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16. The Spirit of Love (part 2)

Monday 4th March 

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(for more details see here)

 

Pause:

Brian Heasley's brilliant book: Be Still opens with this except for his daily journal with God:

"Lord I want to cultivate and remember the moment I have with you in this chair,
so that I can go there in my mind wherever I am.
I need to be able to sink into the memory of the chair at any point.
I have to maintain enough God awareness throughout the day
to sink back into You at any given moment, to lean into You.

My time in the chair gives me muscle memory for the day.
I felt it somewhere random the other day, this familiar morning feeling,
I felt it in another place in the middle of the day.
I choose to feel it,
to become aware of Your presence in that particular moment."

BRIAN HEASLEY (Be Still)

 

Today's reading: John 16.5-15

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We are sat in the upper room. All of us together.

It is evening, and we have shared the intimate intensity of the Passover meal celebration with close, trusted friends. 

Jesus has been opening His heart to us. There have been dramatic moments - painful conversations, real questions, deep sharing. 

Throughout it all, Jesus keeps making references to "another"
Another "counsellor"...
Another counsellor "from the Father"...

One who will "come-along-side" us, speak to us. Speak for us.

Now He has called Him The Holy Spirit - the True Spirit - The Spirit of Truth!

"It's better if I go..." Jesus explains, "It's for your benefit...  unless I go, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you!" (JOHN 16. 7)

Jesus describes His work in two arenas - in the world, and in us - the disciples!

In the world He will be convincing and convicting - changing the spiritual climate until imprisoned hearts find freedom!

And in us...
"when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all truth.
He will not speak on His own; He will speak only what He hears, and He will tell you what is yet to come.
He will glorify me because it is from me that He will receive what He will make known to you.
All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what He will make known to you.” 
(JOHN 16. 13-15)


What a promise! 
What a gift!
What a life we are invited into!

 

Reflection: 

Sometimes I look for guidance.
Big moments.
Big decisions.
Big dilemmas.
Big problems.

Others I'm happy to hold the wheel. Confident that I know what's right and best. 

Most the time, I'm probably just cruising along. Not expecting, needing or particularly wanting to be guided. 

I wonder how many of the big dilemmas and big problems might be avoided if I was intentionally seeking the Spirit's guidance on a more regular basis... how many of the big moments and big decisions might not be such a surprise if I'd been in communication with the Holy Spirit on a daily basis.

"He will tell you what is yet to come."

Sometimes in obviously huge John-writing-the-book-of-Revelation-Isle-of-Patmos moments...
Sometimes in deceptively smaller Phillip-go-take-the-desert-road-Ethiopian-conversion moments...
But never-the-less life guiding moments

And always taking us deeper into Jesus and what He has for us.

My pattern of listening may have been sporadic in the past.
As I confess that today, I can receive His grace for it - but I cannot change my previous pattern.
But I can change my pattern today.
And tomorrow.
And in the weeks, months and years to come.

Spirit of Truth, guide me today - and every day - in accordance with the Father's will
Lead me to Jesus
Lead me to know Jesus more
Lead me to be more like Jesus
Lead me to Truth
Lead me to Hope
Lead me to Grace
Lead me to Love
Lead me
 

Question for today:

  • What reminders can I set myself to interrupt the default pattern, and cause me to pause to listen to His voice?
 

Prayer:

We return to the "chair" that Brian wrote about at the start. His book ends with this blessing:
"May your chair be blessed with the presence of the divine.
May your walk with God be a pleasure that sustains you.
Let His word feed you, His world speak to you, and His Spirit fuel your imagination.
Write of His goodness, speak of His kindness, practice gratitude, always trust.

May your more be only for Him and your less only to sin.
Stop, look up and wonder at all you see,
live simply.

Find God in hiddenness and hide Him in you.
Have the tenacity of perseverance, fight!
Find joy in giving, pour yourself out,
Live your life for others.

Carry Christ's love to the lost, His freedom to captives,
His comfort to the broken, His healing to the sick.

Get lost in the depths of the Father's love, find yourself in Him.
Enjoy the feast,
embrace the seasons.

Be still and know that He is God.
Amen." 
 

 I prayed this.

My prayer for today: (if you would like to, please feel free to add your own prayer here):


 


If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him
Glenys
Hello and welcome to our church. If you are a new visitor, we have a page for you to get to know us and learn more about planning a visit.
Click here to see more.

Planning your Visit

A Warm Hello 

 

Where and When

The church is open for activities throughout the week but if you are just seeking us out it is likely that you will want to come and be a part of our Sunday worship which is core to what we are about.
We meet in the main church building (details here) at 10:30 each week. See our calendar to find out plans for the next few weeks.

Accessibility

There is wheelchair access and a sound loop for anyone who needs it. Please let one of the Welcome Team know on your arrival and they will help you to get set up. There are disabled toilets in the main foyer and church lounge.

Our Sunday Services


Sunday morning services are structured but informal. They include a mix of both contemporary and traditional worship songs and hymns, prayers, readings from the Bible and a sermon that unpacks this. Occasionally we will also have specific updates about ways that God has been working through and in people and activities. Once a month we celebrate communion as part of the service. The last Sunday of the month is usually an Altogether Service when all ages are all together in one place for a more relaxed and activity based time of worship.

We aim to finish at about 11.45 to Midday when we serve free tea, coffee and cold drinks. This is a great opportunity to get to meet people.

Sunday Evening services, either in person or online, tend to be shorter and more reflective and are an opportunity to dig a little deeper into our relationship with God.
 

What about the children and youth?

We have a great programme for children of all ages, for more information about what happens please visit our Children and Youth page.

Getting Connected

 

Small Groups

It is often in smaller gatherings that we can really get to know other people. Being part of one of our small groups allows you to make new friends, share together and support each other. We have a variety of groups that meet throughout the week, some in the afternoon and some in the evening either in the church, in peoples’ homes or online    .
If you are interested in joining a Small Group, let us know and we can put you in touch with the small group coordinator who will be more than happy to find a group that is convenient for you and introduce you to the group leader.

Get Involved

There are plenty of opportunities to get involved with the life of our church. If you'd like to find out more, please let us know.

Get in touch with us to plan your visit
If you would like to discuss anything before you visit the church, get in touch and we can arrange a time to chat with you.
 
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