Be Still And Know

Romans 5:3-4 NLT 'We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation.' Shrove Tuesday or Pancake Day is the day before Lent starts, a season of abstinence in preparation for Easter. It recognises Jesus’ trial in the wilderness and is also called the Great Fast by some churches. On this day all the fats and foods that were to be avoided throughout Lent are used up, hence pancakes. The idea is that if all the temptations are removed from the house, it is easier to manage our human frailty, and thereby offers us support in persevering through this voluntary fast. There are no rules as such, although some traditions, such as the Orthodox and Catholics, offer a framework. The idea is that we embrace a fast to focus on our faith choices and reflect upon our faith commitments. It offers an opportunity for couples and families to draw together around their fa

1 Corinthians 13:7 NLT Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. Perseverance is characterised by the ability to achieve something despite difficulties and obstacles that stand in our way. It takes both grit and determination, and is not easily accomplished. In fact, it reveals the depth of our convictions and the lengths to which we persist. The Gospel accounts of Jesus’ encounter with the devil in the wilderness reveal perseverance is not simply grim determination. It requires clarity of thought in finding ways to press on and avoid capitulating early. Jesus used scripture to counter Satan’s craftily composed temptations (Matthew 4). The core of our perseverance as disciples lies in the reality of the depth to which we are loved by God. Great news here – no matter where we find ourselves, God never gives up on us. We are invited to build our faith muscle by persevering through challenges. A friend introduced me to the concept of the learning zone. Thi

Acts 4:32 NLT 'All the believers were united in heart and mind. And they felt that what they owned was not their own, so they shared everything they had.' Unity creates an atmosphere of trust and harmony. Within such an atmosphere, remarkable things become possible. I grew up with stories from my mother of life in Britain during the Second World War. The war years affected her from age 14 to 20. She lived away from London, but close to Plymouth, which as a naval port, suffered from enemy bombing. Yet, it was not the inconvenience or danger of war she spoke most of, it was more the way her local community came together and cared for each other. The war had united them in heart and mind, and consequently they shared freely with one another in a common goal. When there is no visible threat, it is easy to become consumed with my own interests. Individuals and families are shocked and appalled when some interruption to their plans breaks in, such as an unwelcome illness. There is usually little motivation to pull

Philippians 1:27 NLT Above all, you must live as citizens of heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ. Then, whether I come and see you again or only hear about you, I will know that you are standing together with one spirit and one purpose, fighting together for the faith, which is the Good News. A quick search on Google will identify how different countries identify citizenship. Common to all is that it is a relationship between rights and responsibilities. The scripture contains the essential elements required of a disciple, aka a citizen of heaven. As with all relationships, my freedom in Christ is related to my willingness to abide by God’s life-giving instructions. Perhaps, as Ghandi, the Indian nationalist, declared that he would be a Christian if it wasn’t for Christians. This followed his exclusion from a Christian church in Kolkata on the grounds that it was for high-caste Indians and whites. Having been drawn by what he read of Jesus in the Gospels, Ghandi turn

Romans 12:4-5 NLT Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other. Last summer I ran down the garden, stretched down and picked up a fallen apple, recreating my great cricketing fielding past. I felt my right tricep scream out in complaint, and so began a journey of sorting out an injury. St Paul’s analogy of the human body (Ephesians 4) for the community of Christ is well-made. It’s all too easy to forget that we each exist and play an essential role in making the community function. After some delay after injuring my arm, I made an appointment with a physiotherapist and got some advice on how to manage the healing process. This was not instantaneous and demanded a lot of me, some of which included further physical discomfort. The tricep injury impacted my ability to cook, garden and do other tasks. There is a unity to the human body in that each part is designed to work with every other part.