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Mary’s heart lurched as she thought of her first-born, now a grown man. What could she do?  He wasn’t eating properly. He was working himself to the bone. He had made some powerful enemies. And she was seriously concerned for his mental health. 

“He’s out of his mind,” her younger sons had insisted. Rumour had it that some religious leaders considered him possessed by the devil. Oh yes, he may be special, this son of hers, but he was still her son and she couldn’t help but worry. 

If only he would listen to her. She would insist that he come home for a few square meals and some solid sleep. ‘Mother knows best,’ Mary would say. With her younger sons by her side for physical and moral support, she made her way to the home where Jesus was, yet again, working hard … too hard.

Encircled by admirers

Mary did, indeed, have reason to be concerned. Even as she waited outside, Jesus was inside vehemently refuting the blasphemous accusation that his power came from Satan. Yet, as he argued with those pompous teachers of the law who had come down from Jerusalem, sitting around him were people who accepted him as God-sent. They didn’t have the whole picture, but their hearts were in the right place.

A message was passed to Jesus through the crowd which was packed into this stuffy, overfilled room. “Your mother and brothers are outside. They’re looking for you.” 

Jesus looked up. “Who are my mother and brothers?”  Nobody quite knew how to answer. He turned to each of those everyday men (and women?) who were seated in a circle around him, perhaps looking deep into the eyes of each one.

“Here are my mother and brothers,” said Jesus, indicating his loyal followers. What?! Poor Mary. Surely her heart, already in knots, would fray and rip when these words were relayed to her. 

“Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother,” he continued. 

Sisters? Where did that come from? Were there women in the circle too? Certainly there were women who believed he was who he claimed to be even back then. Was he also thinking of the many who would follow him in the years to come, right down to us today?

Brought into the family

As I meditate on this scene, I identify with Mary, probably because she was likely in her mid or late forties at the time, just a few years younger than I am now. On the one hand, my heart breaks for her, standing outside, hearing Jesus apparently disown her. Yet on the other hand, I am comforted by the knowledge that Jesus would later take special notice of her in what would be his and her darkest hour both. He would entrust her to the care of his dear friend, John. Jesus hadn’t rejected her. But he had a divinely ordained role to fulfil, and Mary’s desire to smother him with mothering wasn’t appropriate.

Jesus’ point was this: Whoever does God’s will is Jesus’ brother and sister and mother. 

That includes us, his followers who live two millennia after this emotion-charged event. 

Did those people who were seated in a circle around him back then know and understand everything about the great mystery of Jesus’ work? No, of course not. But their hearts were in the right place. 

Plans for the year

At this time of year, I usually put together a ‘PMP’ (Personal Ministry Plan) for the upcoming twelve months, as well as look back on the year past. Don’t be impressed – I do it because it is ‘strongly encouraged’ (required, ideally) by the agency through which I work. I am asking God these days where he would have me focus during the year ahead.

What does it mean to ‘do God’s will’?

God’s will for us in the big things is obvious. He wants us to love him first and foremost, and then to love those around us in the same way that we love ourselves.  As for matters specific to my life, I look to him for direction and make the best plans I can. I’m encouraged from this passage that I don’t need to understand it all, but challenged that my heart needs to be in the right place. 

When I do that, Jesus calls me ‘sister’. I am his little sister. There is no way I can begin to identify with the role of ‘mother’ in this sense. ‘Baby sister’ of the Son of God is hard enough to get my head around. But understand it or not, that is what Jesus considers me … that is what he considers us … if only we do God’s will.

A warning and an encouragement 

Mary’s heart was tied in knots that evening as she worried for her son. But just a few short years later, Mary would become an integral part of the early church. It was a community which also included Mary’s other sons (Acts 1:14). Phew!

As an ordinary Christian woman who identifies with Mary in this story, I am so pleased to know that Jesus cared well for this dear lady who loved him so very much. I still feel very sad, though, when I imagine Mary being given ‘the cold shoulder’ while Jesus got on with fulfilling God’s will. I take this as a warning. It is pointless and a waste of time and energy to get so caught up in what I think is best that I miss what God wants of me.

And as an ordinary Christian woman, I’m tremendously encouraged to think that Jesus calls me ‘sister’ when I do God’s will. I still don’t have the full picture – it is too great a mystery – but I know and accept that, through faith in Jesus, we are given his spirit who indwells us and identifies us as sons and daughters of God Almighty.

And so, as I look to the year ahead, I am encouraged. Come what may, my big brother has it all in hand. 

“I will always be grateful to Australia for sending volunteers to my country. One of them changed my life.”  

Rescued

The young woman, her long hair pulled back in a pony tail, a friendly smile, and two bags of groceries, had just rescued me. She had grabbed me, pulling me out of the way of a speeding motorbike as I approached the songthaew, a share taxi of sorts common in Thailand. Let’s call my rescuer ‘Linh’. 

Linh was catching the songthaew too. She was delighted to hear that I was from Australia. And I was proud that a fellow Australian had turned this girl’s life around. 

It happened when an academic in the area of international development had volunteered for a year in Vietnam, Linh’s home country. She had helped Linh and others in her community recognise problems women faced there and mobilised them to do something about it. And then she had used her connections to get Linh a full scholarship to study international development in New Zealand.

All that is how Linh herself now works for a non-government organisation that strives to empower women.  And why she has such excellent English.

A conversation

I had caught this songtheaw to go to church. Linh’s ears almost visibly pricked up. Leaning forward, she asked, “Are you a Christian?”  I responded enthusiastically in the affirmative. “Then we have so much in common,” she gushed. “I’m a Buddhist. We all like to do good things in our communities. I work with a lot of Christians, and I see this all the time. What else do you think is similar in our religions?” 

What a question. I pointed out that she and I share a desire to do good and a general sense of peace. But as tactfully as possible, I pointed out that there are significant differences between our religions too. Christians believe in a God who created and sustains all that is. Many Buddhists have a strong sense of the spirit world but not of a creator and sustainer. Our motivations for doing good are different too, and relate to our beliefs about eternity. 

“Oh, I’m not a very devout Buddhist. I’m just a general Buddhist,” she said.  “And I like the Christians I work with. We have a lot in common.” 

I wish that there was a neat and happy end to this tale. However, there is not. The songthaew pulled up at my stop. As I clambered ungracefully out of the red vehicle, I urged Linh to find a church – either one that her Christian colleagues went to or the international church that I was headed for – and explore this question further.

A prayer

Do you know any Christians working cross-culturally? If you do, and if you pray, could you place two matters before our Creator and Sustainer right now, even as you read this little tale? 

1. Ask God to give your cross-cultural worker friends wisdom about how to balance ‘word’ and ‘deed’.  Linh has seen lots of good deeds done by Christians and knows of the faith that motivates them, but she has yet to hear and grasp the ‘Word’.
2. Give thanks for the academic who volunteered her time and expertise and, in so doing, changed the trajectory of Linh’s life. Ask that many more like her will go to communities like Linh’s, but that they will also bring with them the good news that Jesus offers – eternal life. 

May God hear and answer our prayers, and may he turn Linh’s heart to himself too.

“I am the light of the world” – religious rulers

You could have cut the air with a knife. For the onlookers, it would have been better than reality TV in the 21st century, and more significant. 

It was a Sabbath morning – a holy day for the Jews. Yet rest, Jesus did not. He arrived at the temple at dawn and began teaching. At dawn?! I value my slow, restful Sunday mornings. (And yes, I realise that Sunday is not the Jewish Sabbath.) That was a different time and place, to be sure, but I’m glad I live in 21st century suburbia. 

Can you imagine being part of the crowd which had gathered around Jesus that morning?  You strain to hear every word. You ‘ooh’ and ‘aah’ at the theatrics of the conflict between Jesus and the religious leaders. Little do you realise that a response will be required of you and soon. (See John 9:22)

Jesus made his main teaching point for the day. It was this: “I am the light of the world” (John 8:11). 

“By whose authority?,” demanded the religious leaders.

That led on to a complicated interchange, increasingly passionate, including accusations from both parties (Jesus and the religious leaders both) about the other party being demonic! 

It culminated in Jesus’ claim to be divine “Before Abraham was born, I am,” he announced. 

The religious leaders tried to stone him to death in response. 

“I am the light of the world” – a blind beggar

Having slipped away from the murderous crowd, Jesus and his disciples came across a blind beggar. There is no record in John of this man seeking Jesus. It was all about Jesus seeking him. 

Again, Jesus declared, “I am the light of the world.” He then proceeded with step one of the man’s healing.

Jesus made a mud mask for the blind man’s eyes from his saliva and dirt. But the second part of the miracle was up to the man. Would he obey Jesus’ instructions and go and wash in the particular pool expressly stipulated by Jesus? 

He went, he washed, and he could see. Can you imagine seeing colour for the first time? Hurrying home along familiar streets full of unfamiliar sights? Seeing your mother’s face? 

Extensive questioning by those finicky Pharisees followed. In his plain telling of truth, the formerly blind man unwittingly answered the Pharisees’ earlier questions of ‘By whose authority?’ “If this man were not from God, he could do nothing,” the young man stated simply,  culminating in him being thrown out of the synagogue. 

Jesus found him for the second time. Again, he explained who he was, this time identifying himself as the long-ago-prophesied “Son of Man”. 

The seeing young man worshipped in response. 

“I am the light of the world” – modern men and women“

The events of that Sabbath day long ago held enormous significance for the people of that time and place. But what about us? 

We also have a response to make. 

The same writer who recorded the events of that eventful Sabbath day so long ago would explain many years later to people who lived far away what this claim of Jesus meant for them. (See 1 John and particularly 1 John 1:5-2:11.) It boils down to making Jesus Lord of our everyday lives, especially impacting our relationships with one another. 

I did not go looking for Jesus. Not at the beginning. Jesus found me. Yet although he has done everything necessary for me to have spiritual sight, I still have a part to play. May I not be blinded by a sense of self-importance or culture or learning as the Pharisees in the temple grounds were that morning. May I recognise reality for what it is, my spiritual eyes keen. 

And as we ‘walk in the light’, may we ‘shine like stars in the universe as we hold out the word of life’ for the glory of God.  (1 John 1:7 and Philippians 2:15b-16a) 

Let me say this up front…….I am no poet. 

However, you can’t go wrong with haikou, a poem of only three structured lines, can you? This is the stuff of school classrooms. Five syllables – seven syllables – five syllables. That’s it.  (Though I suspect it works better in Japanese from which it originated.) 

I’m also enjoying a delightful blog post on ‘mindfulness’ written from a Protestant Christian perspective, in which haiku is recommended. And so I decided to give it a go.

Okay … the truth is that I’m procrastinating. I have a assignment due, which is partly on the practice of silence as a spiritual discipline. But first, a haiku. Drum roll, please……

The sound of silence,

Manic mind urging action,

God is God – not me. 

Does silence have a sound?  In the experience of the Biblical prophet Elijah, God was present in ‘a sound of sheer silence’ (1 Kings 19:12 NRSV). As I write these words, I hear birds, traffic and a snoring cat. I think ‘sheer silence’ could be a little unnerving, don’t you?

When I stop and try to focus on God, everything else suddenly seems so urgent. I’m inspired to clean cobwebs, jot items on my ‘to do’ list and save the world. But I persevere, drawing my attention back to God.

Although there is nothing spectacular about the experience … well, not my experiences, anyhow … a significant change of mindset comes from sitting silently in God’s presence. I recognise that I am only human. Oh yes, God gives me a role to play in his work in this freckle of time in which we live. But he is God – not me. 

I am no poet. But haiku is a fun exercise that forces you to choose your words carefully. It helped crystallise my thoughts about silence as a spiritual discipline too. 

Give it a go.

Footnote 1:  https://soulsculpting.wordpress.com/resources/ by Cheri Howard, accessed 8 January 2018 

Should Christians fast from time to time? I have always considered it an ‘optional extra’ for the very devout or utterly desperate. However, after reading a chapter from Richard Foster’s most excellent book ‘Celebration of Discipline’ on the matter, I’m having second thoughts. Am I just a soft modern westerner who fits well into our culture of indulging almost every little whim … a culture which I quite like, incidentally. 

Allow me to think through this question in the format of this blog post. It helps me and it may give you some food for thought too … though ‘food’ for thought is probably not the best analogy. This blog post may give you ‘something to chew over’ perhaps. No, that doesn’t work either. Just think about it okay?

Fasting out of desperation

“Almighty God, you MUST step in and fix this problem. We are absolutely helpless. Only you can do this. Please, please, please, please, PLEASE.”  

That was my prayer of desperation back in the year 2000, and it drove me to fasting.  Was it an attempt to manipulate God?  Perhaps, but I don’t think that was a problem. God knew my heart. My fast only lasted a few days. I was irritable and headachey and so run down that I succumbed to a nasty cold before I finished. But God stepped in and answered the prayers of many, mine included, and I will always be grateful. 

For a while, in the early days of my work in Asia, I used to regularly fast for 2/3 of the day once a week. (I had one small meal on that day). It was a good habit. Chinese is one of the hardest languages in the world to learn (see footnote 1) and I was desperate. Hence the fasting.

Many years later, I watched friends fast for forty days. I admired them tremendously even before the fast. I was somewhat concerned as I saw them fade away to very little. They drank supplements that kept them healthy, however, unlike my short but desperate fast years earlier. I also saw significant breakthroughs in their ministry about this time. They are my heroes.

Biblical examples and teaching about fasting

It surprised me to realise that fasting was a custom throughout the centuries all throughout Scripture, even though language and culture changed significantly along the way. Key figures whose fasting we read about include Moses (Exodus 34:28), King David (2 Samuel 12:16), Elijah (1 Kings 19:8),  Isaiah, who taught at length about the importance of the heart when fasting (Isaiah 58), Daniel, who did partial fasts, at least (Daniel 1:12, 10:2-3), Queen Esther and many of her peers (Esther 4:16), Anna the prophetess (Luke 2:37),  Jesus (Matthew 4:2) and the early church (Acts 13:2-3). If they all practised fasting, and presumably many more besides, shouldn’t we consider it? 

Jesus explicitly taught about fasting (Matthew 6:16-18). He preceded his discourse by the clause ‘WHEN you fast’ and not ‘IF you fast’. Having said that, he did not ask his disciples to fast during his time in public ministry, in contrast to other religious leaders at the time (Matthew 9:14). He expected them to make the most of every day that he was with him … and he also expected that they would fast once he was gone (Matthew 9:15).

Interesting asides

I knew about Ramadan, of course, but I was surprised to learn that most religions have an expectation of followers fasting from time to time, including Judaism.  This isn’t a reason for Christians to fast, but just an interesting aside. Another inspiring aside is the example of a delightful British monk who thoroughly enjoys fish’n’chips and who fasts most Wednesdays and Fridays – I read about him in a secular article about fasting (see footnote 2).

These days, there is a lot of awareness in the secular world of the health benefits of what is called ‘intermittent fasting’. Just last month, a local TV station in my area broadcast a segment on how to avoid Christmas weight gain. It involved partial fasting (see footnote 3). It’s a no-brainer, really. 

Interesting asides aside, Christian fasting isn’t primarily about healthy living. Improved health is a positive outcome though, don’t you think? 

The main point

The main point of this blog post is to raise our awareness of a particular spiritual discipline – fasting. Fasting is not a salvation issue, and I’m not suggesting that we all need to do it. But key men and women of God in the Bible, at least, sure seemed to think that it was a good idea.

Will I put my words into practice and actually start fasting occasionally, not out of desperation, but as worship? Well, if I were to tell you that I will, I’d be going against Jesus’ explicit instructions to fast in secret (Matthew 6:18). But if I were to tell you that I was not planning to fast now and then, then it would be obvious that I was like that poor fool who looks in a mirror and then goes away and forgets all about it (James 1:23-24).

So I shall tell you nothing.

(1) https://www.atlasandboots.com/foreign-service-institute-language-difficulty/ accessed 7 Jan 2018

(2) https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-25592458   accessed 7 Jan 2018 

(3) https://coach.nine.com.au/2018/12/13/08/47/michael-mosley-weight-gain accessed 7 Jan 2018

Exposed. Naked. Or so it feels.  

I am trying to squeeze into my swimmers. 

It’s been years since I have swum.  It is only the possibility of getting in shape and the opportunity and accountability of swimming with somebody else that has convinced me to pull my abandoned swimwear out of the bottom drawer.  I checked to make sure that my swimmers still fit and the fabric hasn’t decayed. They’re okay … but don’t think I’m going to post photos. No way. 

This experience reminds me of how God sees us. In fact, he sees even more than a middle-aged lady clothed in lycra. His focus goes straight to the heart. 

God sees our hearts

The Bible is full of statements about God seeing our hearts. (See the list at the end of this post.) What he sees is often ugly. Despite what some people say, I don’t think that our society is getting worse, although in my country, at least, ‘tolerance’ is increasingly valued.  We’re not told much about what God saw of human hearts in Noah’s day, but we are told the it was not a pretty picture (Genesis 6:5-6). Millenia later, in the book of Romans, we read that God turns us over to the desires of our hearts when we reject him, causing our society to degenerate into disaster (Romans 1:18-32).

If anybody else were examining my heart, I’d be more than a little self-conscious. I don’t want you to see the spirit of criticism that rears its ugly head from time to time. The perfectionism that keeps me from productivity is something else I am working on even through keeping this blog. Exposing my heart to others would be worse than going to the shopping centre in my swimmers. 

The Emperor’s New Clothes

‘The Emperor’s New Clothes’ is a tale by Hans Christian Anderson about an emperor who believed he was wearing magnificent clothes which were invisible to anybody unworthy of being in his presence.  Of course, nobody was willing to admit that they couldn’t see his clothes. Everybody pretended … or almost everybody … that he was magnificently attired.

I sometimes feel a bit like that emperor. Don’t you? I act like I have it all together, calm and in control of any little thing that comes up. Sometimes I even believe it myself. But do you know the truth of what is in my heart? I’m not sure that I even understand my heart’s depths. 

But God does. 

Adam and Eve

Shame. Horror. Embarrassment. 

After eating the forbidden fruit, Eve and Adam realised that they were naked. 

I wonder if they hid from one another? They certainly attempted to hide from God. Whatever did they use to sew those fig leaves together to make clothes? Vines? They must have been desperate. Big chunks of bark is what I would use were I to find myself in such a predicament in the Australian bush. Perhaps with huge tree fern leaves over the top.

Comfort 

Were it not for Jesus, I could not be comforted by the knowledge that God sees my heart. I would be like Adam and Eve, desperately grabbing anything at hand to try and cover whatever I could. But even when I was at my worst, Jesus died for me. The risen Jesus has put his Spirit in my heart, and works in me to make me more like himself. It’s a slow process. 

Because God knows the worst of it already, I don’t need to pretend to have it all together.  I can be myself  … though I’m motivated to be the best version of myself possible because I know he is watching.

Exposed. Naked. And yet not condemned nor ridiculed. In the words of the Biblical writer to the Hebrews, “…let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.” (Hebrews 10:22 NIV)

But as for being comfortable in swimwear out in public, that is a different story.

—————————————————————-

‘God sees our hearts’ – a concept seen throughout the Bible

Genesis 6:5 God knows the inclinations of the thoughts of human hearts. 

Genesis 8:21 God knows every inclination of the human heart.

1 Samuel 16:7 People look at the external appearance, but God looks at the heart. 

1 Kings 8:39 God alone knows every human heart.

1 Chronicles 28:9. The Lord searches every heart and understands every desire and every thought.

1 Chronicles 29:17 God tests our hearts. 

Psalm 7:9 God probes hearts and minds.

Psalm 44:21 God knows the secrets of our hearts. 

Proverbs 21:2 The Lord weighs the heart. 

Jeremiah 11:20 God tests our hearts and minds. 

Jeremiah 17:10 God searches our hearts and examines our minds.

Matthew 9:4 Knowing the thoughts of his listeners, Jesus asked, “Why do you entertain such thoughts in your hearts?”

Luke 5:22 Again, Jesus knew what they were thinking and asked, “Why are you thinking these things in your hearts?”

Luke 16:15   God knows our hearts. 

Acts 1;24 God knows everyone’s heart.

Acts 15:8 God knows the heart.

Romans 8:27 God searches our hearts.

1 Corinthians 4:5 God will expose the motives of our hearts.

1 Corinthians 14:15 The secrets of our hearts will be laid bare. 

Hebrews 4:12 The word of God judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. 

1 John 3:20 God is greater than our hearts and he knows everything. 

Inadequacy yet success … this has been the recurring theme of my year. How about yours?

At this time of year, I find it helpful to look back over the past twelve months. The good old Ignition ‘Examen’ exercise is helpful. Some prompts can be found in this article: https://www.ignatianspirituality.com/20131/examen-prayer-for-the-year

I won’t share all of my ‘Examen for the year’ ponderings with you. However, I would like to touch on a few highlights.

Gratitude

There is a great deal for which I am very thankful. So-called ‘work’ in 2018 has involved spending lots of time with special people in places near and dear to my heart. (Let’s not mention the admin.) I’ve had several more ‘all clear’ post-cancer checks. The study I’ve undertaken through the Melbourne School of Theology this past year has been practical and thought-provoking. Being diagnosed with a gluten sensitivity has been liberating in terms of improved health, although it makes travel more challenging. Enjoying community, getting some traction with writing and time at home have also been highlights. 

I’m well aware, however, that 2018 has been what the queen of England would call an ’annus horribilis’ for several friends. I wish desperately that things were different. One day they will be … but not yet. None of us are exempt from what these friends have been through this past year. Their experiences echo the words of the apostle Paul:

“We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies.” (Romans 8:22-23 NIV)

Emotions

The examen guidelines suggest that you consider emotions experienced over the past year. To my surprise, I realised that time after time after time, I had found myself feeling frustrated and inadequate, yet was happily surprised by how things turned out in the end. There is a lesson in that, don’t you think? 

‘Inadequacy yet success’ was a theme in matters including finances, time management, travel plans both at home and abroad, wanting so very much to ‘fix’ whatever I possibly could for friends who were struggling and more. I could relate story after story to illustrate this point, but will tell just one.

I wanted to travel from mid September to mid October, and had offered to help with certain activities during this time. But a medical appointment, a family celebration and a simple ‘gut feeling’ convinced me to delay my trip by a couple weeks. I felt a bit of a failure in that I was letting others down by reneging on a commitment made months earlier. And I was sad to miss what I thought would be a very special opportunity. 

Who could have foreseen that I would be in just the right place at just the right time on at least four separate occasions during that trip to support friends through … er … interesting times. And that the activities I had wanted to be there for would be cancelled for reasons quite unrelated to my changed plans. Even in my inadequacy, God brought about success … not in terms of my plans being realised, but his.

Salvation and strength … under certain conditions

As I reflected and prayed about this theme of ‘inadequacy yet success’, I was reminded of a verse which I thought I knew well … but it turns out I had been missing a phrase. 

The verse as I remembered it is this:  “In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength….” (Isaiah 30:15b NIV).  The bit I was missing, however, is a dire warning.

Consider these words of Isaiah earlier in the same chapter:

“Woe to the obstinate children,”  declares the Lord, “to those who carry out plans that are not mine….” (Isaiah 30:1a NIV, my emphasis)

And then I got to the verse I remembered … but notice the extra line I was missing earlier:

 “In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it.”  (Isaiah 30:15 NIV my emphasis)

Thankfully, Isaiah chapter 30 ends with a note of hope, because God remains faithful to his own and responds as soon as his people call out for help.

Looking back and looking forward

A sense of inadequacy is not bad, actually, because when you’re out of your depth, you rely on God. It would save wasted energy, though, if we could avoid feeling frustrated in the midst it. 

As I look back on the year, I am grateful that God has used me in a variety of ways, though not always as I had planned. As I look ahead to the new year, I am asking for the grace to recognise what God is doing in my community and eagerness to be part of his plans. It’s not that I won’t plan. It’s just that I will hold my plans lightly. 

I suspect that the theme of ‘inadequacy yet success’ will continue. Take my resolution for the new year as an example. It is typical of the new year’s resolution of many middle-aged women – an increased focus on health and fitness. To this end, I had considered buying a FitBit in the Boxing Day sales, but then decided against it because I like wearing my watch. (I didn’t want to wear both.) However, two days before Christmas, I thought I had lost my watch on a street somewhere. So I bought the FitBit and … yes, you guessed it … found the watch at home within hours of making the purchase. I hadn’t lost it after all … I’d only forgotten where I left it. I’m enjoying the FitBit and am already more active because of it. But I am also delighted to still have my pretty watch to wear from time to time. Inadequacy yet success … again.

A blessing for 2019

As 2018 rolls into 2019, I wish each of us a sense of God’s hand on our lives. May we enjoy playing a part in God’s plans.  And may we experience deep contentment, come what may in 2019. 

As God said to Israel back in Isaiah’s day, “In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength….”  But I am missing the last phrase again.

Unlike the people of Isaiah’s day, may it NOT be said ‘… but you would have none of it.” Instead, may we enjoy God’s salvation and strength, whatever the year may hold.

We all know that a fatty liver is bad for your health. But have you heard of a fatty heart?

Today I was doing some college homework … a lectio divina reading of Isaiah 6. And that’s where I found the reference to a fatty heart. 

Lectio divina is an ancient practice of reading Scripture meditatively. (See footnote 1 if you want to read more on that.) There is a lot I could have dwelt on in Isaiah 6, but the reference to a fatty heart is what caught my attention.  

My habit, when meditating on Scripture, is to read it slowly and reflectively first in English, then in Chinese, then in English again. There is a richness and freshness that comes in reading the same passage in different languages. Today is a case in point. 

Isaiah’s Awful Commission 

Poor Isaiah was given a most unenviable task. The New International Version translates his commission in this way: 

“Go and tell this people: 
Be ever hearing, but never understanding;
Be ever seeing, but never perceiving.
Make the heart of this people calloused;
make their ears dull
and close their eyes.
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
hear with their ears,
understand with their hearts,
and turn and be healed.” (Isaiah 6:9-10 NIV – my emphasis)

In the Chinese Union Version, however, the heart of the people was not ‘calloused’ but ‘fatty’ – 心蒙脂油.  The question, of course, is what was the intended meaning of that particular word in the original language. I’m no Hebrew scholar but those who are have created tools for the rest of us.

The Hebrew word is הַשְׁמֵן֙ (pronounced ‘haš·mên’ – see footnote 2). It literally means ‘oily’ or ‘greasy’. In other parts of the Bible, the same Hebrew word is usually translated as ‘fat’ (see footnote 3). I have since realised that there are other English translations, including the King James and the American Standard versions, which also translate this word in Isaiah 6:10 as ‘fat’.

The image of a fatty heart works for me. It makes me think of fatty livers which look so sobering on TV medical documentaries.

Contexts – then and now

The original context of Isaiah’s commissioning was the Jerusalem of about 2758 years ago. This passage referred to one heart of one collective group of people – the Jews. Those ancient Israelites were in no fit state to receive God’s word. Their metaphorical hearts were fatty, their ears dull and their eyes closed.  

What was Isaiah’s responsibility? It was simply to preach. Nothing more. He could not be responsible for the response of his listeners. There is a lesson in that for me too. 

Today however, I identified more with the people to whom Isaiah was sent. In my context, a reader in the 21st century, an Australian woman who has been brought into the people of God through Jesus, what is my responsibility? 

Five centuries after this commission was given to the unfortunate prophet, another man was commissioned to bring God’s word to non-Jews like me (see Acts 9:15-16). The apostle Paul explained how we should respond to God reaching out to us. We have a responsibility to respond but, at the same time, God enables us to respond well. Paul wrote:

“… continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.” (Philippians 2:12b-13 NIV).

Space does not permit me to follow the rabbit trail of various Greek words in this Philippians passage. I cannot help but comment, though, that unlike the ‘heart’ of the people in Isaiah 6 referring to the whole nation, the ‘you’ in the Philippians passage above is singular. The verse refers to our responses as individuals here (see footnote 4).

Our response

This particular middle-aged western woman – me – would like to sense a divine invitation from today’s meditation to work on ridding my body of some literal fat around my physical heart.  But that would be bad hermeneutics. Shocking, in fact.

Mind you, it is a good idea to work on health and fitness. I sense God’s nudging in that area and will likely make that my 2019 New Year’s resolution. That is another story which I may write up another day.

A far better response to this story – the commission given to Isaiah – would be to take seriously the warning about metaphorical fatty hearts. And so perhaps you would like to join me offering a prayer for each of us and our communities. We offer this prayer to the same holy One who commissioned Isaiah, and who chooses to use us in our communities even now in this very different age and in far-flung parts of the world.

‘As we come to your word, most holy God,
Open our eyes
that we might see,
Unstop our ears
that we might hear,
Make our hearts lean
that we might understand,
Grant that we might turn to you and be healed.’

Footnotes

1. You can read more about Lectio Divina here: http://www.eatmyword.com/alone.html
2. https://biblehub.com/isaiah/6-10.htm
3. https://biblehub.com/hebrew/strongs_8080.htm 
4. https://biblehub.com/philippians/2-13.htm

‘Hark! the Herald Angels Sing’, written by Charles Wesley, is a favourite carol of many, including me. It made it onto the TV programme ‘Carols in the Domain’ in Sydney again this year. I wonder how many of us just sing the words, though, without really dwelling on the story. I took some time today to revisit it.

Glimpses of Grandeur

Imagine being a shepherd that first Christmas Eve, sitting on a hilltop with a few fellow sheep workers.  It’s hard for me, a twenty-first century woman of the suburbs (neither a city girl nor a country girl), to have any idea of what life was like for them. I wonder if the sight of a clear night sky full of stars ever failed to mesmerise them? I always find it fascinating, but then I don’t see it too often.

Did one or two shepherds take it in turn to ‘watch their flocks by night’ (Luke 2:8) while the others napped? Or were they chatting when the angel of the Lord appeared and God’s glory shone all around then?  Whatever the case, they were terrified (Luke 2:9) … and who wouldn’t be? Can you imagine being in their sandals – hearts thumping, eyes somewhat blinded by the sudden light, hairs standing on end, and knees buckling as they tried to stand.

What language did the angel speak? Aramaic, the commonly used language of the day? Hebrew, used in religious texts? We only have written records of the announcement in Greek, the language used in the wider empire. (See footnote 1.)

Armies of Angels

The New International Version translation of the Greek describes what happened next:

“Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel….” (Luke 2:13).

Again, I am too familiar with the story to truly grasp the grandeur of this moment. It wasn’t a choir of hundreds, though that would have been special enough. It was ‘a great company of the heavenly host’.  What does that mean?

I am not a Greek scholar, but understanding some of the key words in this passage helps me sense the magnificence of the shepherds’ experience (see footnote 2). Let me share  a few insights with you.

• ‘A great company’ is the English translation of  the Greek ‘plēthos; from which we get the English word ‘plethora’. 
• ‘Heavenly’ is the English translation of the Greek ‘ouránios’ meaning ‘heavenly’ or ‘celestial’. The planet we call Uranus is actually named for a Greek deity of the sky, and comes from the same root word as what is translated ‘heavenly’ in this passage.
• ‘Host’ is the English translation of the Greek ‘stratias’, which refers to an army.  

Can you imagine the sight and sound of a choir consisting of a plethora of celestial armies?! They performed a song, the words of which have been repeated many times since in a range of languages. None, however, could come close to the pizzazz of that first rendition.

Gloria in Excelsis Deo

‘Gloria in Excelsis Deo’ is the Latin translation of the first half of the lyrics. Again, I wonder what language they originally used. And what was the melody? Given that Greek is all we have, and being a bit of a language nut, I have found it fascinating to think about the Greek lyrics (see footnote 3.)

‘Glory to God in the highest heaven’ is the New International Version translation of the first line of the angelic chorus. Let’s break that down a bit further.

• The Greek word ‘Doxa’ means ‘glory’, from which we get the word ‘doxology’.
• The Greek term for God is ‘theo’, from which we get words such as ‘theology’.
• The phrase ‘the highest heaven’ comes from a single Greek word, ‘hypsistois’, literally meaning ‘the absolute highest’.  

Imagine those shepherds, quietly quaking in the depths of their beings, gazing at a sky full of angel armies singing glory to God in the highest.

Peace on earth, goodwill to men

The translation of the second part of the angelic announcement in song is a bit tricky. The NIV translates it like this:

“…. and on earth peace to those on whom his favour rests.” (Luke 2:14)

Again, understanding the origin of some key words helps me better grasp the wonder of this message.

• ‘Earth’ is literally ‘the earth’, as opposed to, say, Mars or Jupiter. It is taken from the Greek word ‘gēs’.
• Peace is straightforward, coming from the Greek ‘eirēnē’, from which we get the lovely name ‘Irene’.
• Next, in the Greek, comes ‘anthrōpois’, meaning ‘humankind’, as opposed to other parts of creation (sorry, Puss). This is the root word of English words such as ‘anthropology’. 

The tricky part comes with the last Greek word of the song. The NIV translates the single Greed word ‘eudokias’ as ‘on whom his favour rests’. But does ‘eudokias’ describe the humans who will receive peace? Or is it a noun in its own right, and so the whole phrase is better translated ‘peace and goodwill to mankind’? It’s a question scholars have debated long and hard. These days, it is usually accepted that peace is promised to those on whose God’s favour rests.

Regardless, as Christians, we can be confident that the angelic choir announced spectacularly good news for us.

In the busyness of Christmas preparations and celebrations, may we take a moment to remember that first Christmas Eve when the angels appeared to the shepherds. This same glorious God about whom the angels sang – the one seated in the highest heavens – offers us peace through Jesus, the babe born that first Christmas night.

And so we sing:

‘Hark! the herald angels sing
“Glory to the newborn King!
Peace on earth and mercy mild
God and sinners reconciled”
Joyful, all ye nations rise
Join the triumph of the skies
With the angelic host proclaim:
“Christ is born in Bethlehem”
Hark! The herald angels sing
“Glory to the newborn King!”’

(Charles Wesley, 1739) 

1. https://zondervanacademic.com/blog/what-language-did-jesus-speak/
2. https://www.studylight.org/interlinear-bible/luke/2-13.html?lang=grk 
3. https://www.studylight.org/interlinear-bible/luke/2-14.html?lang=grk

“Free me from care for myself,” is a prayer that author Mulholland (see footnote 1) encourages readers to pray regularly.  But is this right? Shouldn’t we care for ourselves? Aren’t we meant to steward carefully the resources God has given us of abilities, possessions, opportunities, time, health, energy and more? 

This was my question today as I did some reading for college. I had a secluded table behind a cafe at the back of a plant nursery. Birds chirped. The sound of running water from a fountain in a fishpond muffled intrusive sounds of distant traffic and an air-conditioning unit. Although the air was muggy, a cool breeze provided welcome relief. Exhaust fans from the kitchen sent fried egg fragrances my way. Shades of green filled my vision – dark green ivy on the wall next to me, the grey-green of some sort of weeping fir beyond, and the fresh green of early summer leaves behind that.

This very outing was self-care, though combined with other errands along the way. Is that so wrong? 

Care

The Lord answered in a most delightful way. 

A sparrow fluttered over my Rocky Road slice, then alighted on the table. I watched it, photographed it, but did not allow it to share my treat. It hopped to the chair, down to the ground where it presumably looked for cake crumbs, then back to the table. Eventually I had to put a serviette tent over the Rocky Road slice. 

“Free my from care for myself,”  I prayed. 

Words of Jesus sprang to mind. “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care…. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” (Matthew 10:29,31 NIV)

Context

When Jesus spoke those words, he was actually talking about terrible things which would happen to his followers. In the midst of all that, he explained, we should remain confident, unafraid, for our Father cares for the sparrows and cares so much more for us.

I have a few cares … imminent deadlines, unknown factors which could impact my work, concerns for others … but nothing like the terrible things that Jesus described. The truth remains though … God cares for us.

When Mulholland recommended the prayer, “Free my from care for myself,” it was in the context of teaching on the spiritual discipline of silence. He describes this ancient discipline as a “… deep inner reversal of that grasping, controlling mode of being that so characterises life in our culture.” (See footnote 2.)

Confession

I contemplated Jesus’ words about the Father’s care for sparrows and us, combined with Mulholland’s words about letting go of our own ideas, ambitions and control. I realised afresh that I stand before God with nothing of value to offer him. He knows me better than I know myself. And still he cares for me. Today he reminded me of that through these cute little sparrows for which he cares. He cares for us far more.

I confessed my attempts to control my own life, including stressing about factors beyond my control. “Free me from care for myself,” I prayed.  This is a prayer which I hope to repeat day after day for a season, at least. Mulholland writes, “If (this prayer is) used regularly … God will gradually awaken us to the multiple layers of controlling, grasping noise in our lives….”. (See footnote 3.)

Cake

Should we not care for ourselves, stewarding carefully the resources God has given us?  In a sense, yes, of course, but in another sense, no. Lack of self-care in this context is not a licence to work crazy hours or to indulge in unwise lifestyle choices. Lack of self-care in this context means taking our hands off the controls of life. It means basking in God’s care for us, even and especially in times of chaos. It means gazing at God in our lives rather than at ourselves. It sometimes means silently submitting to God’s hand in our lives rather than submitting to him lists of what we want done and when.

Our Father cares for the sparrows. 

Our Father considers us worth more than many sparrows.  

And, sometimes, our Father even gives us cake.

¹ M. Robert Mullholland Jr, ‘Invitation to a Journey: A Road Map for Spiritual Formation (Transforming Resources)’, 2016 Kindle version  p.158

² Mulholland, ‘Invitation to a Journey’  p.157

³ Mulholland, ‘Invitation to a Journey’, p.158