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I'm sharing this journal entry from one of our sheep / shepherds for your encouragement and invite you to share your stories to keep us connected David
Thursday April 2, 2020: A journal entry:
JESUS WEPT.
A Morning mist of low cloud wrapped soft around the hills.
I read John 6 and tried to ponder on Jesus the living bread. But the mist beckoned and drew me outside, quickly enfolding me in its clammy embrace.
There was no pausing to choose direction. I headed straight up the hill blanketed in the foggy stillness, only birdcall echoing the inner certainty – she’s coming to pray.
Pray up the hill. I haven’t prayed up there for a while. I’ve prayed. But not there on God’s hill, my place of retreat.
At the summit, as cloud drifted and lifted, it was my heart that rained out its anguished plea, the cry for help with COVID19: LORD HEAR OUR PRAYER. Help us Jesus.
That was it. No wordy waffle. I perched on the rim of the damp bench, poised in grief and need; heart, mind and spirit turned to God, “Yet still do I praise you Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Living God.”
A lull then settled over me, like a mute button had been pressed to hush the turmoil of my distressed thoughts and wretched emotions concerning the plight of the world’s people. Wait. Be quiet!
Jesus wept. The words from last Sunday’s reading came to mind loud and clear.
33 When Jesus saw her crying, and the Judaeans who had come with her crying, he was deeply stirred in his spirit, and very troubled. 34 ‘Where have you laid him?’ he asked. ‘Master,’ they said, ‘come and see.’ 35 Jesus burst into tears. (John 11:33-35 NTE)
I too burst into tears, and as I wept, there at the top of the hill, I knew he was weeping with me. Weeping with all the world. Weeping for us all.
Turn to me. And I, turning, vision all awash, could see clearly, he was there. Feed my sheep. To this I shook my head, and thought, I’m no pastor. You are a minister of my word. Therefore, speak my word to others. Speak my word to one another. And suddenly understanding dawned. “You aren’t just saying this to me, are you? It’s your call to all of us: Feed your sheep. The responsibility is ours collectively.” And I pictured the scattered sheep, isolated from one another but belonging together and needing creative new ways of being church and speaking grace and hope to one another and others.
I plunged, then, down the hill, not following the worn paths but winding down the steeper slope, weaving through knee high weeds, around rocky mounds and patches of slippery flattened grass, to emerge at the wider base track.
Now is the time to forge new paths. Jesus is still the Way, the “base track” of my faith remains the same. It’s the network of familiar paths that represent how we have lived out our faith, that have fallen away, not God’s word or his kingdom, or his love.
I am thankful for this love that comes to us where we are: scattered sheep weeping in the mist of uncertainty. I’m thankful that Jesus wept and that his way isn’t set in stone. That he comes and calls us to discover a new and living way, today and tomorrow and the next day. Hallelujah! This is a new day! And the Jesus who weeps with us in our distress will renew us and lead us on beyond COVID19.
JESUS WEPT.
The autumn sun filtered a pale ray through the drifting grey. A reminder that the God who weeps, also sheds light as well as tears.
My Secure Anchor 35th Day in Lent (Monday) Read: Hebrews 6:16-20 “We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.” Hebrews 6:19a (NIV)
While living in Loxton we got ourselves a little runabout boat to tour the Murray River and to have some fun with inflatables that we pulled behind it. One weekend we took the boat out for a picnic to have on board with the children. We motored to a lovely inlet just off the main Murray (Katarapko Creek) and my husband put down the anchor. The Murray River is a dangerous river, for there are swift undercurrents as well as holes in the river floor. It is very important to wear a life jacket. We were not planning on swimming as the weather was cool. But… that was until our anchor became stuck and wedged on a tree root.
I volunteered to go in (with a life jacket) to untangle the anchor. We were close to shore, so I thought it wasn’t deep – that was before going in and finding the water over my head. My husband had a hold of my life jacket the whole time I tried to untangle the anchor. I finally got it free, and the boat started to drift off. But my husband kept ahold of me. I really love the analogy that Paul uses for God as an anchor. There are so many things around us that keep changing – circumstances with family, finances, jobs; but that is what is so wonderful about God – He will never let go of us in any circumstance.
This is the hope that we hold onto. This can encourage us when faced with seemingly calm waters, but underneath are huge currents and holes which can cause us to go under. God holds onto us in all and every situation. He is a firm and secure anchor! We are going through Holy Week. Yesterday we celebrated with the King entering Jerusalem, today we walk with Jesus towards the cross. For God to send His Son to the cross for our sake, sealed our salvation. God’s love for us is unwavering – He has promised us eternal life, and He sealed it for us forever with an oath. His sinless Son would take our sin upon Himself on the cross and then rise to glory. This promise for us is sure!
Prayer: My loving Father, thank you that you hold onto me and will never let me go. You love me with an unfailing love. Help me to share the hope of life eternal with you. Amen.
Christ Our Hero Palm/Passion Sunday Read: Hebrews 3:1-6 “But Christ is faithful as the Son over God’s house. And we are his house, if indeed we hold firmly to our confidence and the hope in which we glory.” Hebrews 3:6 (NIV)
Many have heard of Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906-1945) for his unfailing faith and hope in His Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. He was a German Lutheran pastor, theologian and expressed anti-Nazi sentiments during WW2 for which he was imprisoned for two years. Due to his resistance to the Nazi regime, he was hung for his beliefs in Flossenbürg Concentration Camp one month before the end of WW2 in Europe.
He was considered a hero of the faith, for he served as an example of faithfulness to his Lord. He never thought himself a hero, rather Deitrich emphasised that the greatest heroism and salvation comes from Jesus Christ. Today is Palm Sunday and we celebrate the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem as a King. Later this week we see the sentiments change very quickly, with Jesus being sentenced to death as a usurper and troublemaker by the very people He was trying to save. But today we see Him being heralded as a King.
People saw Dietrich Bonhoeffer as a martyr of the faith, but really it is Jesus who Dietrich was defending who was the martyr. Bonhoeffer was faithful to the end, but Jesus has been faithful to His Heavenly Father from the beginning of time. Jesus returned to Jerusalem knowing that He was going to His death, but the people greeted Him with loud ‘Hosannas’ – He was coming to be their King and Saviour. The people of the time wanted Jesus as an earthly King to overthrow the Roman Government, but Jesus came to overthrow the power that sin and death has on everyone.
He came as a Heavenly King. This is the hope that we hold on to. We have a hope and confidence in Jesus as our Saviour. The Bible verse encourages all believers to hold tight to this hope and to remain faithful to the end. Bonhoeffer and other heroes of the faith were faithful to their Lord and Saviour which remind us to also hold fast to our faith and hope. Jesus Christ remains faithful to us, let us remain faithful to Him!
Prayer: Thank you, Lord Jesus, that you love me with an everlasting love. Your grace and love bring me the hope of salvation and life everlasting with you. Hosanna in the Highest! Amen.
Eternal Hope 34th Day in Lent (Saturday) Read: Titus 3:3-8 “… so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.” Titus 3:7 (NIV)
For his birthday, I gave my husband a subscription to the website – ‘My Heritage’. Since travelling to Europe last year and doing a pilgrimage through my family’s heritage towns in Poland and Harz Mountains, Germany and then Mark’s family towns throughout Denmark; even through all the Martin Luther heritage places, we have become excited about knowing more about our family history. Not only finding out their names and places and dates but also trying to find out who they were and about their faith. Why did our families want to travel a long and unknown journey to Australia and USA?
What drove them to leave their families and church? Mark has been able to trace one of his ancestors back to the 1600’s on the tiny island of Ærø, one of Denmark’s islands. Apparently, generations have lived there and grown up on this little island. We are the heirs of all our ancestor’s faith wherever they lived as families. Our faith has been passed down through the faithfulness of our ancestors who are now experiencing the eternal hope of life with God. Our ancestors were not perfect, nor did they have perfect lives and never sinned. But one thing that was passed on is that we are forgiven through the love of a loving Father who sent his Son and heir to suffer for us and bring us justification (forgiveness) for our wrongdoings.
God gave this to us freely because we are His children and he has made us heirs of His kingdom. All those faithful who have gone before us are enjoying their eternal home. We can also read of all the faithful people of God in the Bible. God saved them, not because He had to, but because He wanted all to inherit eternal life. Our God is a generous and loving Father wanting all to come to know Him. Help the future generations to come to know Jesus. They are also heirs, but they just need to know Him. Remember, God’s family extends beyond us… make sure they know!
Prayer: My dear loving Father, you have loved and cared for me before I was even born. Your love extends through generations. Help me to teach my family about the love of a faithful Father. Amen