I’m right in the middle of posting another blog but !!!!!!!!
Laura just came in informed me of the following three pieces of news:
#1. Kate is engaged to Andy (I didn’t even know they were going out!) – old small group leader
#2. Tom is engaged to Ellie – Did kids club stuff with both
#3. Carolyn is engaged to Chris. – Known the Adneys since we were little
This is all a bit too much… (all from WPC found out through Amanda but still!)
Haha. Wow.
I revisited my (proportionally) hardly full big black journal this evening, post a short conversation that I had last night around how I find it difficult to keep a ‘prayer journal’. I kept one for quite some time in 2004. Had a bit of a think/rant about how I still often treat prayer like a wish list (unintentionally) or at least think of it that way – despite doing the communication thing with God and just don’t call it prayer. I still however am far better and doing the my end thing and suck fairly well at listening.
My journalling slid into more of a processing. After weighing up the differences and similarities of what I do now, I slid to finishing some scrawl and meeniemoed between reading more of Lost Women of the Bible or the Bible. I chose the Bible after considering the slight guilty feeling in that I always novels far more interesting and I really should put a little more effort into something that I do find enjoyable but find far more difficult to get motivated to read. Consideration was enhanced by the fact that the Bible is pretty much a means of communicion from God to us.
Luke 11:14-28
After running through the whole: what can I learn about God through this etc… And a slight huh and brush aside of certain concepts, I hit the last few verses.
As Jesus was saying these things, a woman in the crowd called out, “Blessed is the mother who gave you birth and nursed you. “He replied, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.” (v.27-28)
So I started wandering my brain aka. analysing the: ‘hear the word of God’. And how it’s far easier to ‘read the word of God’.
I need a lesson in listening to God, for it seems that I don’t leave much space for it.
And so you get all these incidents of people in the Bible hearing quite literally from or just hearing God:
“Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day” – Gen 3:8
“And you said, “The LORD our God has shown us his glory and his majesty, and we have heard his voice from the fire. Today we have seen that a man can live even if God speaks with him.” – Deut 5:24
“”Then he said: ‘The God of our fathers has chosen you to know his will and to see the Righteous One and to hear words from his mouth. You will be his witness to all men of what you have seen and heard.” – Acts 22:14-15 (to Saul)
And then you get the hearing from God through others,
” And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is at work in you who believe.” – 1 Thess 2:13
Then hearing God often depicted as a whisper,
The LORD said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by.”
Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. – 1 Kings 19-11-13
This passage is actually quite facinating – if not confusing. The Lord is already talking to Elijah… and then he talks in third person about what is defined as the ‘presence of the LORD’ which as Elijah waits, comes in a whisper. This holds to a scale-like balance of what the heck is going on here? Is it something we are being shown early on about the Trinity? You’d think presence would run with God’s word? If he was hearing from God, wouldn’t there be God’s presence uh, present? :\ confusing!
and the verse Tilla gave me as parting, part (oh I’m sure doing well tonight!) of my letter. Although this is of Jesus talking to the disciples so a slightly different context.
What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight;
What is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs.
-Matt 10:27
hmm not quite sure where I’m running with this blog…
I guess when I was scanning blogger for verses and inspiration I was struck by how much of the ‘listen, hear, heard’ verses were about God listening to us. I am so grateful for his consitency, his faithfulness, his willingness to hear us out, and to really listen. Hearing is only part of listening. Listening is active, hearing is passive.
Christianity is a religon, being a Christian is a relationship. Not exclusive. Jesus died for me yes, but he did that for the plural, the masses- not just the singular. So much alludes to this, the model of prayer given in (whichever of the gospels) is a, “give US… lead US not, deliver US”
Come and Listen
David Crowder (based on Psalm 66:16)Come and listen, come to the water’s edge, all you who know and fear the Lord.
Come and listen, come to the water’s edge all you who are thirsty, come.Let me tell you what He has done for me.
Let me tell you what He has done for me,
He has done for you,
He has done for us.Come and listen,
come and listen to what He’s done.
Praise our God for He is good.He has done for me,
He has done for you,
He has done for us.
This hearing thing goes far beyond the me to God, God to me relationship. God involves the whole of humanity, he involves creation. I/we need to be watching for how he is speaking and go beyond the exclusive act of listening and be as ready to help others hear. To do that, we have to first listen ourselves.
This is what he has done. Is doing. Will do. Find that. Speak that. Live that.
If I can take comfort in the fact that hearing to humans predominatly comes without effort… we are guided by our parents into more of an understanding of how to actually stop and intentionally listen to what we hear until we reach a maturity where by that becomes a choice we can make, that God will continue to do the same as he grows us and leads us forward.
Our ears are part of our body, as are our minds. If God wishes to make something known he surely will. In human terms we can make people listen by raising our voice or physically turning thier head to make them look you in the face. We have the ability to hear but it’s difficult to cultivate a good realtionship when direct force must be made for open communication.
We can find God’s presence, and hear him in something of great or small consequence, by grace and by choice and in waiting on him. We have ears and God has given us and is growing in us constantly the maturity to listen.
Relationship never took no work. This is no different. You have to want to listen and chase that.
Whatever that may mean.
Today has been the day of disconnection of mind to tongue. Which roughly indicates the level of sleep I’ve been getting. Oh how I’m looking forward to waking up tomorrow afternoon instead of morning.
I made three quite funny (aka embarassing, well it had Jo laughing her face off) freudian slips within about two hours.
The definition of a freudian slip is: A verbal mistake that is thought to reveal an unconscious belief, thought, or emotion.
I somehow don’t think that my unconcious really cares too much about chair’s in holes (rather than holes in chairs – really Katie, get some new ones! And yes I do like your house A LOT) but there was a curious line that came out of my mouth – which I said I’d blog about as my mind started ticking over as soon as I said it.
I was talking about the questions asked on the YITS camp and how someone had asked about how doing the year was while in an non Christian family.
Slip #1: “My Christian’s aren’t family.”
My jaw mightn’t have done a visual drop but it certainly did a mental one. I would have simply laughed it of and not thought much about it except that I have been thinking a bit about pyschology type things as I’ve been reading A Road Less Travelled.
Thought needs to be continued on this one, but in the meantime the dog will soon start crying for a walk so I’d better beat him to the complaints.
Inspiration!
Want a story of prostitution and deception, abuse and judgement and confrontation?
Try: Tamar
She is one of my more favourite female characters in that book that I should read more widely in as I tend to steer towards the nobrainers of pslams and the letters.
So continues my occasional (limit self to ONE chapter a session when good) progression through Lost Women of the Bible by Carolyn Custis James.
I’ve read about Tamar before in that Francine Rivers book… and so have been previously enlightened and inspired by her courage and strength.
Oh yes, as Christian females – women, girls, tweenies you should be gentle quiet and submissive…
WHY WHY WHY do they always quote those and leave off all those bits and pieces that calls for a bit of, “Woah, back up there _insert male name_ you might just be wrong this time”.
Gentle and submissive.
Oh yes.
That was Esther. Who just had to smile at Mr. “I choose if you live or not if you offend me” and then flat out tell him what to do.
That was Tamar. Who had to de-wool Judah’s eyes by something I wouldn’t consider if you paid me (how ironic) to keep the honor of the family name – this same family that collectively abused her and dishonored her.
That was Ruth. Who had to pull a hurry up on Boaz and ‘fulfil’ your duty, respect me (and Naomi), while having to act in a way that could have gone horribly wrong.
While I am mentioning it Rebekah got to choose if she wanted to ‘go with’ (aka marry) Issac. How’s that for respect of her judgement in a culture where arranged marriages, mainly minus consulation with the female, were the thing to do!
I grappled with the whole strength and vulnerabilty and all that junk ages ago.
It’s very curious to see how it all fits together.
There are many apologetics for the Timothy verses:
“A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent.” (1 Tim 2:11-12)
Of which I cannot honestly be bothered going into right now. These theories go both ways. Although a fuller contextual look at Jesus/God and how women fit into the Bible it points towards…
“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” (Gen 1:27)
“There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” (Gal 3:28-29)
How can I be non-feminist and still say hooray for strong women? But for people willing to speak up and protect honor. Speaking the truth in love – in whatever that means, even if it is graphic confrontation. Well, here’s to them.
I want to be one of you.