I found two messages conveyed by Andrew in today's sermon to be especially meaningful for me. I have always found the concept of the devil to be unclear and confusing, but Andrew's choice to include the story of the devil tempting the man in the form of the angel Gabriel helped illustrate to me that humility can be a way of dealing with evil influences. The other message conveyed by Andrew in his sermon that I found especially helpful was that God is always nearby and is there to persevere right along with us (book of Ephesians).
These two messages will prove inspiring for me in the week ahead.
By Stacey Huber
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Sunday, February 20
A few weeks ago, our voice in the desert talked about gentle water gradually wearing down the rock. I found such comfort in that image and couldn't get it out of my mind. Then this morning we read Ezekiel 37, about the dry bones coming to life, and 1 Corinthians 12, all the different gifts within the body of believers.
That image of the water droplets was so calm, so gradual, so passive. This morning there was sudden, dramatic action! There were responsibilities to fulfill; there was a tangle of bones and of people. It was so important for me to hear how it's not just God working (slowly) on me as an individual. It's also how together we are working to help each other, using our individual gifts in community, that allows us to grow in our relationship with God.
Maureen.
That image of the water droplets was so calm, so gradual, so passive. This morning there was sudden, dramatic action! There were responsibilities to fulfill; there was a tangle of bones and of people. It was so important for me to hear how it's not just God working (slowly) on me as an individual. It's also how together we are working to help each other, using our individual gifts in community, that allows us to grow in our relationship with God.
Maureen.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
PWS&D Sunday
“The task ahead of us is never as mighty as the power behind us.” This reminder came near the close of today’s sermon from Barb Summers on Presbyterian World Service and Development Sunday.
I should have paid closer attention to the title of her talk – “The Other Half of the Story” – as she started out with many statistics attesting to the brokenness of our world, I thought, “Oh dear, another depressing newspaper talk.” But no, the other half of the story is the positive news about PWS&D’s work in the world.
Barb spoke eloquently and inspirationally about her work and PWS&D’s successes. She personalised the line item on our donation envelopes with a couple of examples that she has witnessed: a Pakistani woman enabled to feed her children and to participate in the productivity of her village, women in India celebrating their collective potential and influence.
“The task ahead of us is never as mighty as the power behind us.” A thought for us all to reflect upon in our lives, and something that makes me more curious to learn more about PWS&D’s work in the world.
-Geoffrey
UPDATE: Barb Summers' sermon can be heard here: The Other Half of the Story
I should have paid closer attention to the title of her talk – “The Other Half of the Story” – as she started out with many statistics attesting to the brokenness of our world, I thought, “Oh dear, another depressing newspaper talk.” But no, the other half of the story is the positive news about PWS&D’s work in the world.
Barb spoke eloquently and inspirationally about her work and PWS&D’s successes. She personalised the line item on our donation envelopes with a couple of examples that she has witnessed: a Pakistani woman enabled to feed her children and to participate in the productivity of her village, women in India celebrating their collective potential and influence.
“The task ahead of us is never as mighty as the power behind us.” A thought for us all to reflect upon in our lives, and something that makes me more curious to learn more about PWS&D’s work in the world.
-Geoffrey
UPDATE: Barb Summers' sermon can be heard here: The Other Half of the Story
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Sunday, February 6
Last Sunday our worship service was especially moving. Psalm 19, and of course Isaiah, are powerful poetry that I wait for, and one of the pleasures of the 9:30 AM service is to hear the readings in Andrew Johnston's trained and intelligent voice. We can listen fearlessly, confident that he will make sense of Paul's most convoluted reasonings, while never, never barking his vocal cards on a nasty bit of protruding syntax.
The sermon began, like many newspaper articles at this time of year, with reference to fitness--spiritual fitness, though, and the daily exercises required for it. One of these is listening, and I thought about the different feeling that I get from the words "listening" and "hearing." "Listening" seems to be about focus and attention consciously directed outside the self. "Hearing" has a sense of allowing words to enter into body and mind, where over time they may be transformative. That, in fact, was the message.
A moderate among the 4th-Century desert fathers (mothers too, Andrew said, but did anyone save the fragments the women left behind?), Abba Poemen spoke about the way hard stone yields over time to yielding drops of water, which wear it away, as the tender Word of God, heard again and again, softens our stony hearts. Andrew reminded us that the Christian Bible is not itself the Word of God, as my Presbyterian grandfather would have it, but a witness to the Word who is Christ.
The desert Christians broke free from the comforts of an official and acknowledged religion. While they came together for worship, they found their own ways to God, hearing his voice in the silence. We need to find spaces in our noisy lives to listen for the whispers of God and courage to be led where perhaps the church has not yet been brave enough to go.
After the service I found a corner where I could drink my coffee in calmness and joy. Now to keep that feeling for the rest of the week!
The sermon began, like many newspaper articles at this time of year, with reference to fitness--spiritual fitness, though, and the daily exercises required for it. One of these is listening, and I thought about the different feeling that I get from the words "listening" and "hearing." "Listening" seems to be about focus and attention consciously directed outside the self. "Hearing" has a sense of allowing words to enter into body and mind, where over time they may be transformative. That, in fact, was the message.
A moderate among the 4th-Century desert fathers (mothers too, Andrew said, but did anyone save the fragments the women left behind?), Abba Poemen spoke about the way hard stone yields over time to yielding drops of water, which wear it away, as the tender Word of God, heard again and again, softens our stony hearts. Andrew reminded us that the Christian Bible is not itself the Word of God, as my Presbyterian grandfather would have it, but a witness to the Word who is Christ.
The desert Christians broke free from the comforts of an official and acknowledged religion. While they came together for worship, they found their own ways to God, hearing his voice in the silence. We need to find spaces in our noisy lives to listen for the whispers of God and courage to be led where perhaps the church has not yet been brave enough to go.
After the service I found a corner where I could drink my coffee in calmness and joy. Now to keep that feeling for the rest of the week!
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