Look and see......... and live.

'My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.' Psalm 42:2

The glory of the Lord is truly shining all around, almost in every place I look.

Yesterday in church a new lady amongst us was just 'aglow' with every aspect of her worship, engaging, enjoying and so touched. That was so encouraging to see and these past few nights, have you seen the moon? Magnificent, bright,and full. A presence of God.

It is so powerful that we can meet God in all things.

I recall on an out back holiday standing on a sandstone cliff face in the desert and looking God in the face with all I beheld before me.

I like this blessing of welcome: (Iona Community)

May you meet God, in every place,

in every person

and in the depths of your own heart.

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ

Anne

Shine for Jesus

'Jesus bids us shine with a pure clear light, like a little candle burning in the night........you in your small corner and I in mine. ' (Sunday school song)

As I typed those words, into my mind came everyone of you in your places of love and witness. All striving in Christian love and purpose to make a difference in the lives of others in the name of Jesus.

Sometimes we don't realise that the things we do for others, even though we perceive them at times to be small, make a huge difference.

A kind word.

A useful contact.

A helpful act of kindness.

A prayer.

Remember the parable of the little sparrow?

The horseman riding by on a chilly overcast day stopped at the sight of a sparrow lying on its back in the middle of the road, legs up in the air. He said to the sparrow. 'Why are you lying upside down like that?' He replied, " I heard the heavens are going to fall today.' The horseman laughed. 'And I suppose your spindly legs can hold up the heavens?'

One does what one can.' said the little sparrow.

'Jesus bids us shine with a pure clear light, like a little candle burning in the night......'

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Anne

solid faith

' The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer.' Psalm 18:2

I recall walking along the track I walked each day, through an early misty morning, shapes and sizes outlined, a bit 'spooky' yet the sense of presence was very real.

I knew I was on the right path even though I couldn't see it too clearly, I knew because I could feel the solid stone surface under my feet. I knew because even though visibility was just a few feet, God was there, walking this misty morning to, I knew it because I was heading to the east where the light of the day was filtering through striving to reach its morning glory.

I read this profound statement from an unknown person in China:

Faith is putting one's foot down in the mist, and finding a rock.

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Anne

Power for the day

' You Lord God are strength for my task.' Celtic prayer

Just a look at the dawn breaking into a new day, tucking stars away and spreading a soft, quiet light caused me to just throw open my heart and invite Jesus in.

What a start to a day to meet Jesus full on before your feet even hit the ground and before your whole being is touched by the world.

I think of the opening lines of this Celtic prayer: 'Come my light, my Lord, my way. Come my lantern night and day.........' and am flooded with the love and protection of Jesus.

Sometimes our days and weeks are tough, this one for me saw the death of a baby, the death of a student from school, and a 91 year old diagnosed with cancer, all know, all I have shared some of life with and to top it off I had to refuse a couple marriage because one partner didn't want 'God' invited. Yet in all the 'doings' of daily life, there is God and I thank him for morning thoughts and morning protection for every day, what ever it brings.

Can we say that at the end of a day? We can and will if we finish the prayer.' Come my king enter my heart. Come Holy Presence. Never depart.'

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ

Anne

Morning prayers

'All is silent, in the still and soundless air, I fervently bow to my Almighty God.' (Bing Xin China)

Two things were in my mind when I came to meet this morning.

The words of that lovely hymn 'Glorious things of thee are spoken,' were my first spoken for the day I had two images going with them. An image of the beauty of Gods creation and the thought of a young disabled man who offered his own prayer of thanks and appreciation for the church group I run for people with disabilities....a beautiful prayer, a deeply touching prayer.

I thought these words from the Iona Community:

The turn of the leaf in the morning sun

and the catch in our throat

drives us to our knees

and into prayer.

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Anne

God is everywhere

' Where can I flee from your presence? If I go to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.' Psalm 139: 7-8.

I sat looking at the distant mountains with a vast spread of land in the foreground of valleys and paddocks and sheep and as I was taking it in and pondering on the things of God I thought, there is no place where God isn't.

Everywhere we see, everyone we see ,

all we touch and do,

every bright day

every difficult day

there is God.

Yesterday I visited an isolated, wheelchair bound lady who lives in a cluster of community homes with others like her. I went in to visit to see how we might manage to get her to the book club we run at church and it was looking more and more difficult until it seemed that God present, spoke. 'Bring a book club here, there are others' and before I knew it we had a small group of unknown, isolated, lonely people keen, eager and waiting for us to start.

Lucado says:

Our asking where is God is like a fish asking "Where is water "or a bird asking "Where is air."

God is everywhere.

We cant find a place where God isn't.

Lord God, whose blessed Son rose in triumph and set us free grant us the fullness of life he promised to us, that through the Holy Spirit our hearts may posses him whom our eyes cannot see, the same Jesus Christ our Lord. (Daily office Sunday Morning APBA)

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Anne

O the love of Jesus

' Do the work of telling the Good News.' 2 Timothy 4:5

I was chatting to an elderly lady after we had shared home communion together yesterday and she was showing me the teddy bears she knits to put in the Christmas boxes for the children overseas, dozens of them all knitted with love and prayers and sent in the name of Christ. She said, 'I have been told that the children who receive these bears, some 14 years old, run around with them hanging out of the back pocket of their shorts.'

What an inspiration. 91 years old and serving our Lord in this way......to the very end. No feet up attitude of having done my bit......but serving Christ to the very end with the gifts he has given her.

Lucado says:

'For every hero in the spotlight, there are dozens in the shadows. They don't get press, they don't draw crowds, they don't even write books.......behind a rock slide is a pebble.

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Anne

A fresh revelation

' In the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God. He was in the beginning with God and all things were made through him. 'John 1:1

Sometimes there is a delayed revelation, or a fresh revelation, of what we are reading despite the fact we read it frequently. These words from St John struck me afresh as I looked at what was before me.........across to the mountains with pockets of mist hovering in the valleys and over creation through to the sleeping vineyards and the horses grazing, frost covered coats on their backs, vapour rising from snorting nostrils.

It was quiet and still and there was a sense of presence as the dawn broke and the sun and moon were both in the sky at the same time...........wow!

'He was in the world and the world was made through him.'

Grace and Peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Anne

I'm listening Lord. I see you.

' Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord.' Isaiah 2:3

Several things have caught my eye these past few days.

The bright blue of the stately Dutch Iris .

The raindrops, clusters of them, on the Camellia bush, which by the way is flowering prolifically with soft pink blooms.

The two magpies on the power line, warbling, singing to each other about the coming day.

And the sunset last night that burst, literally burst from the grey clouds, in a blaze of gold, showering fine dust rays of gold across the mountains , tree tops and valleys.

I read this from Mary Oliver's poems:

It doesn't have to be the blue iris, it can be weeds in a vacant lot, or a few small stones, just pay attention, then patch a few words together and don't try to make them elaborate, it isn't a contest, but a doorway, into thanks, and a silence in which another doorway may speak.

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Anne

HIS friends

' Kneels at the feet of his friends, silently washing their feet.........Jesu, Jesu, fill us with your love, show us how to serve the neighbours we have in you..........' (Christian song)

We model Christ as Christians and when I got up today with the line of this song running through my head I reflected on the past week to see, if in fact I had knelt at the feet of HIS friends and washed their feet.

Then I thought of the lady at a funeral who wept uncontrollably on my shoulder.

I thought of the child at school, calling loudly, 'God's teacher, can we have our God's class soon?'

I thought of the elderly lady at the supermarket who couldn't carry her shopping to her car.

I thought of the journey with a dying lady.

I thought of you all and your days work and I thought how God's love is shared, I thought of all the feet of HIS friends that will be washed.

The 'I's' are not about the 'me' but about the Christ within me.

Servant ministry is about serving and isnt it wonderful to be a server of the Lord.

Go forth with God's blessings.......and serve. Wash all the feet you can, in the name of Christ.

Anne

The richness of God

'The blessings of the Lord makes a person rich........Proverbs 10:22

You know, its that time of the year again. The Daphne is just out and there is no way I can walk past it and not stop to have a smell of those beautiful richly perfumed blossoms. Its like meeting with God every time I take in the aroma and everything else falls into oblivion.

What a sacred moment. Its one we want to visit again and again, just to be in his presence.

What makes you rich in life? Where do you meet God and have that sense of space where there is just you and him?

Seek it out and pause often.

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Anne

Jesus in the fun times

' The master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine.....' John 2:9

We are in the middle of confrontation with soccer every time we turn on the radio or TV or talk to someone who is a fan so its topical.

A small boy said to his mother as she was putting him to bed.' Mum, can Jesus play soccer with me?' Quick thinking mum said, ' Jesus could play soccer with you.'

How often do we imagine Jesus with us in the good, the ordinary and fun times?

Sometimes the things of life that concern us or trouble us are the only times we tend to ask Jesus to be with us BUT we know from biblical stories that Jesus had lots of fun, he must have, because he went to dinners and parties and banquets.

I think we have to remember to enjoy Jesus in our lives. He died, but he also lives.Look out for him in the fun times today.

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Anne

Brother, let me be your servant.

A Roman officer said to Jesus: 'my servant is sick in bed at home unable to move and is suffering' Matthew 8:6

When I read this passage many names of people went through my mind.

I thought of the chaplain to a hospital with 100's to care for, often called at night.

I thought of the deacon at the drop in centre for the very disadvantaged in the community.

For a friend who cares for many in the community in the disability sector,through her love and care.

An older friend who despite her own difficulty visits and 'sups' with some elderly isolated.

The carer who cares for those less fortunate.

Yesterday at the group at church for those with disability a young man , with a disability himself,came for the first time. What a blessing he was, what a breath of fresh air as he chattered and served the one in the wheel chair and those with no speech, and all of us!.......He gave us all 'life.'

There is an anonymous saying:

The measure of greatness

is not the number of servants you have but the number of people you serve.

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Anne

Go forth with Christs blessings

' I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, make straight the way of the Lord.' John 1:23

One lone Currawong heralded in the dawn of this new morning, breaking the silence with his call and and I thought of John the Baptist heralding in Christ, the voice of one crying in the wilderness, 'Prepare the way of the Lord.'

I wondered in my quiet time this morning in unseen unison with each other, how many of us are readying ourselves to 'prepare the way of the Lord' as we think and prayed about our day ahead.

You know, we wear the name Christian not because of what we are or who we are or where we are but because of whose we are. (Rick Ezell)

So, go forth in boldness and faith.

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Anne

God is present.

'Be still for the presence of the Lord, the Holy one is here.' Christian song.

Scattered, thick grey clouds dotted the evening sky and each one was surrounded and backed by a blaze of red. It was like someone had drawn with a red florescent texter around the clouds and then started to softly colour the grey areas.

I thought of God.

I thought of those coming into his presence with a grey cloud hanging over them and how his light can brighten them and become part of them.

I thought of a disabled, wheel chair bound lady I have organised a team to visit who until now has had no friends for years and has been house bound most of her days. She said her life is like a nothing but we now bring for her hope, friendship and love, in the name of Christ.

Whenn I looked at that sunset I couldn't help but reflect on how the love and presence of God can be so transforming.

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Anne

Emmaus walks

' Shine your love on us each dawn and gladden our days.' Liturgy of the Hours.

I sleep with an open window and an open curtain as I love to experience the night and the quiet and watch as God tucks away the stars and brings on the light, often in a kaleidoscope of colour, and I can feel my heart catching his fire for another day.

Each day has its pockets of 'Emmaus walks.' Those precious moments when God comes alongside and blesses us with his presence. Its like a brief moment in heaven, walking hand in hand with God.

It may be in the face of an elderly person
it may be as the sun tips the mountain top
As the sunsets
As you stoop and smell a flower
As the dew glistens in the cobweb strung along the fence.

The door of our cathedral through the autumn trees, almost stripped of their colour set my heart on fire as I reflected on the words Jesus: 'Knock and the door will be opened, seek and you will find.' (Luke 11:9)

Look tonight into your heart and see the Emmaus walks of today.

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ
Anne

Hope

' From the rising of the sun to its going down: let the name of the Lord be praised. 'Psalm 113

Often we come home at the end of a day and shake the dust from our feet as we reflect and mull over its events and see where God has been and where his name has been praised and where hope has been given.

Lucado says about hope: 'Its not what you expect, its what you would never dream. Its like the two Emmaus-bound pilgrims reaching out to take a piece of bread only to see the hands from which it is offered are pierced.'

Our daily lives offer hope to many, and fire us up in greater hope, like someone adding kindling to an already burning fire.

A visit to a lonely house bound person gives hope

A hospital visit, gives hope

Welcoming the stranger or

faithfully turning up to our daily ministries, all give hope to many.

'From the rising of the sun to its going down: let the name of the Lord be praised.'

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Anne

Sharing God

' Come and see what God has done: he is awesome in his deeds amongst mortals. ' Psalm 66:5

When I read this psalm I am touched in many ways. To mind came the words of the familiar song we sang in Sunday School: 'wide wide as the ocean, high as the heavens above, deep deep as the deepest sea is my saviours love.'

and don't you just want to share that love of God.

I took a funeral of a disabled man. '(No, we don't really have a faith, said the family,something there perhaps but we don't think about it much..) and as always I concluded the funeral with the words of the Aaronic blessing: 'may the Lord bless you and keep you.....' before we even began moving out of the chapel a family member , came to me in tears, so touched, saying she really felt God was there in those words. He felt so real and I know, I just know, my brother will now be with God.

Come and see what God has done; He is awesome in his deeds amongst mortals.

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Anne

Blessings

' Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure,pressed down, and shaken together, running over, will be put in your lap, for the measure you give will be the measure you get back .' Luke 6:38 NRSV.

I tried to find a definition of a blessing and I couldn't, but Luke gives it plain and clear in his Gospel. What drew me to blessings this morning was that they were on my heart when I got up today. I was thinking they are like boomerangs.........you give one out, and it comes back to you and the blessing then becomes yours, as well as theirs.

Last night I was at the Aboriginal church, sharing the love of the Lord and I came away thinking its me that has been blessed .

Friday I 'did' a funeral for a rough and ready lot yet I was so blessed to be with them at this time as their acceptance of me was beyond my expectation.

God can give us a cold and frosty morning, shrouded in mist, yet the beauty of it all takes our breath away and becomes a 'blessing prayer' of thank you Lord.

Blessings are something we don't forget, they are powerful, collected and saved in the soul.

May the blessings fall like rain on your day.

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Anne

Take time to be Holy

' ............can you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? ' John 3 :12b

When I glimpsed the autumn tree in passing I found myself going back to look again. Something touched my soul, something put me momentarily on sacred ground. Although a rather insignificant tree the passage of the autumn tones is what touched me. There was a mass of green leaves, a mass of changing leaves and then those that were in full colour.

It spoke to me of our journey of faith.

It spoke to me of life's journey

It spoke to me of God's glory

It took my breath away.

Gave me a glimpse of God.

A window to God, a flash,

in a moment, in a day.

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Anne

in wonder and awe

'Say only what is good and helpful to those you are talking to, and that will give them a blessing.' Ephesians 4:29

We sit in such a privileged place in life. A place that is open to sharing the love of Christ with all who cross our path in the day.

My 3 year old granddaughter was looking at a model of the 'Last Supper' on my dining room table and she asked, 'Is that a cake?' She knelt on the chair, to get a closer look, and was in awe of what it could be if it wasn't a cake. There followed the most wonderful conversation. Her last encounter with Christ had been the baby in the manger at Christmas time, now she was looking at the 'adult' Jesus and the questions flowed. 'What are their names, why are they with Jesus, why does one have his sandals off his feet, look what they are eating. To her, the model came to life, it came into her life in a very real way just for those moments of conversation until she ran back to her previous activity.

What a treasured moment. A moment when Christ became real to her, when Christ held her and the wonder and awe captivated her, touched her.

Encounter with those who do not yet know Christ is a rich blessing and we have that opportunity within our reach each and every day when we step outside the door and into the world to share the 'realness' of Christ.

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Anne

Riveted to the spot with God

' Be still for the presence of the Lord, the Holy one is here.' (Christian song)

That's how it is with those special moments that emanate the presence of God. The moments that take your breath away, put you on your knees (if you can!)

They are there for the taking, for the offering if we just stop a moment and see.

As I stood at the waters edge at Bateman's Bay I had one of these moments and I didn't want to draw myself away from it. I was riveted to the spot with God.

The silver moon like sun was endeavouring to push its way through the thick morning light and the silence was so 'quiet' you could hear the seagulls stamping their footprints on the wet sand and God was present in all I saw and heard, in the quiet and in my heart that sang , ' Be still for the presence of the Lord, the Holy one is here.'

See the moments with God ,seize them, and let your heart sing.

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Anne

Breathtaking God

'See the streams of living waters, springing from eternal love.' (Hymn 446 TIS John Newton)

I stepped out early for a walk. It was fresh and the morning mist was rising from the dew laden grass, the autumn trees were so colourful that they took my breath away and I was left with a song on my heart, a song of morning praise that set the pace for the day:

'Glorious things of you are spoken.'

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Anne

vinyard pruning

' Whoever does not abide in me is thrown away like a branch and withers, such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire and burned.' John 15:6

As I stood looking at the vineyard in the morning fog I couldn't help but think of the pruning that is about to take place, but more so about the branches that will be pruned. I had an image of a pile of cut and abandoned branches

outside the vineyard.

That said something to me, in fact, it bothered me.

As I walked on I couldn't shake the image of the pile of branches destined for the fire.It reminded me of many I walk amongst each day.Those outside God's love.

Those outside his kingdom .

And it made me more determined in my daily task of bringing Christ to others.

I wonder what 'bothers' you when you read John's story of the vineyard?

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Anne

God is everywhere

' You shall rejoice in every good thing which the Lord your God has given you.' Deut 26:11

I can watch for ages the variety of birds that flock to the garden for their morning hand out.

Sulphur crested cockatoos, rosellas, mountain lowries, top knot wood pigeons, black birds ,willy wag tails, sparrows. Their antics are worth watching, their pecking order is fascinating and you cant watch them without thinking God has a sense of humour especially when you say hello to the cockie and he answers you!

Every one of these creatures has the mark of God's hand on it. Sometimes we only see God in the grandeur of majestic mountain ranges and brilliant breath taking sunrises but he is there, right there, even in the little sparrow and the busy willy wag tail and the yellow sulphur crest of the cockie to say nothing of the very tidy topknot of the wood pigeon that looks like its constantly groomed with brill cream.

I cant look and see without a conversation with God. I cant look and see without rejoicing. Its so reassuring to know that God is so close.

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Anne

shining lights

'No one after lighting a lamp hides it under a jar or puts it under a bed.' Luke 8:16

Tomorrow is the day we remember the apostles Phillip and James,both were martyrs, killed for what they believed. They stood their ground for Christ even in the face of death.

I was talking to some fellow Christians about how we let Christ be known in the work place and am really astounded that in a country such as ours we are not allowed to talk about our Christian faith in our places of work. To do so causes you to lose your job. I was even more astounded to hear their submission to this. There are more ways to share our faith than just words.

Its tricky and challenging to work out ways to overcome this but it can be done.

Several students and their teacher walked past me at school yesterday and at the top of his voice one student calls to me for all the world to hear, 'Hello God's person.' What could I do but smile and just as loudly say hello.

This verse has stayed with me all my life since childhood. 'Let your light shine before all people.'(Matt 5:16)

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Anne

Have you seen God today.

' One day Jesus was praying.....when he had finished one of his disciples said to him.'Lord, teach us to pray.' Luke 11:1

One of the greatest most powerful, most humbling experiences we can have with God is those occasions when we find ourselves and him alone together and he says, 'Here, a gift for you.'

These moments can come in a flash :

When I sight a tree of brilliant autumn colour......and there is just me and God.

or when I the see the fog weaving its way through valley and vineyards .....and there is just me and God.

Gifts from God as he stands right there with you, handing them out one by one .

Gifts that stay with you in memory to bless throughout the day .

I love these gifts. Its like having something special in your pocket, you put your hand in and pull it out again be blessed by God's presence.

'When we are gifted with an awareness of 'God's' presence in prayer we savor the gift.

we let God hold us and carry us, as the sea holds and carries a vessel. (anon)

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Anne

Prayer calling

'And all the peoples behold his Glory.' Psalm 97:6

There are so many things that draw us to prayer.

It might be a candle.

It might be the call of a bird.

A glorious frosty morning.

A cobweb draped across the wire on the fence.

In Melbourne recently, at the Ignatius Spirituality Centre ,I discovered many things that drew me to prayer but amongst them was a glorious flower, one I had never set eyes on before. It covered a Hakia bush, it drew my breath away, it drew me to prayer.

Richard Cabot says:

When beauty overwhelms us,

we are close to worship.

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Anne

The Lord is with us always

'You are with me;Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.' Psalm 23:4

We know this, we know that God is with us always yet we so often doubt that solid Christian fact.

Yesterday I was driving home from beautiful Tumut and I was taken by everything about me.

The glorious autumn colours of the poplars and claret ash trees.The deep green of grass from recent rain.

The town from a high advantage point bathed in early morning mist and sunlight.

The valleys and rolling hills

Water filled dams on the farms

And I pause to watch a farmer, way off to the left of a large herd of sheep, commanding his kelpie to bunch them up and bring them down from high on the hillside, to the pens.......just magic!

I had a strong sense that God was so present, the overseer of all that I saw....overseeing with love and protection and creativity. It was a comforting, peaceful sense of the presence of God and I drove the highway with an unseen passenger and a huge sense of 'wow!'

May you know, always, that God is present, he is there when we clearly know it, and when we feel he isn't. He is with us.

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Anne

Give thanks always

'I make all things new.' Rev 6:4

The first thing that strikes me is the absolute quiet of the dawning of a new dayand I hear the words of God.......'be still and know that I am God.'

Then there is the morning choir and at the moment its a duet between two warbling magpies just calling in the dawn with a smile on their faces. (can magpies smile?) and morning has broken.

Then the words out of the early morning darkness......' I am the light of the world.'

With these thoughts on board I move into the new day and I have a true sense of who I am.....of purpose.... and are charged for what the day may offer.

Galatians 2:4 says:

'Make a careful exploration of who you are and the work YOU have been given, and then sink yourself into that. '(NCV)

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Anne

a thousand colours is your face.

'There's a hush of expectation, and a quiet in the air and the breath of God is moving in the fervent breath of prayer...' TIS 276

Sometimes there is no greater peace and assurance of the love of the risen Christ than in a glorious sunrise or a glorious sunset as God's paintbrush streaks the sky. There is something there that speaks to us of God, of his love, of his continuation with us in our day or his presence with us in the dark night.

As I think of the sunrise,tipping the mountain top with a ray of yellow light I recall the opening lines of a hymn we sang in church 'There's a light upon the mountains, and the day is at the spring where our eyes shall see the beauty and the glory of the king.'

All through life we experience our own personal sunrises and sunsets, darkness and light and like the dawn which always comes, so to does the love of God and we know that deep from within our very being we 'praise and serve a risen saviour.'

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Anne

Easter

' He is risen........Alleluia!'

How magnificent to worship a living God.

I have spent several days this week in the Ignatian Spirituality Centre in Kew, Melbourne, where I have been attending a conference. All about me within the centre is the Ignatian spirituality expressed in art and many crucifixes in various shapes and forms decorate the walls. Every time I looked at one of the crucifixes I found myself reflecting on the suffering of Christ on Good Friday

.........and it wasn't until I saw, standing all alone, a large plain wooden cross.......empty of the Christ ..............that I had a great sense of freedom and liberation.

I thought of the promises Jesus made:

'I will never leave you.'

'I will rise.'

'This promise is for you and for your children.'

God has done what he promised.

You can almost see Jesus standing outside the tomb fist punching the air and voice shouting an almighty 'YES!"

Its so true isn't it that the resurrection of Christ is the AMEN to all his promises.

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ

Anne

Good Friday

'It was nine o'clock in the morning when they crucified him.' Mark 15: 25

O the love of Jesus,

O the love of Jesus,

O the love of Jesus.............it washes white as snow.

Grace and peace on this Good Friday

Anne

Where there is love, there's a quiet peace.

'So faith, hope,love abide, these three:but the greatest of these is love.' 1 Corinthians 13:13

What a week ahead of us for reflection.....Holy week. I find my thoughts are many at this time. I think of Palm Sunday and the entry into Jerusalem. The feast of the passover......Good Friday, Easter day and I wonder how Jesus was feeling. We know that there is to be a good outcome from this journey, that even though he will die, he will also rise again and be with us. But how lonely, how abandoned to be doing this alone with no one alongside who understands.

My thoughts this Holy week are on those amongst us who have a particularly hard journey through life, and I am thinking of those with disabilities and how we can lead them into a place of 'life.' It was such a blessing yesterday to invite a person with disability into the sanctuary to help with the distribution of the palm crosses. It was a feeling I couldn't explain. All I can say is God was very real, very alive and very present in that sanctuary this Palm Sunday and I was so richly blessed. God poured his love upon us and we walk away at the end of the service.....changed.

A life had been acknowledged and included.

A resurrection had occurred.

Think of your journey this Holy week and who it is you might lead through to resurrection this Easter.

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Anne

The cross of love

All glory praise and honour, to you redeemer king. Tis 333

Every time I open the front page of my prayer book, there it sits, an old faded, greying palm cross. I gaze at it and reflect and remember. I remember a journey.

My journey.

Christs journey.

I remember making palm crosses as a child. A wonderful activity of gathering palm branches and sitting around tables in the parish hall with a group of ladies from church. There was lots of chatter and laughter and it was the day before Palm Sunday. I remember it as one of the many treasured steps of my faith journey.

As I look at this palm cross I think of the crosses of life.

The crosses I have had to bare

The cross that enabled me to bare them

The cross that saved me

The cross of love.

Lift high the cross, the love of Christ proclaim, till all the world proclaims his sacred name.

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ

Anne

Church.........anywhere, everywhere

' We love thy place Oh God, wherein thy honour dwells.' Hymns A&M242

Isn't it wonderful when we come to a place in ourselves where we can see that 'church' is not just the four walls of a building. I like to think of 'church 'as a place where God dwells and where God is talked about, and where the peace of God resides and the example of Christian life is lived and love abounds and 'God talk 'happens.

I am a lover of church buildings and culture as places to worship, grow and be nourished as the family of God...but for those who do not yet know of that family or feel they don't belong in it, then the means of having 'church' with them, where we can bring the love of Christ into their lives, are unmeasurable......just think about it starting with your own home and family and those whose path you cross today:

At the family dinner table when grace is said and others prayed for.

At the bedside of the sick or dying.

On our front porch when we welcome the stranger or chat with the neighbour.

In the garden......with God.......now that's a cathedral!!

In the op shop.

Caring for the unloved and unwanted...........Anywhere that brings God into being.

An Indian born Theologian, Ravi Zacharias said this:

Of all the disciples who floundered and stumbled, Peter was at the forefront. Yet it was to him that Jesus issued the pastoral call: ' Feed my sheep.'

Are we not all disciples with that same pastoral call?

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Anne

Daily blessings

' Therefore in the east give glory to the Lord. Isa 24:15

The large skeletal like tree was silhouetted against a horizon of deep, deep red rising from the east that carried itself across the sky in various layers of colour until it blended into a very pale pink and blue............a glorious morning painted by the sunrise and it was almost shouting......'the heat of the day is coming.' But for now, still, cool, quiet........peace.

Its so lovely to enjoy the sacredness of the morning before the day heats up and I am taking from that experience three key words into my day........still, quiet, peace.......................Oh, and I might add one more........................... stay cool!!

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Anne

a bible with Jesus on the front

' Love one another as I have loved you.' John 13:34

The words on the desk calendar took my notice as if it was written in bold print: 'Love one another as I have loved you,' it said. Then followed the words: 'it may seem impossible to do, but if you will try to trust and believe great are the joys you will receive.' and you know.......that is so true.

I live in a neighbourhood when there is a very large and dysfunctional family that terrorises the neighbourhood yet I have always 'looked out for them.' Yesterday one of the 9 children rang my doorbell and quietly and politely and right out of character asked me if I had a bible he could have . Once I recovered my momentary surprise I said I would get him one and produced a Good News New Testament. He looked at it for a moment and said 'thank you' in a very quiet voice and then looking at me said,' this is lovely but can I have one that has Jesus on the front so I can see him.'

What is it that melts us inside when we know we are bringing the love of Christ into a life, a life that's broken, abused and rejected.......I think its the fact that through sharing Christ we bring hope. I think its because we are doing what Jesus asked us to do.....Love one another.

Yes, I did produce what he was looking for..........a lovely picture book of bible stories with more pictures than words, anf Jesus on the front!

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Anne

my cathedral/your cathedral

' In your presence there is fullness of joy.' Psalm 16:11

I was reading a verse by Steiner Rice, 'My garden beautifies my yard and adds fragrance to the air, but its also my cathedral and my quiet place of prayer.'

The morning gifts take my breath away. Soft, soft morning mist, gently rising, hovering over the dew laden grass, glistening in the early morning sun, pink clouds over head, sun kissed and a choir of birds at the feeding tray........my cathedral.

Its so easy to turn a special place into a cathedral. Its those places where we 'hover' with God and he 'hovers' with us be it in our garden, gazing out a window at a blue wren on the grass, overlooking the vineyards to the magnificent mountains or walking a beach at the start or end of a day. Special places, God filled.

Turn a special place for you, into a space, for you and God.......your cathedral.

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Anne

colours of the masters palette

'For each perfect gift divine, to our race so freely given,graces all of your design, flowers of earth and buds of heaven.' TIS 137

Have you ever looked 'deeply' at God's creation. I mean really paused and look hard, in wonder, at the shape, the design and most of all the colour. We can miss so much in the business of life. I had plenty of time to reflect and 'look deeply' at the garden from my recovery room and confronting me every day was this glorious, soft pink bottle brush bush. For ages I would just look at its beauty and ponder on the things of God.

Imagine the colours he must have on his painting palette .......how big must the options of colour be.......imagine it....... dobs of blue, red, green,purple,yellow, black,pink and many many more, to dip his brush in and just simply create and colour.

What is colour? To me its an image of joy

Its a rich blessing from God to brighten our day and to give us pleasure.

It never ceases to amaze me that our mighty God, in all his majesty and power and dominion can think of such small things, as our pleasure and enjoyment.

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ

Anne

My fourpenny Jesus

' Even the darkness is not dark to you........' Psalm 139:12

I once read a story of a small child who found a statue of Jesus in a bric-a-brac store, his arms were outstretched as he had come off his cross. The store owner sold it to her for fourpence and it was with her the rest of her life, in the good times, the lonely times and in the darkness of the London Blitz, constantly reminding her that Jesus was with her always.

I had a similar experience. I found a small Holy Family icon in St Vinnies amongst the castaway bric-a-brac of peoples unwanted goods and I brought it for a dollar, you know, its the 'hinged' version ,and being a visual person I tend to carry it with me and so I took it to hospital for my recent surgery and placed it on my bedside table. The first morning after surgery and in a haze of drugs and excruciating pain, in that space of day between night and morning, I could see the outline of the icon but couldn't see the images on it yet I knew they were there.

I was hit with an overwhelming peace and comfort as I thought of Jesus, not visible to us, yet always there. Always present even though we cant see him.......always beside us.

You know, I reflect on the purpose of Icons.......how their images draw us closer in reflection on God and I value this little one that had been abandoned, simply for that reason. It will always be a visual reminder that Jesus, in giving his life for me, for you,will never abandon us, he is always with us.

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Anne

Gold in the morning

' In your presence there is fullness of joy....' Psalm 16:11

Some pastoral visits have a sense that God walked right in the front door with you.

Yesterday morning I was visiting a 92 year old lady of German descent who had survived the war and worked at that time as a social worker......... imagine that task!

It was one of those pastoral visit that leaves you thinking, there is no place I would rather be, there is no other thing I would rather be doing, there is no one else I would rather be with at this point than this person and God.....and Oh how present he was.

Our conversation came somehow to morning walks and sunrises and she said to me, with a far away look in her eyes............ There is a saying we had in Germany about the early morning sunrise, translated it says something like this: ' The gold in the morning, brings God to the mouth.'

(Steiner-Rice.)

Its not the things that can be bought, that are life's little treasures, it's just the little 'heart gifts' that money can not measure.

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ

Anne

seeds of peace

'Peace I leave with you;my peace I give you.' John 14:27

I had a sense in the small hours of the morning that even though the year is young, there are many out there who need a touch of God's peace today.

I'm a gardener, I love to be in the garden, planting, pruning, potting, enjoying. Its one of those places where I meet God and the signs of his hand work are all around and as for biblical imagery, it abounds.

It's a place of peace but more so the sense of peace comes when you realise the magnitude of our God.

Lucado says: 'Want to see a miracle? Take a seed the size of a freckle. Put it under several inches of dirt, give it water, light and fertilizer. And get ready. A mountain will be moved. It doesn't matter that the ground is a zillion times the weight of the seed. The seed will push it back! Never underestimate the power of a seed.'

Just reflect a moment: If you need peace today, think of the seed, think of the magnitude of God.....wait for the miracle .......and be at peace.

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Anne

What a glorious morning

' Praise with joy the worlds creator......' TIS 179

I was reflecting on the beauty and 'God filled presence' of the early morning when two things came to mind.

Following a recent reflection one of the deacons wrote: 'Its a glorious morning here, the birds since the rain have been very vocal and active and their song was heart stopping first thing this morning.'

The other was a picture in my mind of the sunrise across the ocean at York Peninsular.

Both thoughts had me asking myself the question:

Is it the same thing to say, 'Oh Lord what a glorious morning' and 'Come into his presence singing Hallelujah.'

How nice it is to let the hand of God reach out in his presence, and touch you.......before you have barely washed the sleep from your eyes.

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Anne

pale blue cornflowers

'Listen, a sower went out to sow......'Matthew 13:3

There is something deep inside me that set a thought off when I saw the pale blue cornflowers flowering amongst the weeds on the roadside.

Something came to mind to do with the parable of the sower,

something to do with growing strong and blossoming into flower despite the hard roadside, rocky soil,

something to do with overcoming difficulty,

something to do with achieving, surviving, growing, despite other issues around you that endeavour to pull you down,

to strangle your growth.

Here were these flowers, growing strong and tall and blossoming amongst the weeds and rocky soil.

I am tempted to say.......'dont just look with your eyes, but with your ears, listen.'

Grace and peace from the Lords Jesus Christ.

Anne

The sheep with their little lambs

' Here is the lamb of God.......' John 1:29

I was at a funeral yesterday in my home town of Tumut and amidst the many memories that come flooding back when I sit in that church, was none as strong as when the choir sang that beautiful classical piece, 'All in the April Evening.' I remember my mother singing that around the house, I remember the choir practicing in the church, over and over and over, for an Easter choral presentation, among them the deep base voice of the one we were fare welling. But what came flooding back more was the reason for this classical piece having been written in the first place. Written by a person who saw a mob of sheep with their lambs being herded across a road to head for the hill side.

' All in the April evening, April airs were abroad. The sheep with their little lambs passed me by on the road, the sheep with their little lambs passed me by on the road......and I though on the lamb of God.'

This scene reminded the composer of another lamb who went to the hill side......the lamb of God.

Isn't it wonderful to be able to look and see the things in life about us and connect with God through familiar scripture, but more so through relationship with God.....one doesn't go without the other.

Grace and piece from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Anne

O sing a new song

'O sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things, his right hand and his holy arm have gotten him victory.' Psalm 98:1

You know, you cant do a single thing outside the presence of God because every minute is in the presence of God......all that is, is God and has God in it.

The beautiful flower created by God and anointed with his perfume.

Every leaf on every tree..... has the hand of God in it.

Every conversation, God is present.

Every dying, God is there.

Every living, God is there.

Every which way we turn, there is God.

Even in sleeping....Now I lay me down to sleep I pray the Lord my soul to keep....there is God.

Steiner-Rice says:

'God's mighty hand can be felt every minute, for there is nothing on earth that God isn't in it.'

Go into the day, each and every day, and all the days that follow knowing that God is with you, everywhere, in everything.

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Anne

Because their lives are precious

'He will help the poor....save the needy......be kind to the weak......and save lives.' Psalm 72:12

Isn't this passage from psalm 72 a portion of a job description for followers of Christ..for Deacons.......for all Christians?

There is a story of a man called George, a wheel chair bound evangelist, who is 'dirt poor.' The people he ministers to are even poorer but there is none so rich in faith as George. In his wheel chair he travels from village to village....sore muscles and calluses on his hands, he keeps going....his deepest desire is to share Christ with others. (Lucado)

When I read about George I found myself thinking how far does my love for Christ reach into the needy of the community? How body worn am I at the end of a day from serving others and how deep are the calluses. Interestingly, its not the body scars at the end of the day that we dwell on......its the body count.......the poor who have been helped, the needy who have been cared for, the weak that have been strengthened and the message of God's love sown.....because lives are precious.......to Him.

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ

Anne

I am the gate

' Very truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep.' John 10:7

As I walked I was reflecting on the morning beauty and the blessings around as the day unfolded, when I saw a lady sitting by herself on the embankment off the side of the track. As I approached I asked her was she alright. ' Yes,' she responded, ' I am just contemplating in this lovely spot.' Our conversation lead to the inspiration that I get from walking this track of a morning and the mention of 'God' came into my conversation. 'Its interesting,' she said, 'how you can get 'God thoughts 'just sitting and contemplating. Did you notice there is a gate up there, just along the track a bit that leads into the sheep paddock.....doesn't God say something about gates and sheep?'

Its so lovely to pause in the fullness of the moment, sensing you are standing on Holy ground, having a conversation, God centred, yet total strangers and it leaves me continuing my morning walk singing a song in my heart, a precious song between me and God.

As Macrina Wiederkehr says:

Breath in the dawn, rise high the chalice of your life, taste the joy of being awake, its the best medicine of all.

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Anne

New Year 2010

'The water that I will give will become in them a spring of water continuously gushing up to eternal life.' John 4:14

I couldn't help but notice the rapid green growth of the new grass shoots after the recent rain. Arid patches of dusty track were turning into new growth with this 'living water' sprouting seeds, full of life and colour and goodness.

As we come into a new year with all its new beginnings we often reflect on the past year and all it held. So often I have heard people say its been a dreadful year......cant wait for it to finish....family losses, continuous health issues, some life threatening, personal pain,bush fires , drought and floods.

Its always good to reflect back on the year past and in doing so challenge yourself to see where God was and is, in the 'pain.' What are we learning from the difficult times and are they times that draw us closer to God? The 'living water' that Jesus is to us also brings us to life and new growth if we visit his 'well' often, seeking that life giving drink.

In all the difficulties of life we know, that Jesus is always with us......so go to that well and drink.

This verse is from one of my favourite hymns:

O love that will not let me go, I rest my weary soul in thee: I give thee back the life I owe, that in thine ocean depth its flow may richer fuller be. (George Matheson)

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Anne