A while ago while reading "Celebration of Discipline", one particular passage really struck me. In the chapter on meditation, Richard Foster quotes this verse from a hymn by Frederick W. Faber:
"Only to sit and think of God,
Oh, what a joy it is!
To think the thought, to breathe the Name,
Earth has no higher bliss."
This idea is something I've been trying to work into times of corporate worship, particularly at the beginning. Many people have said that we must begin with 'seeing' God, and then worship is a natural response to that revelation. So what I've done is simply to leave space at the beginning of a time of corporate worship for people to give their thoughts, the stresses and worries of life to God, and simply to meditate on Who God is.
It's very easy to rush into worship with lots of words, and at times that may mean that people aren't really 'engaged' in worship until the second or third song. For myself there are times when I remember half-way through the first song Who it is I'm singing to. The unfortunate reality is that our lives are lived often without a constant awareness of God. So we need to take the time to really focus on Him, and yes, that may mean we don't get through all the songs on our list (if any of them). But I would question whether our priority is to get through a song list, or simply to encounter the living God.
Spending time simply meditating on God's character and qualities causes praise and adoration to flow out. This may simply mean silently encountering God within us, or it may involve meditating on Scripture which tells of Who God is. Then we may be ready to sing together, knowing clearly Who it is we are worshiping.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
A recent adventure in central Helsinki
A few weeks ago, I was making my way to a meeting about an upcoming trip to Macedonia. I'd just come from a prayer weekend where I'd helped lead worship. As I was walking through Sörnäinen metro station (in Helsinki), I saw a man right in front of me who was stood there asking people something. As I got closer to him I asked him to repeat what he was saying. It turned he wanted 1 euro so he could go and get some lunch. The man had a crutch in one hand and his other arm was in a sling. So I gave him 2 euros, and then asked if I could pray for him. He said it was ok, so I prayed for him. Afterwards I asked if I could go and eat lunch with him, which he again agreed to. He was going to a particular place, where people in need can get cheap meals.
So we waited for tram, and then took the tram to this place. It turned out this man had visited England years ago, and spoke fairly good English. So on the journey I asked him lots of questions and got to know him a bit. We talked about everything from places he'd been to in England, to his favourite books, to his family and even at some point about Disney films. We then got off the tram and he lead me to our destination. When I walked in the place, I was pretty shocked. There were lots of people just sitting or lying down, all of them looking completely without hope. There were some in wheelchairs, and others who clearly had mental illnesses.
So I walked into the cafeteria with my new friend and he bought food for himself and me (he insisted on spending the extra euro I'd given him on me). We sat down and continued talking while we ate. Then at some point, the man kinda just wandered off, and apparently went to the smoking room. After that I didn't see him again there.
So there I was, sat in this place not quite sure what to do next. Pretty soon I overheard some guys speaking in English, so I got up, went over to the table where they were sat and started talking to them. There was one guy from Tunisia, another guy from Bosnia and then a Finnish guy. They were very friendly, and I spent a while getting to know them a bit and hear how they'd ended up here. The guy from Bosnia had left at the end of the war there. His words stayed with me: "I came to Finland for a better life - I don't think I found it."
After a while of talking to them, I asked if I could play them some of my songs (I had my guitar with me). They agreed, although one guy was very clear that he was a Muslim and I couldn't sing songs about Jesus (I had mentioned I was a Christian). Pretty much all of my songs are about God, so I sang a couple of songs that didn't mention Jesus by name. Then I just continued playing guitar for a while, and at times just sang melodies. I could feel God's presence in that place, and the whole room was silent while I played. I could see tears in the eyes of some of the people there.
At some point soon after this I left, and said I wanted to come back and visit again. While I was there I began to dream about what the Kingdom of God would look like in that place. I could see how the community that existed there could be transformed by Jesus. The whole experience was pretty challenging, being surrounded by people with very little to live for, knowing that Jesus in me is the only thing I have to offer them.
Somehow it's already been a few weeks since I was there, and I managed to forget their names. But I'm planning on going back there tomorrow and visiting more regularly.
So we waited for tram, and then took the tram to this place. It turned out this man had visited England years ago, and spoke fairly good English. So on the journey I asked him lots of questions and got to know him a bit. We talked about everything from places he'd been to in England, to his favourite books, to his family and even at some point about Disney films. We then got off the tram and he lead me to our destination. When I walked in the place, I was pretty shocked. There were lots of people just sitting or lying down, all of them looking completely without hope. There were some in wheelchairs, and others who clearly had mental illnesses.
So I walked into the cafeteria with my new friend and he bought food for himself and me (he insisted on spending the extra euro I'd given him on me). We sat down and continued talking while we ate. Then at some point, the man kinda just wandered off, and apparently went to the smoking room. After that I didn't see him again there.
So there I was, sat in this place not quite sure what to do next. Pretty soon I overheard some guys speaking in English, so I got up, went over to the table where they were sat and started talking to them. There was one guy from Tunisia, another guy from Bosnia and then a Finnish guy. They were very friendly, and I spent a while getting to know them a bit and hear how they'd ended up here. The guy from Bosnia had left at the end of the war there. His words stayed with me: "I came to Finland for a better life - I don't think I found it."
After a while of talking to them, I asked if I could play them some of my songs (I had my guitar with me). They agreed, although one guy was very clear that he was a Muslim and I couldn't sing songs about Jesus (I had mentioned I was a Christian). Pretty much all of my songs are about God, so I sang a couple of songs that didn't mention Jesus by name. Then I just continued playing guitar for a while, and at times just sang melodies. I could feel God's presence in that place, and the whole room was silent while I played. I could see tears in the eyes of some of the people there.
At some point soon after this I left, and said I wanted to come back and visit again. While I was there I began to dream about what the Kingdom of God would look like in that place. I could see how the community that existed there could be transformed by Jesus. The whole experience was pretty challenging, being surrounded by people with very little to live for, knowing that Jesus in me is the only thing I have to offer them.
Somehow it's already been a few weeks since I was there, and I managed to forget their names. But I'm planning on going back there tomorrow and visiting more regularly.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Trust and childlikeness
So, to finish off writing about trust for a while, I wanted to just mention a bit about 'childlikeness'.
God has been speaking to me about learning to trust like a child. Now first off, I think it's pretty clear that in many families today, children don't grow up in a safe, stable environment, and thus their ability to trust is damaged. However, when I'm referring to childlike trust, I'm referring to a child in a family who is secure in the knowledge that he is loved and safe.
So what does this kind of trust look like? Well, a child trusts his parents to provide. He doesn't need to know how his parents will provide, but he simply believes they will. A child realises that he doesn't know everything, and doesn't pretend that he has it all figured out. A child believes that his parents will protect him and look after him. And of course, there are so many other ways in which trust plays out in a child's life.
I think the key here is simplicity. The child's actions reveal a deep trust that his parents are good. In the same way, as we grow deeper in the belief that our Father is good, our lives will display that trust.
Jesus spoke pretty clearly about us needing to become like children to embrace the kingdom of God. Now, I don't think this is so much about throwing out wisdom or even intellect, but rather that we put them in the right place. As Psalm 37:5 says, we aren't meant to lean on our own understanding. In fact, when I try to, I usually find that there are things I don't understand.
Childlikeness isn't always considered a good thing in our culture. But it's a big part of Christianity, especially in terms of mystery. I can accept that I don't fully grasp how the Trinity works, or what God is really like. But "is my god really God if he fits inside my head?" God is a lovely mystery, and I want to search Him out.
Youth culture especially seems to mock the joyful innocence and simple amazement of children. But recently I've been seeing that I really must become like a little child in many ways. There is such joy in being set free from fear and doubt and trusting like a child, and I really want to taste more of that joy.
I've also been discovering the power of being amazed, especially by creation. There are so many amazing things around us, but so often I just accept them as normal. Something that's been messing with my head is the tree. Now, here in Finland there are lots of trees. But the idea came to me that God, during creation, came up with the idea of a tree - there had never been one, and He thought it up. A tree is made up of various parts, each with different textures and colours. And then contained within a tree is the power to make a whole forest - trees are amazing!
I guess it's all to do with perspective. Birds too have been amazing me recently. They can sing (birds are probably my favourite worship leaders at the moment), they can fly, and then so much more. But of course you can accept them as normal, and see them with that cynicism that comes all too easily.
A few weeks ago I read this blog post about childlikeness, and that God is restoring it to the Church in these days - you can read the whole thing here: http://burn24-7.com/2011/childlikeness-is-upon-us/
One verse that he talks about is Psalm 89:15-16 (in NASB):
“How blessed are the people who know the joyful sound! O Lord, they walk in the light of your countenance, In your name they rejoice all the day, And by your righteousness they are exalted.”
I thought that was pretty great.
Bless you, and hope you were inspired by these posts on trust.
God has been speaking to me about learning to trust like a child. Now first off, I think it's pretty clear that in many families today, children don't grow up in a safe, stable environment, and thus their ability to trust is damaged. However, when I'm referring to childlike trust, I'm referring to a child in a family who is secure in the knowledge that he is loved and safe.
So what does this kind of trust look like? Well, a child trusts his parents to provide. He doesn't need to know how his parents will provide, but he simply believes they will. A child realises that he doesn't know everything, and doesn't pretend that he has it all figured out. A child believes that his parents will protect him and look after him. And of course, there are so many other ways in which trust plays out in a child's life.
I think the key here is simplicity. The child's actions reveal a deep trust that his parents are good. In the same way, as we grow deeper in the belief that our Father is good, our lives will display that trust.
Jesus spoke pretty clearly about us needing to become like children to embrace the kingdom of God. Now, I don't think this is so much about throwing out wisdom or even intellect, but rather that we put them in the right place. As Psalm 37:5 says, we aren't meant to lean on our own understanding. In fact, when I try to, I usually find that there are things I don't understand.
Childlikeness isn't always considered a good thing in our culture. But it's a big part of Christianity, especially in terms of mystery. I can accept that I don't fully grasp how the Trinity works, or what God is really like. But "is my god really God if he fits inside my head?" God is a lovely mystery, and I want to search Him out.
Youth culture especially seems to mock the joyful innocence and simple amazement of children. But recently I've been seeing that I really must become like a little child in many ways. There is such joy in being set free from fear and doubt and trusting like a child, and I really want to taste more of that joy.
I've also been discovering the power of being amazed, especially by creation. There are so many amazing things around us, but so often I just accept them as normal. Something that's been messing with my head is the tree. Now, here in Finland there are lots of trees. But the idea came to me that God, during creation, came up with the idea of a tree - there had never been one, and He thought it up. A tree is made up of various parts, each with different textures and colours. And then contained within a tree is the power to make a whole forest - trees are amazing!
I guess it's all to do with perspective. Birds too have been amazing me recently. They can sing (birds are probably my favourite worship leaders at the moment), they can fly, and then so much more. But of course you can accept them as normal, and see them with that cynicism that comes all too easily.
A few weeks ago I read this blog post about childlikeness, and that God is restoring it to the Church in these days - you can read the whole thing here: http://burn24-7.com/2011/childlikeness-is-upon-us/
One verse that he talks about is Psalm 89:15-16 (in NASB):
“How blessed are the people who know the joyful sound! O Lord, they walk in the light of your countenance, In your name they rejoice all the day, And by your righteousness they are exalted.”
I thought that was pretty great.
Bless you, and hope you were inspired by these posts on trust.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Trust - part 2
I recently saw a good illustration of how we often act, in Genesis chapter 50. Jacob has just died, and Joseph's brothers begin to panic - maybe Joseph hadn't forgiven them, but was just waiting for their dad to die before he got his revenge. They still can't fully trust him and they still haven't fully dealt with their guilt, even though Joseph had repeatedly told them that God had used their betrayal to save many lives, including their own, and that he forgave them.
When the message begging for forgiveness arrives to Joseph, he begins to weep. He goes to them and reassures them again that he has forgiven them, and 'speaks kindly to them'.
As Rob Bell says in 'Velvet Elvis' the amazing thing is that not only did the the stories of the Bible really happen, but they also still happen. This same situation has happened in our lives. Something happens, maybe a tragedy or disappointment, and we think that maybe God has changed His mind. Our fear and guilt over past sins resurface, and we plead with God to have mercy. This surely makes God weep, that despite all He's done for us, that despite His great demonstration of love in the cross, we still don't trust Him. Yet He continues to gently reassure us that His love hasn't changed, and that He is still good.
The cross clearly has a lot to teach us about God's love. Jesus took on Himself our sin, and took the punishment for that sin - it's pretty easy to say it, but that is pretty full on. The cross is truly love in action.
Recently, while reading 'He Loves Me' by Wayne Jacobsen, a few things jumped out at me related to the cross and trust. The first thing was about the sentence, "Father,into Your hands I commit my spirit." Now I'm sure we've all read the phrase, and know that Jesus said it before He died on the cross. But I'd never really appreciated the power of that verse. Here is Jesus on the cross, with the full weight of sin upon Him. He has previously prayed (from Psalm 22) "My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?" Many theologians have given their views of this question. But in this book, the author suggests that perhaps there is a difference here between reality and Jesus' perception. Perhaps, under the weight of sin, Jesus was unable to feel His Father's presence with Him. In this context then, Jesus' choice to commit His spirit into His Father's hands is an amazing picture of trust. He knows so deeply that His Father is always good and always knows best. In the darkest moment, feeling completely separated from His Father, Jesus chooses to places His life in His Father's hands.
So how does this apply to us? Well, later in the same chapter of this book, the author takes us to Galatians 2:20, particularly the end of the verse. The majority of translations say "The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God." However, according to the author and some more 'literal' translations, it should be "I live by the faith of the Son of God." Here, the key is that it is not my faith that I make happen, but rather I allow Jesus' faith to flow through me. In those times when I can't feel God's presence and I'm completely overwhelmed, I can ask Jesus to fill me with the trust He has in the Father. And Jesus was able to trust the Father in the very darkest moment.
Jesus, empower us by Your Holy Spirit to trust Father like You trust Father, that in those moments when we feel alone and confused, we would choose to trust. May we be so rooted and grounded in Your love that nothing can shake our trust. May we know so deeply that You are always good, and your love never ends. Amen
When the message begging for forgiveness arrives to Joseph, he begins to weep. He goes to them and reassures them again that he has forgiven them, and 'speaks kindly to them'.
As Rob Bell says in 'Velvet Elvis' the amazing thing is that not only did the the stories of the Bible really happen, but they also still happen. This same situation has happened in our lives. Something happens, maybe a tragedy or disappointment, and we think that maybe God has changed His mind. Our fear and guilt over past sins resurface, and we plead with God to have mercy. This surely makes God weep, that despite all He's done for us, that despite His great demonstration of love in the cross, we still don't trust Him. Yet He continues to gently reassure us that His love hasn't changed, and that He is still good.
The cross clearly has a lot to teach us about God's love. Jesus took on Himself our sin, and took the punishment for that sin - it's pretty easy to say it, but that is pretty full on. The cross is truly love in action.
Recently, while reading 'He Loves Me' by Wayne Jacobsen, a few things jumped out at me related to the cross and trust. The first thing was about the sentence, "Father,into Your hands I commit my spirit." Now I'm sure we've all read the phrase, and know that Jesus said it before He died on the cross. But I'd never really appreciated the power of that verse. Here is Jesus on the cross, with the full weight of sin upon Him. He has previously prayed (from Psalm 22) "My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?" Many theologians have given their views of this question. But in this book, the author suggests that perhaps there is a difference here between reality and Jesus' perception. Perhaps, under the weight of sin, Jesus was unable to feel His Father's presence with Him. In this context then, Jesus' choice to commit His spirit into His Father's hands is an amazing picture of trust. He knows so deeply that His Father is always good and always knows best. In the darkest moment, feeling completely separated from His Father, Jesus chooses to places His life in His Father's hands.
So how does this apply to us? Well, later in the same chapter of this book, the author takes us to Galatians 2:20, particularly the end of the verse. The majority of translations say "The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God." However, according to the author and some more 'literal' translations, it should be "I live by the faith of the Son of God." Here, the key is that it is not my faith that I make happen, but rather I allow Jesus' faith to flow through me. In those times when I can't feel God's presence and I'm completely overwhelmed, I can ask Jesus to fill me with the trust He has in the Father. And Jesus was able to trust the Father in the very darkest moment.
Jesus, empower us by Your Holy Spirit to trust Father like You trust Father, that in those moments when we feel alone and confused, we would choose to trust. May we be so rooted and grounded in Your love that nothing can shake our trust. May we know so deeply that You are always good, and your love never ends. Amen
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Trust - part 1
This idea came into my head today: Choosing to trust God in my daily life is an act of worship - it is my response to revelation of God's goodness and faithfulness. I kinda like that.
Recently God has been speaking to me a lot about trust. I thought I'd try to write a few blog posts on the subject. This is such a vast subject, and I don't pretend to be any kind of expert on this. But I thought I'd share some ideas, feel free to comment with thoughts, questions, etc. In fact I'd love this to be more of a conversation than a monologue.
So, lets begin. Firstly, i guess you could replace the word trust with faith, because trust and faith are pretty synonymous (the same thing). But in a recent conversation with some friends in a sauna in Lapland, one guy said that he liked to use the word 'trust' rather than 'faith'. His reasons were partly related to the way 'faith' has become part of our spiritual jargon. 'Faith' has been used by some as a kind of magical substance, and if you somehow get enough of it, then God will grant you your 'wishes'. 'Faith' has also been used as a term for religion or beliefs, and therefore your 'faith' can be an abstract collection of strongly held opinions. Finally, the word 'trust' seems to suggest more clearly that there is some kind of relationship involved. I'm not saying we can't use the word 'faith' and I will continue to use it; however, I feel 'trust' communicates the idea better, and is also easier to understand for those who aren't insiders on our religious terms.
So, on to my actual subject. Trust is a pretty foundational part of what it is to follow Jesus. It is not really possible to walk through the ups and downs of following Him without some level of trust. On my journey with Jesus I've had some pretty full on experiences of having to trust God. When I lost my suitcase, got stuck in Israeli security, and then spent the night on a bench in Jerusalem I had to choose several times to trust that God would look after me (for more on that see http://john-allison.blogspot.com/2010/02/getting-to-israel.html).
Matt 6:25-34 and Philippians 4:6-7 both talk about choosing not to worry, but instead pray and trust God. Psalm 37:5-8 also talks about the same thing. But this isn't always easy, especially for those of you who aren't so 'laid back'.
So, how do we grow in trust? This was a question I was asking before I went to America, with no idea how I'd get there. I was finding it hard to trust that God could make it happen. Then this idea came into my head: you can't really trust someone you don't know. So, if I wanted to trust God, I'd have to get to know God better.
As with so many areas, intimacy with God is the key. When we really know that God is always good and that His love never ends, it's a whole lot easier to trust Him. But it does involve a long (probably life-long) process.
Recently I was looking out of the window at a tree while praying. It occurred to me that a huge amount of the tree you can't see, and in fact this is the part that gives life, sustenance, strength and stability. The phrase 'rooted and grounded in love' (Eph 3:17) has been a recurrent theme recently, and it says it so perfectly. We must be rooted and grounded in the Father's love - that will give us life, sustenance, strength and stability throughout whatever comes. This love from God will then stir up love for God and then for others (a phrase borrowed from Mike Bickle).
Roots take their time growing into the ground. Also, in a storm, a tree is either pulled out, or its roots are strengthened by the process. So in those tough times, our roots are strengthened as we are forced to press into God.
The journey of learning to trust God isn't always easy, but I'm certain that it is well worth the struggle.
Here's a song that sums it up pretty well
Recently God has been speaking to me a lot about trust. I thought I'd try to write a few blog posts on the subject. This is such a vast subject, and I don't pretend to be any kind of expert on this. But I thought I'd share some ideas, feel free to comment with thoughts, questions, etc. In fact I'd love this to be more of a conversation than a monologue.
So, lets begin. Firstly, i guess you could replace the word trust with faith, because trust and faith are pretty synonymous (the same thing). But in a recent conversation with some friends in a sauna in Lapland, one guy said that he liked to use the word 'trust' rather than 'faith'. His reasons were partly related to the way 'faith' has become part of our spiritual jargon. 'Faith' has been used by some as a kind of magical substance, and if you somehow get enough of it, then God will grant you your 'wishes'. 'Faith' has also been used as a term for religion or beliefs, and therefore your 'faith' can be an abstract collection of strongly held opinions. Finally, the word 'trust' seems to suggest more clearly that there is some kind of relationship involved. I'm not saying we can't use the word 'faith' and I will continue to use it; however, I feel 'trust' communicates the idea better, and is also easier to understand for those who aren't insiders on our religious terms.
So, on to my actual subject. Trust is a pretty foundational part of what it is to follow Jesus. It is not really possible to walk through the ups and downs of following Him without some level of trust. On my journey with Jesus I've had some pretty full on experiences of having to trust God. When I lost my suitcase, got stuck in Israeli security, and then spent the night on a bench in Jerusalem I had to choose several times to trust that God would look after me (for more on that see http://john-allison.blogspot.com/2010/02/getting-to-israel.html).
Matt 6:25-34 and Philippians 4:6-7 both talk about choosing not to worry, but instead pray and trust God. Psalm 37:5-8 also talks about the same thing. But this isn't always easy, especially for those of you who aren't so 'laid back'.
So, how do we grow in trust? This was a question I was asking before I went to America, with no idea how I'd get there. I was finding it hard to trust that God could make it happen. Then this idea came into my head: you can't really trust someone you don't know. So, if I wanted to trust God, I'd have to get to know God better.
As with so many areas, intimacy with God is the key. When we really know that God is always good and that His love never ends, it's a whole lot easier to trust Him. But it does involve a long (probably life-long) process.
Recently I was looking out of the window at a tree while praying. It occurred to me that a huge amount of the tree you can't see, and in fact this is the part that gives life, sustenance, strength and stability. The phrase 'rooted and grounded in love' (Eph 3:17) has been a recurrent theme recently, and it says it so perfectly. We must be rooted and grounded in the Father's love - that will give us life, sustenance, strength and stability throughout whatever comes. This love from God will then stir up love for God and then for others (a phrase borrowed from Mike Bickle).
Roots take their time growing into the ground. Also, in a storm, a tree is either pulled out, or its roots are strengthened by the process. So in those tough times, our roots are strengthened as we are forced to press into God.
The journey of learning to trust God isn't always easy, but I'm certain that it is well worth the struggle.
Here's a song that sums it up pretty well
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)