Seekers September - Summary

So here we are at the end of the month. IT has been quite a month. I’ve experienced so much over the month that it’s not possible to remember everything that has happened. During the month I’ve only been at Stoke church for one Sabbath where other Sabbaths have seen me in Newport, home and Warslow. In this month I experienced my first stag do (as a participant, not the stag in question) and the honour of being a part of the crew of ushers at the wedding. I went to Scotland for the first time in my life. This was the month I started the teacher training course a significant step for me in fulfilling the call of God in my life.

I’ve had some wonderful times over the month and blog wise I’ve also been able to get out a fair number of entries out and been able to explore a bit the concept of seeking. Following Audio August, Seeking September really has got me stripping away everything to know what I desire more than anything else. For the next three months we as a church will be looking at the Sermon of the Mount which has at the heart of it a desire to seek the Kingdom of Heaven, see that kingdom manifest on earth, see it’s values and principles embedded not just in our minds or behaviours, but the core of our very being. It’s all about being centred on Christ, looking for him in everything and looking to be like Him in any given situation. So that requires Kingdom allegiance!

At a cell group session this evening we were looking at Job 42 and reviewing Job’s response to God’s responses to his calling out the Almighty to answer some questions. What I found fascinating about the scripture was not so much the recovery of Job’s loss. Not so much Job’s so called friends having to get Job to get them out of God’s wrath. These are all commendable parts of the story worth capturing in themselves. What was especially intriguing in terms of linking seeking to the sermon is the very first main point of the sermon.

Those who inherit the kingdom are those who acknowledge their absolute abject poverty before God, not in the material sense but in that sense that puts complete dependence on the creator of the universe. Job accepts that he cannot interrogate the Creator as if He has an obligation to answer our questions or He won’t get re-elected in the general election next year. Job’s act of repentance brings things back to the beginning where we are nothing but dirt and all we have we owe to His mercy. That’s why I seek Him because true riches are found in Him, not just material but the real riches of godly characteristics re-engaging us with the one who defines us and makes us whole.

That’s also part of the motive of the theme for the next month, but more on that in the morrow should the Lord spare our lives. In the meantime, thank God for the material blessings and great experiences, a loving family, brilliant church family and an amazing cast of friends and assorted extras that make my life what it is. Above and beyond all that thanks for Jesus Christ who allows me to enjoy these things in Him and to the Father who made me and continues to shape me in a pattern of His pleasing through good times and bad by His Spirit that lives in me. Thanks so much.

For His Name's Sake

Shalom

dmcd

Seeking in Surrogates

I have no idea what it is this year about the movies. In the first quarter there were a few things that got my interest, but really since then the choice of films on offer has been somewhat substandard. Transformers 2 was alright, but GI Joe was disappointing. The Taking of Pelham 123 was actually a pretty decent film, but other than that the choice has been fairly poor and someone really must have thought that witchcraft and that kinda jazz sells. Whatever.

So of late I’ve been a bit bored with the fare and given the movies a wide berth which is disappointing. However lately there has been a film or two that has taken my interest and for the first time in weeks I’ve made it into a cinema. (Of course the discount I get as a student was also an inducement.)

I’ve never been the biggest fan of Bruce Willis. Not to say I hate the guy or dislike his movies, I’ve just not been taken with his material and don’t think of him as that much of a big deal. I acknowledge his skill though in playing certain roles well. He seems to choose stuff that doesn’t require too much of a stretch for his core abilities so when he does the part he can be as convincing as he needs to be. For example I was a fan of his work in Unbreakable.

So with all that on board I wasn’t going out to watch a Bruce Willis film when I heard about Surrogates I was looking forward to watching a film that happened to have Willis in it. I was so glad I did watch it because it turned out to be one of the better films of the year.

One thing that did ring true with one of the reviews was their comment that it was a bit like I, Robot. I was thinking how disappointing I, Robot was. In contrast I really enjoyed the film.

What I enjoyed about the film are the many questions it raised about identity, control, power, freedom and the role of technology in fulfilling our desires. I do love a film sets up those moral dilemmas and those are strewn throughout the film especially the premise for the climax.

One thing it also highlighted again was the following questions:

Who are we really?

Can we be anything we want to be?

What happens when the opportunity comes to do just that but at a cost?

What is more important, your ability to do what you want or your responsibility to others?

Who or what defines us?

Who has the right to rule over us?

What role does technology play in the development of who we are as humans?

What does freedom mean, in an age where it’s not always clear who is on the side of it and what its costs are?

It’s particularly appropriate as the month of October looms and we look at those issues through various means and all with the desire to get a Christocentric understanding of the topic in question.

I recommend you check the movie, although you won’t have to for answering these questions that you can begin exploring now.

For His Name's Sake

Shalom

dmcd

Seeking First: Me First vs. Andrews/Aspel

I don’t know if you’ve seen this video before, it doesn’t matter if you have or not I still chuckle at it primarily because it’s funny and also because it’s true. It is tragic that we can go from singing a song like the one linked here to immediately looking at things in a way that suggests that the heart of worship is more about me than it is about Jesus.

It’s not to say thinking about self is wrong – it’s natural, it’s understandable, it’s healthy at times to be aware of the way we’re put together. The natural tendency in one expression or another, however, is where we think Me First. What about me? What about what I want? What about my self-esteem? What about how I feel? How will I come out of this? What’s in it for me?

This is the greatest lie the enemy gave to the first couple back in the garden that they would be like gods and ever since then we’ve done a tremendous job of ascending to the throne of all-importance. We are all there is to know and we’re glad if other people would recognise that as well. We may display it in explicitly selfish ambitious mannerisms or couch it in subtle areas of service done with the hope of recognition and ego feeding. Either way especially with help from a culture and mentality that is implicitly about the deity of humanity Me First has been the predominant culture since time began.

It’s worth sharing the problem with this. The problem is that this approach gets everything horribly wrong. By everything I am of course referring to the concept of nothing being missed in considering what is included. Relationships, health, you name it, it is all ruined by this approach. It’s ruined because we were created as worshipping beings who do not find our fulfilment in self worship, even if that is the default setting of sin expressed through pride and fear.

The irony persists that if we’re really looking to our best interests we’ll need to stop worshipping self and worship the Creator. To get the best for self, requires the death of self. This of course is counter-intuitive, counter-productive in the eyes of many and also counter-cultural. This is not a subtle nudge and wink deal to get back into self-worship, this is a proper full on dying to self to rise again in a new life. That cannot be done by effort of will, but requires outside help from the inside!

Whilst thinking about these issues again I was reminded about one of my favourite programmes growing up This Is Your Life. What I enjoyed about the programme that was in the UK hosted by Eamon Andrews and then Michael Aspel was the format of the host appearing to surprise the special guest and then dedicating the next half-hour to outlining aspects of that guest’s life. No focus on the host, no spotlight on him at all, all focus on the guest.

One of my favourite parts of the programme, though, was at the end when as a special someone was reconnected with the special guest Andrews or Aspel would close the special red book and intone those immortal words following the name of the special guest – ‘This is Your Life’. The theme tune would strike as applause was given and the special guest is prompted by Andrews/Aspel to the front where the special guest takes centre stage and focus of attention as all the other guests who have come to celebrate him/her flock around to continue applauding, in the meantime Andrews/Aspel inauspiciously slips into the background job done and not needing anything in the way of kudos or recognition. It is as if the mere act of highlighting the life of the special guest suffices to give him enough joy. See the end of this clip to see what I mean.

That modus operandi resonated deeply with me for two reasons. One of those two is linked with the following section of scripture

John answered, "A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven. You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, 'I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before him.' The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom's voice. Therefore this joy of mine is now complete. He must increase, but I must decrease." (John 3:27-30)

Earlier on in this section John’s disciples share their concern that this new upstart baptising all over the shop. John’s response noted here doesn’t quite reflect what the attitude of some of us might be. Let’s look at it this way, you’ve been baptising so regularly you’ve coined a surname after the art. Now someone else appears to muscling in on the territory not only that but he appears to be pulling all the punters. What’s even worse is that you’ve baptised the brother yourself. Now sure he can carry on with the success but where’s your kudos, where’s your royalties, where’s the respect, where’s your time to shine?

Here, however, John appears to be the original Andrews/Aspel. He is not just singing a sweet song and then being selfish (although he’ll have some reservations when he’s banged up). The brother appears to be saying that even his own ‘success’ is heaven-directed. Greater still, John establishes that his role in the larger scheme of things is to rejoice in the presence of the big deal – when you know you’re the warm-up act then you’re in a position to do just that, not seek the main act status. You realise that you’ll be doing well if the audience are prepped and ready for the big deal.

My dad never made a fuss about stuff, he was more than content to do what was asked of him in ensuring the big deal ran smoothly. He lived out the Andrews/Aspel modus operandi never seeking credit but looking to pass anything he got onto the big deal. Never insecure if others got kudos or attention, he just plugged away diligently at his roles and did it with joy. That kind of attitude got its own reward openly in other people noting it especially when he had to move on. He knows however that he does not primarily do it for that, appreciated though it is, his joy is experienced by seeing Jesus alive in others.

So to the second reason why it resonates with me. It resonates because the great challenge in seeking God first is to be aware of my role in the greater scheme of things. We are all called to live in a way that screams, whispers, chuckles, cries and communicates that the big deal is the big deal and This Is His Life. Every success, every failing, every part of our life is not about me at all. From the first step on the journey to our last breathe we point out in whatever way we can we point to the Saviour and Redeemer, Example and Brother, Friend and King – Jesus Christ and take pleasure in whatever opportunity to state – This Is His Life.

For His Name's Sake

Shalom

dmcd

Seeking in the Sermon: Live It - Teach It

As you can appreciate in preparation for the new study series that begins next week I’ve begun reading the Sermon on the Mount. I am big on not missing out on the big picture and the connected nature of all the pieces in the puzzle when we start segmenting scripture for teaching purposes.

It is crucial to see Jesus after His Beatitudes making it clear that He’s not here to abolish the law but fulfil it and then proceeding to state the primacy of the law and the importance of living righteously beyond a religious definition of it. To say that if your righteousness doesn’t exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees doesn’t mean that the Kingdom values are easy. On the contrary His outline will allow us to see how much we depend on God to be able to live up to them hence the Beatitudes themselves which depict a people desperately dependent on God to be able to enjoy life in His Kingdom according to His rule.

To prove just how exacting the standard the is for the rest of Matt 5 and into half of Matt 6 Jesus shows how the gist of the law wasn’t to monitor behaviour but to reveal the state of the heart that is towards God. The arresting point for me in my recent reading was the bit where Jesus says if your right hand causes you to sin cut it off and if your right eye causes you to sin gouge it out as it would be better to be a one-eyed, one-armed Kingdom-dweller than a full-bodied hell-dweller. The deal here though is not the physical act that’s being suggested – although in mentioning it Jesus shows how seriously we are to take sin.

What we would have missed out on though is the source of the sin – the heart. In essence Jesus is saying take radical action from the heart to deal with issues that can cause you to sin and that means heart surgery – indeed a heart transplant. My contention is, and reality reflects I believe, that just because you get rid of an external stimulus doesn’t mean the heart has been dealt with at all. The issue needs to be exposed to the light of the love of God even as we mourn over our inability to please God and its resultant sinful condition of the planet. That mournful approach has a desire to see God impact the world with His original plan. That takes place personally with a heart towards God that is about radical approach to that which the world rejoices in. So it’s not just about stopping pornography and blatant adultery but to develop a devout hatred for anything that would promote lust and develop that faithful, monogamous capacity within us that means because we can love God with all, so we can love with purity those who come in our lives.

This fits in with the gist of what Jesus is saying in this portion of his teaching – it’s an issue of the heart when it comes to the law, when it comes to the spiritual disciplines, when it comes to the fundamental basic issues of life – it is about the state of our heart and who we commit that heart to.

Speaking of teaching, one thing I find fascinating is our tendency to call this section the Sermon on the Mount when the beginning and end of the talk seems to indicate that this is Jesus teaching. Not only that but in the larger context of what Jesus would commission His disciples to do at the end of this gospel account it is pretty important that any true follower of Christ digests this teaching.

Even near the top of his teaching he states clearly that people who relax the observance of the law AND teaches others that is considered the least and it is those who practice it AND teach it who will be considered the greatest in the Kingdom. That is to say not only in the great commission but in the great teaching there is an expectation on ALL FOLLOWERS to live it AND teach it. This fits well with the concept of the book of Matthew being about Jesus the great Rabbi.

This should immediately challenge some of the current expressions of church that in no way prepares disciples to teach disciples, but promotes a thinking to say there’s a class of people who can teach – the gifted as it were – and the rest are to learn from these. It should be a shot in the arm for all teachers that in the spiritual sense of things you are only as successful a teacher as you are in encouraging and enabling others to live and teach that which you live and teach.

That should stretch our understanding and definition of teaching to incorporate ways in which people teach that is not straight talking business but far wider, but no less intentional – we are not doing this by accident or by osmosis, this is something deliberate and understood by all parties even as those who followed Jesus knew what they were getting themselves in for in terms of being followers.

Lots of food for thought in considering this issue, food which I hope to share further as I delve further in this wonderful work.

For His Name's Sake

Shalom

dmcd

Seeking God Together

Recently I was going on about how important it is to seek God together. This links in well with another topic I mentioned last month on creating confessional community. If we are going to see God there has to be a love among us that goes beyond superficial greetings and barbecues and gets to the heart of who we are together. (Nothing against barbecues, by the way, I defend the right of Christians to continue pointless barbecues.)

I think sometimes it is only too easy to hide behind social events and occasions to allow that be our card that says we’ve done fellowship, we’ve done community, when in actuality there’s nothing about the nature of the called-out ones that would withstand a storm of personal indiscretions. How is that proven, well just slip an indiscretion and see the power of gossip and judgemental attitude that closes ranks against the sinner and offers no room for vulnerability, transparency and genuine repentance.

Seeking God together is surely about taking the time to build those relationships with fellow-travellers filled with the grace to accept that we’re not in this community of grace on merit. As we practice that ability not just to bear with the burdens of others, but allow our burdens likewise to be carried by others there is no room for judgement. There’s every room for cries of mercy and pleas for God to shower His compassion on us all for the ways in which we fail Him.

The difference between me before I met Jesus and now I’m getting to know Him is that the excuse ‘we’re only human’ was a get out clause previously, but now it is the base on which to fall on the mercies of God and the encouragement of brothers and sisters in Christ to let the Holy Spirit empower me to live right and whether instantaneously or over time overcome that area of failing. Even like some if we’re never able to overcome that thorn in the flesh we can still rejoice in the strength of Christ being made perfect in our weakness and so learn to live through our vulnerabilities as a lifelong reminder of our complete dependence on Jesus.

This is not just rhetoric from me. In parts of 2008 my life was wracked with problem after problem and there were areas of the church that just were not equipped to support me through the process. God always finds people to come alongside though and it was the case that there were brothers who were tremendous aids to me just in their availability, transparency and vulnerability. Together we’d have those brief glimpses of what true confessional community would look like where we were only too aware of weaknesses but grateful to God for His grace and goodness in wiping them away once they were exposed to the light of His love. The battles are not over, but such experiences prove again to me that this love that sent Jesus to the cross is able to work through us as we seek God together and let us reflect that same love to each other, no matter what the issue.

The journey continues both for seeking God and seeing what it is to create that confessional community that acknowledges Jesus as Lord and our sins are ever in need to be washed by Him. The hope I have in knowing that this which He asks for is possible and a glimpse into what that heavenly kingdom is all about.

For His Name's Sake

Shalom

dmcd

Seeking Together And Alone

Following Jesus is both an intensely personal and private journey and a communal and corporate movement. There is the element wherein we develop Christ-like characteristics and have a direct responsibility to Christ for how we use what has been given to us to be like Him more. This part can be appealing to some and I guess especially in an individualistic society promoting the power of the autonomous one it stands to reason we can have a faith virtually privatised.

Something that’s harder to enact, and yet more crucial to understanding what it is to seek God, is the communal aspect. Building relationships and being intimate and personal with people baring your soul to people with the capacity and tendency to neglect it and indeed crush it from time to time. Having relationships with people out of the church can appear more appealing because of the lack of expectation that’s placed on that to be Christ-like. Slap a Christian badge on it and all of a sudden expectations rise and are frequently disappointed with the inevitable failings of stragglers and strugglers on this Christian highway.

It does not get away from the reality though that there is so much benefit in seeking God with others – not just those formal service times when we can put on the spiritual/pious masks and go through the motions. Rather we get those glimpses as we share life together over a drink or a meal. We get those inspirations as we do shared activities or just have a chat. See the glory of Christ in these frail, vulnerable jars of clay and have that compassionate heart to support each other in our brokenness so that in that mess of humanity, divinity Himself can be seen and expressed in a way that makes us distinct from other social groupings.

For His Name's Sake

Shalom

dmcd

Seeking The Author

So I’m in a Sunday evening service that takes the form of some songs and prayer then we get into a look at whatever Word Hughie wants us to explore. This evening we were looking at faith from the Hebrews 11 perspective and as is the nature of the conversation we don’t get much further into the text than about verse 6 and even then we weren’t looking that deeply into the issues, just highlighting some themes. Good session it is though and we pick up on a number of things that are cool for modern application in the light of who God is.

At the end of the session we’re all praying that our understanding of faith will grow and we’ll be able to apply what we know in our every day. As I start praying I come across that phrase again in Hebrews 12:2 which I tend to remember in the KJV,

Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith

As I reflected on that phrase I started thinking about the concept that is appealed to here – Author and finisher. Now when I thought about that this came to my head,

I particularly remember it from the end episodes of the A-Team. What we see here though is the whole concept that what we have just seen has been from the origins of something that was authored and perhaps finished in the head of Stephen Cannell. Now there is a great deal of assurance to know that the plot that we are watching has already been sorted.

So for example when you watch an episode there are some things you can be fairly assured of. The main characters won’t die unless it’s been foreshadowed by something like the fact that it’s the last in the series. So however desperate the situation may appear, we are assured as long as there is another episode the following week that our heroes will survive whatever happens and perhaps survive to overcome that predicament. All of this has already been assured because of the author.

While I had that image in my head, then in line with the whole concept of seeking and with the hear of that found in Hebrews 11:6 I was also reminded about how seeking after God is like the whole point of a detective and then this image came aboard

Who would have thought it Jessica Fletcher and Jesus Christ in the same thought? There we are though. Here is an author who writes crime novels and gets her inspiration by the real criminal mysteries she engages her mind to solve. To me this is the assurance we have which is why we focus on Jesus. Through the perilous and challenging times we go through where it would be easy to give up we hold, we persevere, because we read the script, we know the Author, we seek the Author constantly who should know what we’re after, because He is who we’re after.

Not only should He know, but as stated recently, He is the Creator – He knows the beginning for the end. So we seek the Author to be reassured again that just as He was able to go through because of what He knew lay ahead, we can go on because He is ahead. Not only is He ahead, but He has written the script and what He starts, He finishes.

That’s why it’s so important that we seek the Author and in the process of seeking Him and reading our roles in His script He finishes us off – He ensures that we come out like pure gold. We can read the end of the script and see a character that has been fully formed by the episodes of faith that funnily enough make us more like the Author.

For His Name's Sake

Shalom

dmcd

Seekers Start With Word From The Beginning

I am back again in the land of blogging after several days away from net access. I’ve got loads more to share which will come in due time. What you’re about to read is the blog entry I had all specially prepared for Thursday. There’ll be more in catching up on what’s been going on in due time.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (John 1:1)

Of all the gospels, John’s one often comes across often as the most intriguing, mysterious and compelling. Whereas Matthew outlines Jesus as the fulfilment of scripture and Mark’s Jesus is an action man suffering as a servant whilst ruling as Lord and Luke’s appeals to a universal audience, John’s portrait of Jesus is both intimate and familial and divine and magisterial. Nothing conjures that up more than the first chapter where you get those at 11 titles/names for Jesus all on display and we are not just introduced to the Promised Messiah or a Suffering Sovereign or a Man of All Peoples but we are met by this awesome yet very present God.

And then to kick it all of we get those amazing first words of the gospel account that mesmerise me more than virtually any other verse in scripture as it holds me to that which I love most – Jesus is the Word. And the Word was at the beginning. Light brought life indeed as a very real reading of created order, but Light was first thought expressed in Word.

For even as we recall Genesis 1’s account of how things came to be nothing happened until Light – as long as it was ‘let there be’ there was a divine intake of breath in anticipation … let there be what? There it exploded – Light. Word creates and all things thus came from Word.

Now some of us faith dudes get all hung up on it especially running away with verses like ‘life and death is in the power of the tongue’ and believing our words hold the very same creative power as God’s. If that genuinely is the case then there must be a number of disappointed speakers because for all the words spoken for financial prosperity and global harmony neither reality seems to have hit the earth in a very real way for the masses.

This is not to neglect the importance of words, but it is to set the Divine Order above our efforts. It is also to remind us, especially me, that if we are to see results for the words spoken, it is in our/my best interests to go back to aligning ourselves/myself with the original Word. Not only that but in pursuit of God we go back to the beginning and we see Him expressing Himself as, in and through Word.

Today has been a really good day. Part of it was spent walking the streets of Glasgow city centre getting a feel for the place and I must say I like the feel. It is not hectic at all, even with the amount of people that go in and out of it I never got anything near the sense of speed and hyper-activity that characterises a place like London or Birmingham.

It’s hardly a friendly town, but there are a lot more natural smiles on faces than I find in Stoke-on-Trent for example and there’s definitely no sense of depression that is also accustomed with S-o-T. That’s not to decry S-o-T, I still love living there, but some experiences have to be acknowledged and that’s one of them!

Glasgow is a rather imposing and foreboding structured city centre architecturally as the building look over you, but that adds to the feel of the city. I like it. I’d definitely like to come here again and find out a bit more about it experience one or two different things.

I am not here presently though on a sight-seeing tour. In regard to what I am here for it has been a most relaxing, engaging, refreshing and reinvigorating day in the sense of being able to attune myself and focus on who I am and what God has called me to do. The majority of the day was spent with words – words read, words thought, words written and on the rarest of occasions words spoken.

Those words have helped crystallised a lot of things in terms of reaffirming my focus and as with any team building the system around the focus. It is very much like the syndrome of having a star player and building the team to play around his strengths and that can definitely be seen in the engagement I am pursuing.

Herein lies the issue and this is why Jesus as the centre of all life is so crucial. He is the star player around which the team of life plays around. He is the creator – both in the football analogy and in real life. He starts the passes going and He sets up achieving all the main goals in life. He directs traffic and He is the first port of defence to prevent conceding any own goals. He is the one that makes everything happen for the glory of His Father by the power of the Word.

So to guarantee success, today in the cherished city of Glasgow I have been reminded, it is all down to being in the Word.

For His Name's Sake

Shalom

dmcd

Seeking Makes Sense

This blog entry has been a week in the making. Last Wednesday as I got my laptop out and set up stuff for the evening’s cell group session I reflected on the text I’d sent to Authrine. I told her that we needed to get some smelling stuff for the front room and our bedroom. The thought suddenly occurred to me that in seeking God, He expects us to use all of our senses – smell, see, taste, hear and feel. Searching for Him is not something that can be done by one sense alone, but a combination of all of them. He can be experienced through all of them.

Now I know that there is the thing about being careful not depend n our natural senses. We live in a material world where one of the great deceptions is to get people to depend only on what they can see with the natural and what they can physically attain. That’s the great deception that suckered the first couple and it’s the great deception that Jesus snookered by giving the Word’s supremacy in all things.

Acknowledging this, however, the point about seeking God with all the senses is about recognising God uses these to make Himself known. We look at some of the more immediate examples of this like being in a beautiful natural setting where the senses are bombarded with the beautiful diversity of creation in whatever aspect. The nostrils are tickled with a distinct soul-pleasing scent, the hands and feet are caressed with the soft grass, the eardrums reverberate to the noise of the animal kingdom in all its pomp and majesty, even the taste-buds take in some pleasures available. Of course the sight we behold in itself is breathtaking and led one songwriter to put it all down and say that on reflection when he considers it all he mentioned to the Almighty How Great Thou Art.

So faith-awakened physical senses are capable of receiving evidences of grace and go on to prick the conscience about the Living God. What I am contending further, however, is that for those who have come in contact with God and are privileged to be doing life in search of Him, those self-same sense can be key aids in interacting and engaging with Him. The whole concept of seeking God reminds me of a detective story especially Columbo. That brother is a pest, he is a dog that cannot be put down, he has the sniff in his nose and he pesters and digs and peeks and feels and prods knowing what we all know, that is the identity of the culprit. He knows it, we know it, but we need to seek out the clues that will bring us to the conclusion.

I confess I’m not that diligent in searching for God. As an audio and visual kinda guy unless I read it or see it then I’ll miss it. Even then to apply myself to that Columbo-like pursuit is not always the case for me. Yet in line with the Fast and the Curious series I recognise the great need for such diligence. Not only is it diligence, but it is diligence with delight. Fully engaging the senses in pursuit of God is not in search of a criminal, it is in search of the Creator, the Father, the Giver of good gifts. Using a waft from a nearby kebab house can even get you twitching to think about food that lasts forever rather than for a second. Feeling some sharp object pierce our flesh can remind us of the nails that tore into the flesh of the Saviour. This is not specious connecting for the sake of it, but it is alerting the senses and the heart to seeking God through the senses.

I write this blog on the seventh floor of a hostel in Glasgow where outside, even at this time of night, there is the noise of traffic and a near train track with the trains going from place to place. Hearing these sounds reminds me of the busyness of life and rushing to and fro for noble or ignoble purposes. It reminds me of the call of God to find His still small voice in the busyness, not to be caught up in the hustle and bustle but be driven by another sound, another rhythm, another beat. It reminds me of how easy it is to be distracted by noble or ignoble purposes, but for my heart to find peace I am to practice even in the middle of a hectic life the ability to be still and know God for who He is. I am aware He is not impressed by my busyness or my work outputs for the day. I am aware that it is not in the noise of my activity that I’ll necessarily find His blessing even if it produces the acclaim of those that look on and material benefits. I am aware that fruitfulness comes through dedicated and consistent, diligent and dogged abiding in Christ. Hearing His voice, smelling the fragrance of His presence, seeing His glory, tasting the satisfying nature of the Bread of life and feeling Him near me guiding me along paths of righteousness …

That is why this month is particularly appropriate for a time to seek God with greater fervency. There is a lot of stuff still on the plate of my life, family developments, church developments, personal developments, relational developments – some very exciting, all very challenging and in the midst of it all I know there be the presence of the risen Saviour beckoning me towards Him. Not neglecting these developments but placing them in the proper perspective of allowing them to be conduits towards Him rather than distractions from Him. Should they be the latter to have the courage to dispel them so that there is nothing that hinders me from embracing Him and seeing Him work through my family, work, church and relationships – not because I dictate His movements, but allow my life to directed by His call towards closer intimacy with Him.

I recognise now more than ever that it’s all well and good encouraging others to start or make progress in their spiritual journey to seeking the Saviour, but the best position that I can do that from is as one humble sojourner seeking Him likewise with all the internal and external senses that He places at my use for His glory.

For His Name's Sake

Shalom

dmcd

September is for Seekers

I wonder if it’s safe to say you’re desperately seeking God? Things go in swings and roundabouts in my life and one of my greatest requests has been for a level of consistency. Still, I’m aware that as with nature we go through various seasons and it’s just about making the most of those seasons and seeing how you are to behave and learn from each. So for example like the Joseph principle to the Pharaoh it’s about saving up in the time of plenty for the inevitable time of lack.

Ever since April, as you may have gathered, it’s been a season for me of at least looking to have a more conscious awareness of the part Jesus plays in my whole life. I’m very much more interested in Him and following Him in the frail way I manage and His grace allows.

Recently I’ve posted about Audio August and how one of the things in that came out of the experience was a desire to focus more on God. In among all of those considerations I came across two familiar verses. The second one (in the order in which I got them) is this one,

And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!" (Luke 11:9-13)

The real deal about the ASK model is almost an invitation to join God on a journey to discover Him and how that quest informs you on all that you need in life, especially when it’s clear that the main goal – the means and the end is Christ. The first part of the ASK model is verbal and conversational, but the second part takes it to active mode, where almost like a treasure hunt we look at the clues of what we’ve been instructed and we go looking. Because we are not looking for health, wealth, fame or those kinds of things, but something far greater – of eternal value, then we are assured that we will always find what we’re looking for. (That must be good news to U2 who apparently still haven’t found …)

This is not something to take complacently, but something to proactively engage in and move with, even as Jesus’ ministry was about movement. Just like the children of Israel who were guided by the pillar of cloud by day and pillar of fire by night, we are always on the move being led by God into the eternal rest we can only find in him.

So motivated by the Spirit of God, every day we go seeking. Where is He today? What is He doing today? What are we invited to witness Him doing and engage with Him? Is it a kind word to a friend? Is it taking care of the children with a trip to the park? Is it by being diligent and attentive at a business meeting? Is it sharing a meal? Is it being patient in the middle of trying circumstances? Where is He? That doesn’t just go for the small stuff, but the bigger stuff as well. In all this as we search for Him, He assures us we find Him, however, this is where the first scripture comes into its own and this is the key verse that I intend to meditate on throughout this month and see what emerges in it as I do some serious seeking of my own.

And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. (Hebrews 11:6)

Now the KJV puts in a word in this verse that I love a lot and that word is diligently. Now why is that so important, well as I’ve mentioned before sometimes you’re up, sometimes you’re down and it’s not always possible to sustain that mood. This verse, though, and the concept of diligence says that not so much despite, but through these ups and downs I am still required to keep searching. In the searching the wisdom emerges. In the searching the peace settles any troubled mind. In the searching a sense of holy contentment is found in the sufficiency of Christ and holy discontent is there in the absence of Him in the lives and situations we come across daily. All in the searching.

So this month is about the seekers. Not airy fairy searching for something quaint spiritually to salve that sense of incompletion. Not the seeker who just wants to find out practical solutions to practical issues. This is about seekers who know that life is about Christ and that if we’re meant to be following Him it would help if we knew where He is on any given day at any given moment.

I hope to note down some of the findings in the search over the month and share them with you here. In the meantime feel free to conduct the search in your own way and see what comes up – this kind of seeking wasn’t designed to be a strictly individual thing especially if the fullness of Christ is to be found in His Body. Let’s go seeking together and see where He is today.

For His Name's Sake

Shalom

dmcd