“Jesus, who is wisdom incarnate, gives us access to the Creator to reveal hidden things and invites us to seek out our sacred responsibility to perceive God’s unscripted presence here and now,” – Peter Enns. The reality of Jesus offers to us not only an ancient story about the past, but, among other things, it reveals to us what relationship with the unseen Creator-God can look like in the present, as well. As well as […]
It’s a strange reality. The notion that Jesus, who is Good, endorsed denying ourselves. At first hearing, that seems not all that good for our becoming – for our flourishing. I think the way that message has been communicated over the years has actually lead to some less than helpful understandings of who God is, and perhaps, of our understanding of who we are, to him. But – to deny ourselves in light of the […]
For those of us who enjoy writing, I think when we write something without our voice being allowed to lace its message, it’s missing something important. When our voice weaves throughout the bones of its body, it gives the message character and quirk and style, and perhaps more importantly, the conviction that comes from allowing ourselves to care and have an opinion. I think for the first couple years of my degree, I noticed my […]
What makes you different? (Your faith? Your current sense of mental or physical health? Skin colour? Body Image? Insert your *thing* here) When you enter into a room full of people and become aware of your difference, before words, if any, have been exchanged, What do you feel about that difference? Why is that for some of us, our first inclination is to hide whatever of our own differences are most apparent for us? Why […]
“They’ll rebuild the old ruins, raise a new city out of the wreckage. They’ll start over on the ruined cities, take the rubble left behind and make it new.” Isaiah 61:1-7 (MSG) The verses leading up to this talk about how exactly those who mourn in Zion are able to ‘rebuild new cities.’ About what conditions are needed to move from mourning, to rebuilding. What is within their power to rebuild will be dependent upon […]
“In the presence of God I have the only life I’m ever going to find that’s that beautiful, compelling, true.” – Dan Allender To find yourself in the company of God is, I think, beautifully scary. The truth of our life contrasted with his will undoubtedly reveal our weakness, our struggle. It is only because this contrast occurs in the context of absolute love, rather than shame, that we find a new way to move […]
This week I was a little bit struck by one simple piece of the Sunday evening message; Encouragement as simply a passing on of courage to another human. For me, the little hugs and the ‘you can do its’ spoken in the thick of my anxious or doubtful moments always seem so small and insignificant because I’m often fixed on how these could never take the fear or sadness or the struggle away. But I […]
Sometimes when I have to drive somewhere, and have someone else with me. I rely on their direction; before thinking, or sensing the way for myself; particularly when I have traveled the road a few times before, but not quite enough to be certain. // But. When I am alone, when the passengers aren’t there, I tend to actually know the way. And I wonder why that is. // It’s not that at this point […]
Faith and fear. They both have exquisite imaginations. The ability to dream up powerful outcomes for any given moment. Fear dreams up potential dangers that may lurk unseen in the dark; Faith dreams the future in a quite beautiful, rose tinted light; possibility. And every day, Every moment, gives us the opportunity to exercise one, or the other. Both valuable in their own right. Fear in its essence, is protection from danger. Faith is courage, […]
We can be certain, oh so certain, that at the point of apparent loss; of dreams shattered hopes, That the essence of what is good in its midst, Will continue to beat Despite what appears to be ‘lost’ And gone Feeling like Chaff in the wind perhaps, when the life-wind blows eerily through. But whatever it was that formed that desire, whatever it was that dream was riding upon whoever that dream was dwelling within […]
anne-marie elizabeth 