Go in my name

'Go in my name and because you believe others will know that I live.........freely, freely you have received.......freely, freely give.' (Christian Hymn)

What a glorious morning for walking. Fresh from rain, summer dried grass smelling like hay, mountains misty in the rising humidity and touched with a soft purple...... ..... and as I walked I was reflecting on the wonderful ordinations on Saturday.........22 more people who have heard the call of God, been enpowered by the Spirit and now go in the name of Christ to be 'fishers of people.'

I think one of the 'missed hits' of our lives would be when people looked at what we do in ministry and life and put it all down to the person.

Its when we take on Christ as a way of life that we then live that life. May it be the living Christ in us that people see shining through every day. May the affirmation of who we are be Christ centred.

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Anne

blessed are the pure in heart

' Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see our God.' TIS 448

I was at the Lodge with about forty students and their parents from the school and it was a wonderful day for them all as they played and socialised in the grounds of the Prime Ministers Home. Two things struck me in a profound way.

The PM and his wife came and mingled amongst us and chattered. No fan fare, no media, no calling to attention., no hype......And, a family I spoke to as I greeted their profoundly disabled son told me of how they are so blessed by their child , how he has changed their lives forever.

I was reminded of this comment by Charles King:

A surgeon was having a conversation with his gardener about religion. 'I have cut into hundreds of bodies, he said, but have never seen a human soul.' 'Well,' said the gardener.' If you cut into a tulip bulb, you wouldn't have seen the flower.'

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ,

Anne

Black bird has spoken

Eleanor Farjeon writes in her lovely hymn, 'Morning has Broken.' 'Blackbird has spoken like the first bird.

Isn't it true, that sometimes we look but don't see what we are looking at and sometimes we listen but don't hear what we are listening too.

In the first moments of dawn I can hear nothing but the melody of the blackbird, high on the power line singing, and singing and singing...... Is it just the blackbird singing, or is it a 'God thing'.

Perhaps his perpetual singing is praise for the new day and praise for his creator...or is it just a blackbird singing?

Yesterday I was at church in a small rural town and an elderly lady said to me.......'I was baptised in this church'......In those few words I saw and heard a lady of deep faith, of loyalty and faithfulness to her God......one of the 'great crowd of witnesses, running the race...' How blessed are we when we listen and hear, look and see 'the God thing' in everyday life.

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Anne

I am reminded of your sincere faith

' I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that first lived in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, lives in you.' 2 Timothy 1:5

The same small 3 year old child that peered in wonder at a beautiful birthday cake, was having a conversation with me a few days later about birthdays and as she talked of family birthdays yet to come this year there was a pause, as if she was thinking and then she said, in a soft, quiet voice.......'and Christmas is Jesus birthday.......' It was the first time I had heard my grandchild say the name of Jesus......and with such thought. It opened the door to a lovely conversation and I thought of Lois and Eunice.

What wonderful opportunities we have to 'sow the seeds'.....amongst those who are hearing and saying the name of Jesus for the first time.....small children in our families, in Sunday school, in schools. Older people in nursing homes and those distant from church teaching.

Grab hold of every opportunity to have the conversations.....the conversations about Jesus.

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Anne

The glory of the Lord

'The glory of the Lord shall be revealed.' Isaiah 40:5

In the hard places

In the laughter

In the breathtaking moments

in the pauses

in the noise

in the quiet

.........in all we do this day......in all we say......in who we are......

May we see it everywhere we go this day and every day.

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Anne

Martha complained to Jesus

'Martha complained to Jesus because Mary visited with him while she worked.......'

Luke 10:41-

Pray and work are two elements of faith that so often get right out of balance. Sometimes its all work and little prayer, sometimes its prayer and little work. I think of this and a picture comes into my mind of a person in a dingy rowing with one oar......whats he doing? he is going round and round in circles and getting nowhere....give him two oars and he rows with rhythm, the boat balanced.......... and going in the right direction.

There is no point complaining to our brothers and sisters or to Jesus if the balance isn't right between work and prayer.

How do you know when you have the balance right? Is it something to do with an inner peace and quiet?

On this matter St Francis De Sales says:' Each Christian needs half an hour of prayer each day, except when we are busy;then we need an hour.'

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Anne

This is the sign of the covenant

'I have set my bow in the clouds and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me, and you, and every living creature. Genesis 9:13

There it was in a paddock, a bow, stretching from one end of the field to the other in brilliant colour and completeness.

How often do we see a rainbow in its completeness?

Not often....... and when we do it seems to carry more 'weight' in its meaning. It takes your breath away and the only words that come are.......

'wow!' Followed by 'Thank you Lord .' It only took a moment for the head reaction to reach the heart...... I had to stop the car, get out and just soak in the coloured 'words' of Gods promise, his covenant, to all creation.......'Never again will I flood the earth...'

What a wonderful God......a rainbow, a promise.......

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Anne

And in all we do

'.......and in all we do......................'(A collect for grace BCP)

My heart lept with affirmation, asurance and hope as I listened to an elderly lady at the nursing home tell me how she was feeling. We had just been to a church service and she was so 'alive' in Spirit.

She said: 'I dont know how much longer I can stay on my feet with God's blessings,God is so real, so within me....a deep, deep presence that showers me with constant blessings.....its like I am being washed with blessings which ever way I turn....like constantly standing under a waterfall and have the water flowing over me.'

You know, that is sacred ground, that is what drives us all to run the race with perserverance, gathering as many as we can along the way to come to know and experience the living God.

In the Prayer-given life it says:

Today I have been brought in safety to this new day, a true, free gift......and so have you. What's to be done?

......'direct us to the fulfilling of your purpose;through Jesus Christ our Lord....'

Anne

may the strength of God pilot us.

'May the strength of God pilot us.' St Patrick

Day by day as we go out and come back in we can sometimes wonder about the value and worth of our daily doings especially if we are the only one doing this particular work. How do we maintain the strength to 'keep at it?'

I read this verse by Charles Allen:

'Remember that you are needed. There is at least one important work to be done that will not get done unless you do it.'

'May the power of God preserve us, may the wisdom of God instruct us......'

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ

Anne