soil and drinking in the precious rain as it fell from heaven. Surely you would still want to weed most of them out?

 

But here is Jesus telling a parable where the farmer instructs his workers to leave things to be as they are as they might just inadvertently damage the good in their zeal to weed out the bad. His disciples were confused by this tale and came seeking an explanation, the explanation they were given was challenging and thought provoking.

 

It echoes several other passages of Scripture where the disciples and followers of Jesus are told to leave well alone- the eager disciple who wishes to help her neighbour by plucking the splinter from her neighbours eye is told to attend to the plank in her own first. How easy it is to see the wrongs in the lives of others, how difficult it is for us to view ourselves so objectively. In our zeal to weed out the bad we run the danger of ruining the good that God is doing.

 

Jesus instructs us not to set ourselves up as judges ( bearing in mind that discernment and judgement are different things); rather seek to nurture and encourage good growth, this is often achieved  not by insisting that people modify their behaviour to a strict code of our own making, but rather by loving and caring for them. Many of the people who approached Jesus would have been deemed unworthy or unclean by the religious rulers of the day and yet Jesus accepted and loved and healed them. Can the church claim to be Christ like in this way or are we more concerned with outward appearances, more concerned with weeding than with nurturing?

 

Then we receive the explanation; the field is the world, and Jesus himself is the gardener, his true followers are those who become the good seed.

 

Could it be that we are not to be concerned with the weeds in the lives of others but we can be concerned with our own lives, and that may require a taking long hard look into the mirror of truth, and the acknowledgement that the reflection is not all that it might be.

 

Have we sunk our roots deep into the good soil in which we have been planted, are we actively drawing up nutrients day by day? Are we turning our faces to the sun and basking in its life giving rays? In short are we feeding and receiving the gifts of God, gifts that nurture and sustain our souls, gifts of His word and prayer, of meditation and contemplation which help us to grow strong?

 

In the field of life we may find ourselves surrounded by the weeds of difficulty and challenge, but if our roots are planted in to good soil which God himself has prepared for us we will be able to hold firm. That is not to say that it will be easy!

 

In the field of life we may find that our neighbours exhibit weedy qualities- chasing after “worldly goods”, displaying traits of greed and selfishness… we if we can hold firm may win their respect by living a life shot through with other worldly values, exhibiting in out lives the fruits of the Spirit and of grace. Many can tell the story of recognising something different in their neighbours and on understanding the truth they have found themselves changed, for in God’s good field weeds have the opportunity to become wheat, but we must be careful with our lives for the opposite is also true!

 

At the end of the age there will be a judgement day and the weeds and wheat will be separated, they have been given a chance to grow and to flourish and to change. At harvest time the Farmer will come, and he has the power and the right to judge each plant by the fruit of its life long growth process….

 

…I suspect that most of us are wheaty weeds or weedy wheat, but the God who created us and loves us knows our hearts, we were planted for a display of his glory, and he is looking for a glimpse of that glory reflected back, if our growth has truly been in him he will see it and welcome us into his kingdom…

 

In God’s field no matter what our growth looks like right now we have the opportunity to be re-rooted and re-grafted and transformed. The alternative which is separation from God is unimaginable!

 

So let us sink our spiritual roots deep into his good soil, asking him to feed and refresh our souls, lets us turn our faces to the warmth and light of his love asking him to sustain, nourish and bring new life to us. Let us grow where we have been planted and pray for those around us, that the heavenly crop might be wholesome, transformed in love poured out and reflected back to the one who owns the field, the creator and lover of our souls.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The field of transformation- sermon blogging Matthew 13: 24-30, 36-43

I am not a good gardener, and I find the garden at the Firs a constant struggle. But I wish I did know what I was doing, or how to tell the weeds from the plants before they began to grow to any significant size. My parents on the other hand really know what they are doing, not only does their garden look wonderful at almost every time of the year, but they also grow more vegetables than they can eat, and we are often the grateful recipients of a bag or basket of fresh produce!

 

I know from watching and learning from them that although keeping the ground clear of weeds is important there are times when to weed out every thing might damage the fragile growth of newly planted seeds, and that some of the seeming imposters are actually good for the garden.

 

Even knowing this Jesus parable about the wheat and the weeds is not easy to understand, what kind of dedicated farmer of gardener would happily allow weeds to grow up amongst his crops, why on earth would you allow them to flourish taking nutrients from the soil and drinking in the precious rain as it fell from heaven. Surely you would want to weed them out?

 

But here is Jesus telling a parable where the farmer instructs his workers to leave things to be as they are as they might just inadvertently damage the good in their zeal to weed out the bad. His disciples were confused by this tale and came seeking an explanation, the explanation they were given was challenging and thought provoking.

 

It echoes several other passages of Scripture where the disciples and followers of Jesus are told to leave well alone- the eager disciple who wishes to help her neighbour by plucking the splinter from her neighbours eye is told to attend to the plank in her own first. How easy it is to see the wrongs in the lives of others, how difficult it is for us to view ourselves so objectively. In our zeal to weed out the bad we run the danger of ruining the good that God is doing.

 

Jesus instructs us not to set ourselves up as judges ( bearing in mind that discernment and judgement are different things); rather seek to nurture and encourage good growth, this is often achieved not by insisting that people modify their behaviour to a strict code of our own making, but rather by loving and caring for them. Many of the people who approached Jesus would have been deemed unworthy or unclean by the religious rulers of the day and yet Jesus accepted and loved and healed them. Can the church claim to be Christ like in this way or are we more concerned with outward appearances, more concerned with weeding than with nurturing?

 

Then we receive the explanation; the field is the world, and Jesus himself is the gardener, his true followers are those who become the good seed.

 

Could it be that we are not to be concerned with the weeds in the lives of others but we can be concerned with our own lives, and that may require a taking long hard look into the mirror of truth, and the acknowledgement that the reflection is not all that it might be.

 

Have we sunk our roots deep into the good soil in which we have been planted, are we actively drawing up nutrients day by day? Are we turning our faces to the sun and basking in its life giving rays? In short are we feeding and receiving the gifts of God, gifts that nurture and sustain our souls, gifts of His word and prayer, of meditation and contemplation which help us to grow strong?

 

In the field of life we may find ourselves surrounded by the weeds of difficulty and challenge, but if our roots are planted in to good soil which God himself has prepared for us we will be able to hold firm. That is not to say that it will be easy!

 

In the field of life we may find that our neighbours exhibit weedy qualities- chasing after "worldly goods", displaying traits of greed and selfishness… we if we can hold firm may win their respect by living a life shot through with other worldly values, exhibiting in out lives the fruits of the Spirit and of grace. Many can tell the story of recognising something different in their neighbours and on understanding the truth they have found themselves changed, for in God's good field weeds have the opportunity to become wheat, but we must be careful with our lives for the opposite is also true!

 

At the end of the age there will be a judgement day and the weeds and wheat will be separated, they have been given a chance to grow and to flourish and to change. At harvest time the Farmer will come, and he has the power and the right to judge each plant by the fruit of its life long growth process….

 

…I suspect that most of us are wheaty weeds or weedy wheat, but the God who created us and loves us knows our hearts, we were planted for a display of his glory, and he is looking for a glimpse of that glory reflected back, if our growth has truly been in him he will see it and welcome us into his kingdom…

 

In God's field no matter what our growth looks like right now we have the opportunity to be re-rooted and re-grafted and transformed. The alternative which is separation from God is unimaginable!

 

So let us sink our spiritual roots deep into his good soil, asking him to feed and refresh our souls, lets us turn our faces to the warmth and light of his love asking him to sustain, nourish and bring new life to us. Let us grow where we have been planted and pray for those around us, that the heavenly crop might be wholesome, transformed in love poured out and reflected back to the one who owns the field, the creator and lover of our souls.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Happy Birthday Revgalblogpals

Songbird over at revgals says:

It all started with a brief post by St. Casserole, wondering if the growing community of clergywomen and friends who commented on each other's blogs might not need a t-shirt! Within hours we had a Cafe Press store (thanks to reverendmother) and a webring (thanks to reverend mommy) and a blog (first managed by reverend mommy and Songbird). Go read the thread to see who was in at the beginning! The first person to click "join" at Ringsurf was Emily at Hazelnut Reflections.

Revgals describes itself as an open table for a diverse group of people, women pursuing or discerning a Christian Vocation, and their supporters ( some of whom are guys).  I've been a member for around 2 1/2 years now and I've enjoyed the discussion and the challenges, through this ring I've found people who listen, care laugh, pray together through cyber space! I'd never have thought it possible if I hadn't been priviliged to be a part of it all. Thank you for your support and friendship.

Recently I've been a bit more involved posting to both Friday 5 and the Sunday music video, also heading up the occassional Preacher Party. There is a post everyday and all of these help to build community, through this I have made friends both in cyber space and had the wonderful chance to meet one or two folk in real life. I'd love to make it to next years Big Event ( a chance to get away with the other revgals to spend time being "fed" and chilling out!)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY REVGALS- may there be many more!

If you are a woman in Christian ministry or a supporter of womens ministry and you haven't had the chance pop on over to revgals and join the conversation!

 

What's in a name Friday 5

RevHRod says: If you are a regular reader of Songbird's blog, you know that "The Princess" has requested a new name. Her older brother changed his "secret identity" a while back and now this lovely young lady is searching for a new name on her mother's blog. This got me to thinking. How do we come up with all of these names? There must be at least a few good stories out there.

1. So how did you come up with your blogging name?

And/or the name of your blog? - well I blog under my own name as the issue of identity does not seem to carry the same problems for us here in the UK as it does for our U.S counterparts. The Blog title of Eternal Echoes is taken from one of my favourite books by John O'Donahue; the book looks at the nature of humanity and belonging finding echoes of eternity within community. I wanted to create a place where conversations could happen, a place where I could be vulnerable and open to others and through which I might grow and hopefully others might too.

 

     2. Are there any code names or secret identities in your blog? Any stories there?

No no code names or secret identities, if I am going to blog about someone I ask their permission

    3.What are some blog titles that you just love? For their cleverness, drama, or sheer, crazy fun?

Matt Stone changes his blog name from time to time, it is currently called Glocal Christianity I like that, also Lorna's See through Fatih is a great title, and one that makes me smile is a blog called Better than therapy!!

   4. What three blogs are you devoted to? Other than the RevGalBlogPals of course!

A group of Methodist bloggers in the UK including Dave Warnock at 42, PamBG, Dave Faulkner at Life Spirituality and Everything, and Olive Morgan at Octomusings also friends Mike Bursell, and Gary Alderson. oops I can't count...

  5. Who introduced you to blogging and why?

Blogging was mentioned at a meeting one day, can't even remember who by, I was interested so checked into it and was soon hooked! Still am :-)

Bonus question: Have you ever met any of your blogging friends? Where are some of the places you've met these fun folks?

Yes I've met several, Mike and Gary ( links above ) were fellow students at ERMC, Pam, and Dave W I have met several times, also Lorna and Laura  who have been to stay and walked on the beach with me!

 

Cartoon by Dave Walker. Find more cartoons you can freely re-use on your blog at We Blog Cartoons.

Family values and the joy of simplicity

Jo and Dave cooking
Originally uploaded by Sally's journey.

I love this picture of my daughter Jo and her boyfriend Dave cooking together. They were cooking locally caught Sea Bass, adding fresh vegetables and herbs. It is good to see that family values are being passed on; good fresh food eaten in thankfulness and prepared with joy!

It is good to see them cooking with good ingredients and enjoying fresh food, good that the simplicity of a good meal cooked and enjoyed together brings such fulfillment. We all cleared out of the way and let them use the dining room and the good wine glasses some things are worthy of celebration and this is one of them!

transformation , abandonment, and discipline

sea glass
Originally uploaded by Sallys journey.

I went for a walk at Snettisham beach yesterday evening, the tide was in and the sun was shinning. I set off, and as I usually do I kept an eye on the sand looking for sea glass. I love sea glass and have quite a collection now, it reminds me that even things which have been discarded can be transformed, in this case bottles or bits of broken glass have been abandoned to the pounding of the waves and the result is beautiful. ( well I think so anyway)

As I walk I love to listen to the sound of the waves on the beach, and to feel the sun and wind on my face, somehow in those moments I find myself caught up in the rhythms of the earth; I think I pray best outdoors where my view is expanded beyond myself and beyond my immediate surroundings and where I feel a connection with the whole of creation and I wonder why I don't throw myself out to walk more frequently...

I need to abandon myself to God to the Spirits transforming presence in my life, where sharp corners are worn away and I am refined. I need to identify the places where I can do this, and whether that be at the beach, or in being transported to another plane by art or music I need to make time to be open to the God of all peace.....

Although at first glance the setting aside of such time seems like an indulgence I am coming to realise more and more that it is actually a discipline more than that it is a discipline that I must cultivate or be diminished by the lack of it. Sometimes I fear that the much exalted Protestant work ethic is a curse!

 

Deep peace I breathe into you, O weariness, here: O ache, here! Deep peace, a soft white dove to You; Deep peace, a quiet rain to you; Deep peace, an ebbing wave to you! Deep peace, red wind of the east from you; Deep peace, grey wind of the west to You; Deep peace, dark wind of the north from you; Deep peace, blue wind of the south to you! Deep peace, pure red of the flame to you; Deep peace, pure white of the moon to you; Deep peace, pure green of the grass to you; Deep peace, pure brown of the earth to you; Deep peace, pure grey of the dew to you, Deep peace, pure blue of the sky to you! Deep peace of the running wave to you, Deep peace of the flowing air to you, Deep peace of the quiet earth to you, Deep peace of the sleeping stones to you! Deep peace of the Yellow Shepherd to you, Deep peace of the Wandering Shepherdess to you, Deep peace of the Flock of Stars to you, Deep peace from the Son of Peace to you, Deep peace from the heart of Mary to you, And from Briget of the Mantle Deep peace, deep peace! And with the kindness too of the Haughty Father Peace! In the name of the Three who are One, Peace! And by the will of the King of the Elements, Peace! Peace!

the dominion of dreams : under a dark star - fiona macleod - 1895

The Jesus Deck; surprises and challenges

I decided this morning, that having spent the whole day on Saturday "reading" the Jesus Deck for others that this morning I would do a "reading" for myself. The Jesus deck is a pack of cards with four sections, each section is based upon a different gospel and all of the cards show images of Jesus life and teachings.

The Jesus Deck is a tool that helps us to listen to God, when I take it into exhibitions and fairs I become as a Greek to the Greeks and so it may at first glance look like a Tarot reading. Depending on your background you may or may not understand Tarot, and for many Christians the word conjures up images of divination and black magic, and is therefore something to be afraid of. This is not my understanding and I see the archetypal imagery as a useful tool for self examination and it has been employed by Jungian psychotherapists for years as a counselling aid. For some words of real wisdom on this along with a historical explanation these words from Australian Theologian Phil Johnson are well worth reading.

All of that is however really an aside for the Jesus Deck is not Tarot, and yet the imagery is revelatory in its own way. When I do a reading for someone I explain the nature of the deck and then explain that I am going to pray and ask the Holy Spirit to come and to reveal her word to us ( in a sense it is praying for words of knowledge in picture form). Last Saturday as always the reaction was mixed, some folk were sceptical and others wary, still others were open and intrigued, then as always (and I never cease to be filled with wonder and awe) I began to see God at work. One man was astounded at the cards he was faced with and declared that his life had just been laid before him, others received words of comfort and affirmation, still others words of challenge.

This morning as I read the cards for myself seeking God's voice I was struck first by the card depicting temptation, realising that there is nothing I am faced with that he does not understand; there is nothing I cannot bring to him! I was also challenged by a call to simplicity- something I struggle with in this consumeristic world, and yet something I aspire to. I had already been challenged by the call to simplicity this morning as I was reading Brian McLaren's book "Finding our way again"- he spoke of the need to be disciplined within ourselves before God, and how in practising spiritual disciplines we will find freedom. This challenge came out at the reminder that "The Son of Man had nowhere to lay his head", and the way that Jesus chose to come leaving the glory of heaven for the sake of the world he loves- it was also a challenge to a generosity of living.

Words of comfort were also there in the cards depicting angels at the tomb; pointing towards the resurrection they are showing the road to life, and in the card depicting the "wise men" who seeking the star found themselves led to the Christ Child; through this I return to the promise of God that those who seek him with their whole heart will indeed find him.

I find myself both excited that God turns up in ways that surprise and challenge me, and also consumed with a desire not to claim any false wisdom or impart any false revelation., this requires an openess to the critisisms of others alongside the knowledge that God is so much more than we can imagine, and his ways are far above ours!

Yes this is an unorthodox way of seeking God, and yes it makes me uncomfortable at times, but I am also struck by the simplicity and power of the revelation, and although it may not be something that I would choose to do everyday I do believe that if I am going to use this tool to speak to others that I should also expect God to speak to me in the same way.

clearing the ground, clearing the air

It has been a difficult day today I had a meeting where it was necessary to speak out and clear the air. I find confrontation difficult, but as it turns out it was OK.

This evening I spent some time clearing the garden, one patch on the side is filled with annuals, it is always full of colour, but it needs tending and clearing in order to keep it looking good. It occurred to me that the words that had to be spoken today were also a form of clearing, like the ground the air needed to be cleared. What is encouraging is that just as the new flowers have already started to grow, hope was rekindled at the meeting.