My request

Matthew 20:17-28

What am I pleading for for my children? Am I asking as in "Your will be done" or what I think is best for them?

Change of Heart

Matthew 20:1-16

I used to feel sorry for the first guys. Now I feel happy for the last ones. I wonder what has changed in my heart?

Living Stone

1 Peter 2:1-10

Yesterday I lost my watch. I did not discover it was missing until this morning when it was not where I keep it overnight. This morning the washing machine leaked. A neighbour has the number of a Fix-it man but that means going to see her to get the number. I want to search for my watch, probably I lost it on a doggy walk. I have looked in all possible places in the house, including bringing in le sac à poubelle and sorting through its contents and sifting through the compost pot. My head as usual, yesterday was full of this and that, plans for the rest of the evening, the morrow, plans for the Advent book, what speed I was walking. Yes I looked at my watch but I cannot remember where.

And the relevance of my little problems to this passage? Christ is a solid rock, the cornerstone. He has called me out of darkness into light. Somewhere there is light. This is my comfort.

Eternal Care

1 Peter1:13-25

The grass withers. In Houston, without constant care and watering the summer heat dried up the lawn. Here, in Belgium it is the cold of winter that causes the grass to turn brown.
Yesterday I wrote a letter to a person whose child had died recently. I considered finding the verse in Psalm 103

15 The life of mortals is like grass,
    they flourish like a flower of the field;
16 the wind blows over it and it is gone,
    and its place remembers it no more.

I prefer the verse that Peter is quoting from Isaiah 40: 7. However I have written my letter so do not need to search the scriptures. I do not think I would have liked the remembering no more part. Parents do not forget their children. God does not forget even a hair of my head. I suppose that means he must care for me more than I do because I do not even know the hairs that I have at present let alone the ones that fell whilst I showered this morning.

If a few week old infant is a blade of grass then perhaps I am a Pacific Redwood. Both come to an end eventually. The word of God, who is Christ, endures for ever.

John 1

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

I thank God for his eternal care.

The Valley of Decision.

Joel 3: 1-2, 9-17

This is the famous phoughshares into swords passage but today it was not the idea of God gathering his people together but more the thought that I have to make a decision. A task which I find very difficult. Even deciding what to have for dinner can cause me stress. Life-changing decisions are thus a big problem, perhpas that is way the image is a valley not a mountain-top. After the decision is made there is the relief and feelings of euphoria.
Shall I write or not write? Shall I do another degree or not? Shall I work or not. Is the effort that I make to go to work worthwhile, are the relationships which I form there in God's plan or should I be pursuing  the writing or the degree or both? How to guide my offspring, especially when they ask for help in making their decisions. These are situations which I find difficult. I want to do what God wants me to do. But how do I know what that is?
I have to make a decision. God is coming. Perhaps my decision is made, perhaps it is enough that my desire is to do God's will. I am for him.

Choral singing

Romans 15: 5-13

For a few years I sang in the church choir. The main lesson that I learnt was to blend, ti listen to your neighbour and blend with their voice. Since I have a little voice this was not really a problem for me. It is more of a trial for those with a great voice who have to try to blend with me. Blending as one voice certainly has a great effect on the beauty of the whole.

The young and the old.

Isaiah 65:17-25

This reading always gives me a jolt. I remember the toothless grin, the joy at being swing by his big brother, the pain of nursing with sore nipples. I remember Matthew and his short life. I also remember the care of our church family and know the joy of the two subsequent children, now adults and know that God has been with me and trust that he will continue to be with for the rest of my days- hopefully until for many years to come.

A cause for celebration

1 Maccabees 4: 36-59

It is that time of year. The time when churches have what is politely called "The Stewardship Campaign". They usually claim that they want us to assess how what part of our t"time money and talents" we would like to devote to church life. But usually the forms only include a line for signing away our money, no mention of talents and time.
I can resent the time I spend on church activities just as much as the money which flies electronically from my bank account to theirs.
What I think is so important about this passage from the Apocrypha, a part of the Bible which i usually avoid using a basis for my thoughts is that the Israelites celebrated their giving.

Bride of Jesus?

Revelation 21:9-21

There were lots of pearls on my wedding dress, though of course they were not real. I walked down the aisle of a modern church rather than wafted out of the sky, and even though my skirt was rather full I was not large enough for twelve gates! But I was a bride. And it was the beginning of a new life.
Is this the similarity? A new life as the bride of Jesus.

Lake of Fire

Revelation 20:7-15

 I am fascinated by volcanoes. This summer I put Crater Lake on our itinerary. It was beautiful. That peaceful lakes occupies the space once filled a volcanic crater, was even formed by a massive eruption blowing the top of the mountain. Imagine this to be no longer dormant and full of fire.


We climbed in as far as we could. We did that in Vesuvius too, but there the crater still contains ash and fire. Look into the crevasses and you see white hot fire. This summer I watched a programme about excavating Pompeii. When we visited the town, more than thirty years ago it was thought that the victims of the eruption in 79 AD suffered from asphyxiation by gases but since then it has been discovered that at least some of them were roasted by the intense heat. Not a way I would like to go, nor would I like to be engulfed in a stream of molten lava.

I shall just have to trust in Jesus' saving power.

Coincidence?

Psalm 67

It seemed to be a fairly normal Sunday morning service.  A hymn, a prayer, a reading and then the next hymn was announced -Glorious things of thee are spoken.  It almost felt that God had read what I wrote yesterday. Then I got home and found that I had not pressed "Publish" yesterday.
I pray that I will be attentive to God's guidance.

passing witness

Psalm 90 

Glorious things of thee are spoken,
Zion, city of our God;
he whose word cannot be broken
formed thee for his own abode;
on the Rock of Ages founded,
what can shake thy sure repose?
With salvation's walls surrounded,
thou may'st smile at all thy foes.

See! the streams of living waters,
spring form eternal love,
well supply thy sons and daughters
and all fear of want remove.
Who can faint, when such a river
ever flows their thirst to assuage?
Grace which, like the Lord, the Giver,
never fails from age to age.

Round each habitation hovering,
see the cloud and fire appear
for a glory and a covering,
showing that the Lord is near.
Thus they march, their pillar leading,
light by night, and shade by day;
daily on the manna feeding
which he gives them when they pray.

Blest inhabitants of Zion,
washed in the Redeemer's blood!
Jesus, whom their souls rely on,
makes them kings and priests to God.
'Tis his love his people raises
over self to reign as kings:
and as priests, his solemn praises
each for a thank-offering brings.

Savior, if of Zion's city,
I through grace a member am,
let the world deride or pity,
I will glory in thy Name.
Fading is the worldling's pleasure,
all his boasted pomp and show;
solid joys and lasting treasure
none but Zion's children know.

---

Words: John Newton, 1779

I did not realize that this hymn was written by John Newton.

I used to shop in Onley, one of the places where John Newton was a priest. Those Thursday mornings were special as I remembered John Newton's story and the words of Amazing Grace that he wrote. They bring eternity to life. I am looking forward to 'ten thousand years' being 'no less days' to sing God's praise.
JOhn Newton may not have been in Onley when I was there but his witness lives on.

My Pit

Psalm 88

I complain. I complain about never having time to do what I want. I complain that I do not get done everything that I think I need to do. I complain that it seems to rain every day and I have difficulty drying the washing. I complain that the dogs need walks, then I complain that I do not have enough time for enough exercise. I complain that my to do list never seems to lose any items, things just mount up.
Not really a pit. I have plenty of food and clothing. My house is heated and I do not have to walk any distance to clean running water. There is no war raging in my back garden except my own with the resident weeds.
Really I have not pit. My down-ness is another person's heaven. Maybe I should look at it like that too.

Thank you God.

Confused

Matthew 16:1-12

I am with the disciples, confused!

Jesus talks about yeast and bread. I know about that, having baked our daily bread most of the Twenty years we lived in the States. But he really means "Beware of your leaders, they might not be as genuine as you think".

He quotes the Old Wives Tale "Red sky in the morning sailors' warning. Red sky at night shepherds' delight." Yes, I do look at the sky as an indication of the weather. I read an explanation of this phenomenon on the IRM ( Royal Belgian Meteorological)  page last year  but I cannot find it now. All I can find is an explanation of why the sky is red. Dark clouds foretell a storm.

But the daily events of life? I have difficulty interpreting them as the path that God has laid for me. I know it is somewhere out there or even in here.

Hiding Place

Psalm 119:97-120


I spent this morning's dog walk contemplating my hiding places. What do I hide from? Do I hide from my 'to do' list by keeping in contact with my computer?
Usually the only people I avoid are ones whom I owe some deed, something that is still on the 'to do' list.
Maybe I do not think of God as a hiding place but following the train of thought that a hiding place is a secure place then I do believe that God is the underlying security in my life and thus a 'hiding place'. He is my comfort zone.

Dogged devotion

Matthew 15:21-28

My dogs only have to hear the faint crunch as I separate a banana from the rest of the bunch to leap off their beds, rush to the kitchen and sit with eyes full of devotion anticipating the possibility of a  morsel of fruit.
How I wish that was my attitude to God.

Well-Watered Garden

Isaiah 58:6-12

My rule is to not be diverted from the daily lectioanry whatever the celebration of the day. However today I am breaking the rule. I noticed that today is the day of Martins of Tours, he is the patron saint of the church I attended in my youth. Not only this, but the Old Testament readings includes one of my very favourite verses, verse 11.
A well-watered garden, verdant and productive, attractive to all passers-by, feeding the locality. Yes I would like to be so.

My foot in my mouth.

Acts 24:10-21

The French speaking people who I meet in my work seem to love idioms.I am often told "It is raining cats and dogs", which being Belgium it often is. We seem to have have 10 days with some torrential rain each day. We often spend time comparing French and English idioms. There are many similarities.
However, when I read this passage the thought of "putting my foot in my mouth" came to mind. How often do I accuse before assessing the facts? I need to learn to stop and think before speaking.

My little

Matthew:22-36

So often we concentrate on Peter and the example he provides of wavering faith. The rest of the story, Jesus going by himself to prayer, overcoming the elements of water and wind and then after the whole episode continuing to heal all whom the crowd brought to him. The last sentence usually fades into obscurity alongside the mind-boggling miracles of calming storms and walking on water.
Touching the hem of Jesus' garment was sufficient. I hope that I can reach out just with the tips of my fingers recieve  what Jesus wants to give.

Take a break

Nehemiah 13: 4-22

A good reminder to give regularly and provide for our priests.

A good reminder to take a break from work.

A good reminder to devote Sunday to our God.

Searching.

Matthew 13:44-52

I am still looking but I thin the search is worth it. I will find the pearl and look who I am meeting on the way. Shall we look together?

Day to Day Loving

Nehemiah 6:1-19, Matthew 13:36-43

Recently I have become much more aware of what Jesus actually preached. Most of the biggy sins, as we like to think of them such as divorce, murder, theft are not often his theme. He is far more concerned with day to day living, or rather day to day loving.
Why have I included the Nehemiah reading? Because it sparked my thoughts on how genuinely I treat my friends and family. It also led me to think about how much I trust God in my reactions to other people.


Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your strength and your with all your mind and your neighbour as yourself.
Luke 10: 27

Brain priorities

Luke 12: 22-31

I find a very low barrier which is easy to cross between wearing my best to worship God and wanting to look my best because I like doing that. I like deciding what to cook too, and I like cooking. What is more I like to eat food which I have prepared. I suppose I need to ensure that these are not my priority, that these decisions do not detract from the time that should be occupied by God in my brain.