Day 3 - How is you Relationship with God?

Part of a lenten series looking at 40 questions on the monday-saturdays in Lent 

Where do I start on this one? ... It's a whole lifetime of thinking about and getting to know him. So often I look at others who seem to have a much more intimate relationship with God and I think how do they do it?!

Anyone reading this will have their own picture in mind of God - The Bible gives us all sorts of imagery about who God is

Almighty, Judge, Friend, Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit to name only a few

How we view even one of these titles for God will depend upon our own experiences of earthly equivalents

When I process this question about how is my relationship with God is ...  I'm thinking in terms of two way communication

I'm thinking about the quality of time

I'm thinking about my quiet times and how open I am to hear from God and to do the things I need to do for him.

One of the things I keep coming back to is a devotional text - the Father's love Letter which takes some of the things written in scripture as a reminder of the Love God has for us ... for me its a great place to start to think about our relationship with God.

Thursday - Day 2 of Lent - What discipline might you take up?

Discipline - a word that can mean different things to different people

It for some is undoubtedly is a harsh word, for other it is a respected word, for parents it maybe a necessary word

However for the Christian - when we talk about Spiritual Disciplines - they are practices which help us in our walk with God - A book which I have found very helpful in looking at this topic is The Spiritual Disciplines handbook by Adele Ahlberg Calhoun - The introduction to this book would provide a useful context if you have a bit of time today take a read  https://www.amazon.co.uk/Spiritual-Disciplines-Handbook-Practices-Transforming-ebook/dp/B001INVRV4

She Splits her list of spiritual Disciplines into 7 different parts - some of these are reasonably self explanatory - others you might need to look up.

For me a list like this seems overwhelming and the first thought is I might well give up now ... but take a look again - there might well be something that tickles your fancy! something that you want to give a go to. or maybe something that you are already doing that you didn't realise was a disipline.

Discipline is what drives an athlete to run each day, to excerise in the gym - for us as Christians Calhoun says that it is important to think about what we're desiring to change today and thus what discipline might want to take up.  That makes a lot of sense to me.


Part 1: Worship 

Celebration -  Gratitude - Holy Communion - Rule for Life - Sabbath -  Worship 

Part 2: Open Myself to God

Contemplation - Examen  - Journaling-   Practicing the Presence - Rest -  Retreat -  Self-Care  - Simplicity  - Slowing - Teachability - Unplugging

Part 3: Relinquish the False Self 

Confession and Self-Examination - Detachment - Discernment -   Secrecy - Silence  - Solitude Spiritual Direction-   Submission

Part 4: Share My Life with Others 

Accountability Partner -  Chastity  - Community  - Covenant Group  - Discipling - Hospitality -  Mentoring -  Service - Small Group -   Spiritual Friendship-  Unity -  Witness

Part 5: Hear God's Word 

 Bible Study  - Devotional Reading  - Meditation - Memorization

Part 6: Incarnate the Love of Christ 

Care of the Earth  - Compassion Control of the Tongue -   Humility-   Justice  - Stewardship -   Truth Telling

Part 7: Pray 

Breath Prayer -   Centering Prayer-   Contemplative Prayer - Conversational Prayer - Fasting Fixed-Hour Prayer -  Inner-Healing Prayer  - Intercessory Prayer -   Labyrinth Prayer  - Liturgical Prayer -  Prayer Partners - Praying Scripture -   Prayer of Recollection  -Prayer Walking

“Perhaps somewhere in the subterranean chambers of your life you have heard the call to deeper, fuller living. You have become weary of frothy experiences and shallow teaching. Every now and then you have caught glimpses, hints of something more than you have known. Inwardly you long to launch out into the deep.” —Richard J. Foster

The need to think about these things 

Author John Guest compares “The ‘spontaneous’ person who shrugs off the need for discipline” to “the farmer who went out to gather the eggs”:

“As he walked across the farmyard toward the hen house, he noticed the pump was leaking. So he stopped to fix it. It needed a new washer, so he set off to the barn to get one. But on the way he saw that the hayloft needed straightening, so he went to fetch the pitchfork. Hanging next to the pitchfork was a broom with a broken handle. ‘I must make a note to myself to buy a broom handle the next time I get to town,’ he thought. . . .

By now it is clear that the farmer is not going to get his eggs gathered, nor is he likely to accomplish anything else he sets out to do. He is utterly, gloriously spontaneous, but he is hardly free. He is, if anything, a prisoner to his unbridled spontaneity. The fact of the matter is that discipline is the only way to freedom; it is the necessary context for spontaneity.”

Spirituality without discipline moves in hapless fits and starts; it is sporadic, dependent on fluctuating feelings and external circumstances. It requires little to no effort, but also produces little to no sustained growth, and thus little to no fruit.

This is as true for the “spiritual but not religious” as for those who do consider themselves religious, or at least nominally adopt the trappings of a faith. They may go to church every week, maybe even pray every night, but their spirituality has been almost completely stagnant for years. They go through the motions, but don’t really discipline themselves, and thus only produce the barest of fruit. 

For the soul to strengthen, it has to be trained in a consistent, deliberate way. Just like your physical muscles, it needs something to push against, it needs resistance. If you really want your spirit to be able to soar to adventurous heights and explore the profoundest of depths, if you really want it to possess power — if you really want it to be free — it paradoxically needs some structure. It needs discipline. 

Ash Wednesday - Day 1 of Lent

Ash Wednesday is one of those strange days in the Church Calendar when Christians across the world meet together and do something out of the ordinary. It is a day when we are reminded that we're in a new season of the year.

It's a day when we're reminded of our own mortality, a day when we are reminded of the fragility of life but also it should be a re-focusing day. A day when we are reminded, no matter how important or unimportant we may feel - that things here are temporary.

There is a stark reminder from Scripture when ashes are imposed in the traditional service - 'From dust you came and to dust you shall return'. This starkness can be seen as bleak and possibly for some despair inducing reality. And indeed it would be if it were not for the good news that goes with it.

As Christians that phrase is not the end of the story. There is more than Birth, life and death. Ash Wednesday points to the more.

It points beyond ash to the cross of Christ - and with the cross of Christ comes forgiveness, grace and eternal life.

In my question series on Lent - I'm looking today at the question - How is your soul?

which basically boils down to the question - how are you?

It's a question that we ask day and daily but it is also a question that asked in this way - gets under the bonnet... It asks - how are things really?

This evening I'm preaching in St. Peter's Church in Carrigrohane  at 8pm where we'll be offering ashes - which seems strange thing to say but at the start of this season - its to remind us that we're all in this together, we're all human! but along side ashes we offer communuion -we offer fellowship, we offer good news in community.

There are no easy answers to the question about soul care, neither are there any right answers - good, bad but what I can say from experience and also from the experience of a great number of people down through the years - the Christian witness is that with Christ in our lives - we, our souls can be stregthened.

I am always struck when thinking about soul care of the words of  the hymn - It is well with my soul

When peace like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll
Whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say
It is well, it is well, with my soul

It is well
With my soul
It is well, it is well with my soul

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul

It is well (it is well)
With my soul (with my soul)
It is well, it is well with my soul

My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, o my soul

It is well (it is well)
With my soul (with my soul)
It is well, it is well with my soul

It is well (it is well)
With my soul (with my soul)
It is well, it is well with my sou

Horatio Spafford knew something about life’s unexpected challenges. He was a successful attorney and real estate investor who lost a fortune in the great Chicago fire of 1871. Around the same time, his beloved four-year-old son died of scarlet fever.

Thinking a vacation would do his family some good, he sent his wife and four daughters on a ship to England, planning to join them after he finished some pressing business at home. However, while crossing the Atlantic Ocean, the ship was involved in a terrible collision and sunk. More than 200 people lost their lives, including all four of Horatio Spafford’s precious daughters. His wife, Anna, survived the tragedy. Upon arriving in England, she sent a telegram to her husband that began: “Saved alone. What shall I do?”

Horatio immediately set sail for England. At one point during his voyage, the captain of the ship, aware of the tragedy that had struck the Spafford family, summoned Horatio to tell him that they were now passing over the spot where the shipwreck had occurred.¹

As Horatio thought about his daughters, words of comfort and hope filled his heart and mind. He wrote them down, and they have since become a well-beloved hymn:

As we embark upon Lent - we're reminded of the Fragility of life but also of the eternal promises of God.

This Lent let's not be sombre and mope around - but let us take it as an opportunity to help, to heal, to take time to show love and to provide hope to those around about us.

Robert 

Stepping carefully - treading lightly - the care of souls

As I set out on this year's Lenten Adventure - I do so lightly but purposefully.

On Sunday I preached a sermon about the importance of community in faith development right from the sacrament of Baptism.

This Lent I am hoping to progress through some basic questions, some 'under the bonnet' questions of our spiritual lives - but I do so as hopefully a companion on this journey of faith.

Recently I was at an institution service of a friend - at her service she received the 'cure of souls' of those in the parish. For me for too long I've struggled with this phrase - how could a Rector / Bishop have the responsibility of the 'cure of souls' - as we so often talk about cure as in the remedy of souls? or such like.

However I also do know that cure comes from the root to care for souls

My own job title as curate comes from this too.  This wrestling around this is important and has its roots of care for souls at the heart of the job title.

At the heart of this is care - and that is really important.

In this Lenten adventure as I blog about the 40 questions of Lent - I would love to have an interactive study through some of the deeper questions of life but I do so realising that I step carefully and tread lightly upon sacred ground.

One of the big questions of this soul care - is what is the soul ? .

Well let's start from the Bible:

Although English translations of the Bible at times use the word soul in different ways, the word most often refers to the nonmaterial part of a human being, also known as the human spirit. Created in the image of God, the soul or spirit seems to have more than one aspect or function, including the mind or intellect, the feelings or emotions, and the heart, which is “a person's entire mental and moral activity, both the rational and the emotional elements,” and which includes “the reason and the will” (Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words, pp. 206-7). 

 If we take it to be that part of us that makes us us - Our entire mental and moral activity - both our rational and emotional element - both our reason and our will.

It then is a huge part of us - so when we ask how are you? - we're really enquiring - how is your soul?- that's huge

usually the answer we give in Ireland - I'm grand!  - that's what the other person wants to hear, and thats what we want to give - because we don't have time nor perhaps the ability at the time to process anything else.

But what happens when that's not true - what happens if we're on top form and we're really excited about the future or what happens if we're in the pit of despair or confusion?

This care for the soul is something that we all need to take seriously - for ourselves and for each other.

It seems to me with so much social interaction on social media and so many so-called (FB) friends or followers actually there is a need for authentic community.

This Lent I sense that there is a huge need in community here locally to re-connect with God, to take time out with Him and to explore what God is saying to our souls.  No sign-up required. I'm also happy to interact on Facebook, to meet up with people in the local area in coffee shops as we explore these questions together over a cuppa coffee. I have no idea where this adventure will take us but I do believe that we do need to take care of our souls - our very selves.

I've been very struck today by a poem by WB. Yates on a similar topic

Robert

Sermon - Baptism & Spiritual life

May the words of my mouth and the meditations of all our hearts be now and always acceptable in thy sight O Lord our strength and our redeemer. Amen 

This morning its wonderful to welcome Andrew, his parents, God Parents and wider family circle to this church. It’s one of the many joys of ministry when a family approaches the Church and ask about Baptism. 

It is a step of faith, it is a mile stone in the life of a family unit and is rightly marked by the whole family of God. 

I would like to take a few moments now to pause and to ponder about what we’re doing in this service and to consider the readings from the Bible this morning 

What we’re saying to God this morning and what God is saying through his word to us. 

When we take part in a Baptism service we’re doing something very important 

In an infant Baptism - Parents and God Parents are making promises on Behalf of the the Child these will hopefully be ratified when the Child comes for Confirmation in due course - but that’s for Andrew to decide later in life. 

As a congregation we also have a responsibility to this child and to every child who has been Baptised of supporting parents and God parents. This is a promise that we in Carrigrohane Union of parishes do well - and will continue to do. 

But it is a two way thing - Families here will know that teamwork is important - and if we can be of support do let us know but also there is an importance of getting involved through the years. 

We’re also recalling our own Baptism and our own commitment to God - Anyone who has been baptised as an infant, its important to remember that these promises were made for us and if we ratified these at confirmation ourselves a service like this its an important reminder to us of those vows which we have made. 

Which leads me beyond what we’re saying to God to what he may be saying to us through his word 

Today the focus of our readings are on the human experience of the divine - In our old testament reading we heard of Moses heading up the mountain - upon which he received the ten commandments, in the Gospel reading we see Jesus similarly heading up a mountain to meet with Moses and Elijah - one of the high points of the Gospel. The Parallels are important for all sorts of reasons but this morning I would love to focus upon the importance of the encounter with God 

Of taking those times to carve out time with him - to ascend the mountain. 

We cannot live on mountain tops! - maybe life to some seems like living in the valley!  But we can take time for ourselves to be alone with God. To do the different thing than we usually do. 

Yes of course God can meet us on the road - as we go about our normal every day things but I would love to ask each of us - when was the last time we took a good period of time out for prayer, out to read the bible - maybe even to retreat - individually or as a couple, to specifically hear from God. 

For some here you might say - aye that’s OK for a minister but not for me - I would argue that its vitally important for your spiritual life to hear from God your father - to do some work on your relationship with God - One of the great treasures in Celtic Christianity is the anam cara the soul friend. 

In encounters with God its fascinating that Moses had Joshua with him, Jesus had Peter, James and John

Somehow we have individualised faith - but my question to us all this morning - do we have people with whom we can share our journey of faith, In Baptism we have God Parents - people that we should be having God conversations with - people who can encourage us in faith. 

Could I ask for a hands up here … who of you are God Parents of someone? I would love to encourage you to encourage you in praying for your child, 

But also who are you going to have walk alongside you - taking time to pray, to read to develop spiritually

When are you going to do this? 

Could I suggest - Lent is a good time to start! 

And lo and behold that starts this Wednesday - just 40 days of prayer … I’m not asking you to fast … but to take time out! To pray and to worship God 

And to hear from God. 

One of the fundamental things about faith is that we can’t give what we haven’t first received - we need to be fed in order to feed others - to use another analogy - we need to look after ourselves  before looking after others - In an aeroplane the stewardess / steward would remind us that if the oxygen masks fall we’re to put on our own masks before helping others! 

Taking time for our relationship with God is vitally important - it is something which is oftentimes overlooked but our inner life, our relationship with God is really important. 

Let’s take another analogy  - I’ve no idea what is happening under the Bonnet of my car - not a notion - when the red light flashes and goes off - sure it’ll be grand, when the sounds begin to happen they’ll go away! … maybe I should bring it into Barry in Blarney Auto centre just to check - he dips the oil … there’s no oil! Oh dear! 

The Same can be said for things under the bonnet in life - sometimes there are issues …we can ignore warning lights, we can ignore strange noises but only for a while - we might need to get the deeper things looked at! - how about a spiritual check-up. There is a season for that! 

We were created to be in relationship with God - a healthy two way encounter with our heavenly father - How are we doing with that? … could you take time this Lent to focus in on God, on your relationship with him and with others around about you. 

Hearing what God might be saying to you - either at Church or wherever you are the rest of the week takes a bit of work. It’s solo in one sense but we also need to be open to God speaking to us through the words and actions of others. It takes discernment as well 

On the back of your service sheets this morning I have added 40 questions - they are some questions which might be asked during lent - they might be questions that you’ve never been asked before - they are not questions that come up in everyday life but they are good questions to ask yourself and also to be asked prayerfully 

Parents Godparents of Andrew, everyone in this church today - In our readings you have heard of some of our Bible - hero’s of faith taking time out - time to experience God - that invitation is available to us all. As we embark on Lent this year - are we taking time to engage with God. 

The staff team here in the Parish have resources to help - if you’d like to take first steps on that relationship, or help you if you’ve become stuck in your relationship with him - lent is a great time to do that. 

40 Days - 40 Questions 

1. How is my soul? 
2. Are there spiritual disciplines which might help me?
3. How is my relationship with God? 
4. What am I thankful for? 
5. What do I need to confess to God? 
6. Who do I need to forgive? 
7. What am I responsible for? 
8. Where is the space in my diary for God? 
9. Who do I need to talk to about God? 
10. How is my witness? 
11. Who do I need to show love to today? 
12. .What do I need to let go of? 
13. Where is the sin in my life? 
14. Where is there hatred? 
15. What behaviour do I need to change? 
16. What vision do I have for the next phase of life? 
17. Are there things I need to apologise for? 
18. What am I joyful about? 
19. What Creative things do I enjoy? 
20. How is my Bible Reading? 
21. How is my Retreat Space? 
22. What has God been saying to me this past year? 
23. What areas of my life need restored? 
24. When last did I read a Psalm? 
25. How am I living up to the commitments I made in faith? (Baptism, confirmation, ordination etc) 
26. Who am I investing my time with? 
27. How am I loving the people around me? 
28. Who do I need to re-connect with? 
29. Who do I need to invest time with today? 
30. How is my Prayer life? 
31. How should I go deeper in prayer? 
32. Which of the questions so far has been most challenging? 
33. When did I last have a quiet space to listen to God? 
34. When did I last serve someone else? 
35. How can I serve God today? 
36. When did I last share my story of faith? 
37. How is my soul? 
38. Am I open to God’s leading today? 
39. How am I displaying the fruit of the Holy Spirit today? 
40. Thank Jesus for dying for you and for his Resurrection!