Jesus understands temptation and suffering

These reflections on temptation and suffering are based on Hebrews 4:12–16.

‘we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are – yet he did not sin’ (v15).

In these devotions, we have been looking at how living our lives in step with the Spirit involves self-control and self-discipline. The first few verses of this Hebrews passage say nothing is hidden from God so we will have to give an account to Him of our lives. That is sobering; we certainly do need to take stock regularly and watch our thoughts and actions.

JESUS TRULY KNOWS HOW WE FEEL

The good news is that Jesus experienced life as a human so He knows what temptations and difficulties really feel like. Hebrews 2 also reveals He was fully human, which enabled Him to break us free from the grip of sin. Verses 17–18 summarise this:

For this reason he had to be made like them, fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. 18 Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.

In the way that He lived His life, Jesus provided us with a template of how to stand up to temptation when it tries to lure us.

In the Garden of Gethsemane, just before His trial and execution, Jesus cried out to the Father for a way not to drink the cup of suffering. And yet… His final response was: ‘may your will be done’. He became the source of our salvation, but also faced the weight of temptation and suffering.

How incredible that we have one we can turn to who understands what we are going through. He is our strength: we are not expected to beat ourselves into submission. Rather, we look to the One who equips us to live lives that honour Him. We can be confident and draw close to Him. How freeing!

Optional further reading: Matthew 26:36–45, Hebrews 2:10–11;14–18

Prayer: Lord I thank You that You know what it feels like to face temptations and difficulties. Help me to remember that I can turn to You, speak honestly and also receive Your grace, mercy and strengthening. Amen.

Stand firm

These reflections on how to stand firm are based on 2 Timothy 1:6–13.

‘For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.’

Paul wrote this letter to Timothy from prison, knowing that he was going to die soon. In it, he was encouraging Timothy to stand firm in the midst of difficulties, to ‘fan into flame’ (v6) the gift already inside him. It is obvious that Paul was enduring persecution for his faith. However, he knew Timothy’s leadership was also under fire. So he reminded him that he had all he needed.

All Christians, whether leaders or not, have the power, love and self-discipline that comes from the Holy Spirit. Those qualities help us to ‘guard the good deposit’ that we each have.

ENCOURAGED BY EXAMPLES

These devotional blogs are based on Bible study notes I wrote previously, and it was quite poignant for me to read who I mentioned in the entry about this scripture. I had been organising a women’s event called ‘praising through the pain’ and asked three women very dear to me to speak, who retained resolute faith through incredible suffering.

One of those was my dear mother, who, as I have shared many times before, endured so much physical suffering in her life. The others, too, have both encouraged me to stand firm through their own example. Paul was a great example to Timothy – who do you have in your life being the same for you?

GUARDING OUR HEARTS AND MINDS

Whatever we are facing we can stand firm in Jesus, and do not need to suffer shame – although we may endure difficulties. This passage reminds us of the truth and grace of the gospel. We may need to be bold, and fight against the schemes of the enemy at times. But we may also endure suffering for the sake of the gospel. Let’s remember we can call on the Holy Spirit to help us draw on the power, love and self-discipline He has already placed inside of us.

Prayer: Lord You have given me all I need to stand firm today. Holy Spirit, help me to avail myself of Your power, love and self-discipline. Amen.

Grief a year on…

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Warning: this is a long and extremely honest look back over my grief journey during the past 12 months. Today marks the first anniversary of Mum’s death. What a year it has been; none of us could have predicted that just after we said goodbye to her, the world would be thrust into a pandemic. That everything we took for granted would suddenly be pulled out from under us. And that a year later, we would still be living under restrictions with the death toll, and mental health toll, continuing to rise each and every day.

MY JOURNEY

I have had many responses over the last year, some probably due to ‘normal’ grief and others directly related to what we are all living through.

A little over a month after Mum died, I led my last worship service in our church building before we shut down. (On Mother’s Day – not great planning to put myself down on that day.) And then we were thrust into the busyness of getting the church online. While my husband (our lead pastor) had a great tech guy helping him as they hurriedly learned new skills, our family was heavily involved week by week. The ongoing pastoring of those in our church was something I gladly undertook with him too. 

Until the times when I felt overwhelmed. And then I began to realise I had a little resentment rising up. Not about helping others, but simply that I hadn’t had the time or space to grieve. And that my grief had actually been overshadowed by our nation’s, by the world’s, grief. From my perspective, that didn’t seem fair. But that was closely followed by guilt for feeling that way, especially when I had had the privilege of sitting next to my mum for the ten days it took for her to go and be with Jesus. 

Night and day I had remained in my parent’s home, and the final night we sat in her room with her until she took her last breath in the early hours of the next day. I know so many have lost loved ones this year without being able to say goodbye in person, and my heart aches for them. I have also thought, too, of those trapped in deep poverty who are dealing with the same kind of chronic illnesses Mum had. Although Mum’s life was difficult, her home was comfortable.

I have railed at God, asking him deep and personal questions about suffering that I have wrestled with over the years. But, for all my railings, there have often been times of being overcome with thankfulness too, that God took Mum when he did. One of the many diseases she had was a respiratory one, and I know she would have been particularly susceptible to, and petrified of, Covid. Just a month later and we may well have been saying goodbye from afar too. And I am so grateful her final days contained no knowledge of what was to come.

RENEWED FAITH

Recently, I have been engaging with the twice daily zoom calls for the young woman Hannah, struck down suddenly with a bleed on the brain. I know her family and husband of just a few short months may have initially opened up those calls to anyone out of desperation, in order to get as many people as possible praying for her. But they have become a source of inspiration, faith and unity for so many, as well as upholding them in their incredible personal journey. 

The honesty and openness with which they have generously shared their raw pain but also huge faith in the goodness of God has been a breath of fresh air and life to me. I am passionate about honesty within the Church, and it is so refreshing to see how willing they are to share. But it has also reawakened faith and stirred up passion in me again. That was something I desperately needed, and hadn’t realised how much it had dulled until it had been reawakened. 

RECOGNISING THE IMPACT

The years of painful, unanswered prayers and the impact that has had on our unsaved dad as well as Mum have taken their toll. As a church leader I have felt guilty for not having huge levels of faith when praying for the sick, although I have always fully believed that God can and is willing to heal miraculously today. I have certainly known the truth of this verse: ‘Hope deferred makes the heart sick’ (Proverbs 13:12).

I know that God’s ways are higher than ours, but there are times when we really do wonder what he is up to! I certainly questioned his methods when Mum went to church in a wheelchair and came out running…but it didn’t last. Surely a miraculous, lasting healing would have made more sense and had a bigger impact on Dad? But I have to trust her quiet, determined and immensely strong faith in the midst of such trouble and affliction spoke even louder…

CONTINUED WRESTLING

That is not to say I don’t still have doubts, and questions. It has been incredible to listen to the stories of miraculous healings from others who have come on the zoom calls to encourage and spur on Hannah’s family – stating that because God healed their family member or friend he will do it for her. I do rejoice and my faith does rise, but so too do the questions.

I totally understand that when a young woman like Hannah is suddenly struck down it isn’t right, and the Church should be praying for healing and against any work of the enemy.

But…

It makes me ask – what about those who aren’t healed? What about those dear, faithful Christians who live with chronic illnesses for years. Specifically, what about my mum?

I know she was an older woman, who had suffered tremendously in her last few decades. But she had actually been ill for much of her life. We almost lost her just after I was born – and that certainly cemented the end of her relationship with my biological father. While she did embrace life and did achieve much, my childhood and adolescence were littered with sickness, and life or death operations became all too familiar over the years.

So, there is a deep pain, and many questions there, which I continue to wrestle with at times. 

For Mum the question changed from ‘why me?’ to ‘why not me?’. She felt she needed to give up her right to understand. There were moments when darkness enveloped her but she always clung to the knowledge that God was with her even when she couldn’t sense his presence. 

A CALL TO PRAYER

I do know God is good, and I know that Mum always stood on that truth. I know her resolute faith in the midst of severe, life-altering pain spoke to many, not least me, and I hold on to the promise that her example will one day draw Dad to his own faith. 

Mum clung on to life for many extra months, even when she was desperate to go home, just to see Dad’s salvation. That is, until my sister and I spoke to her of letting go – that we may be the ones to see the fruition of the promise God gave her so many decades ago.

When her strength was fading and her physical abilities shrunk her world to their living room, Mum began to feel useless. Then God spoke to her about the need for her prayers, because so many are too busy these days to be the prayer warriors he looks for. She took up that call and prayed faithfully for all those God placed on her heart. 

That is a mantle I believe God is waking us all up to, and that the situation with Hannah is helping with too. Yes, we have authority as God’s children and yes, our prayers do make a difference. My mum, as her life was ebbing away and she was crippled with pain, refused to stop praying. It became much more difficult but she never gave up. The importance of prayer is something that I have learned from her, and have had emphasised in recent weeks on the zoom calls.

MUM’S LEGACY

I think the best way I can honour Mum’s memory is by being as stubborn in my absolute faith and trust in God as she was – and by going deeper in my prayer life too.

So, while I may still have questions, and while the waves of grief still feel overwhelming at times, I thank God for who my mum was, and the legacy that she has left behind.

PS And, as Steve and I have spent recent days working hard on the final checks and publicity for our book Grace-filled Marriage, I have often paused and smiled, thinking of how I can’t wait to send a copy to Rob and Hannah.

We have stories from other couples in the book, who have faced unexpected difficulties and pain and seen God’s grace uphold and sustain them. They too will have an incredible story to tell about one of the most challenging periods of their married life and what God did in and through them…

Discipline as well as freedom

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These reflections on living a life of discipline are based on: 1 Corinthians 9:19–27.

‘Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.’ (v24)

Although we acknowledge that we can do nothing without God’s help, we do have a choice as to how we live out our Christian lives. As our salvation does not depend on works, we could simply sit back and do nothing – after all, it wouldn’t change how much God loves us.

However, Paul is a great example to emulate. He encourages us that being free in Christ provides us with a great opportunity to train ourselves. He uses the analogy of runners and other competitors. They put their all into their training, running hard after the prize. Being with Jesus for all eternity is our prize – isn’t that worth disciplining ourselves for?

PUTTING HELPFUL DISCIPLINES IN PLACE

If we know we struggle in certain areas, perhaps self-image or relying on junk food, we can put certain disciplines in place and ask for others to support us. In this passage, Paul talks about making his body a slave. He did not want to be mastered by anything other than his God and so went all out to ensure that didn’t happen. While we are free, we are not free to indulge our earthly passions (see Galatians 5:13, 1 Peter 2:16). The Christian life calls for hard work and discipline at times.

REACHING OTHERS

I find it fascinating that Paul also says, ‘Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible.’ (v19). While we don’t have to do anything to earn our salvation, God’s means of reaching the world with His good news is us. So Paul made himself amiable to all types of people so that he wasn’t a stumbling block to them hearing the gospel. Is that something that you consciously do?

This can take discipline too, especially in those moments when we’d rather not make the effort. But in this time of great uncertainty, people are crying out for community. There is also much division and pain in the world today. Let’s be those that reach out, and bring people together in whatever ways we can.

Prayer: Lord I know that You call me to both freedom and discipline. Help me to glorify You through the way that I live my life every day. Amen.

The denying of self

These reflections on being willing to deny ourselves are based on Mark 8:34–38.

‘“Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.”’ (v34)

Our society is selfish – people’s lives are centred on getting the best for themselves. Sadly, we can see that trait in many of our leaders today too. But that is not Jesus’ way. We are looking at the subject of ‘self’ but in our reading today He says that we must deny ourselves and be willing to lose our lives!

That can seem really harsh to us, but let’s unpack it. We have already seen how Jesus actually gives us a new identity when we choose to follow Him – and it is one with a rich inheritance. Nothing can compare to that. He also teaches us to love ourselves – as we need to in order to love others well.

HAVING THE RIGHT PERSPECTIVE

I think what Jesus was saying here is that we need to shift our perspective. Life isn’t about trying to hang onto everything we can. As He says in verse 36: ‘What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?’ It is about making the choice not to be self-serving, but to view our lives appropriately and ensure we are willing to sacrifice everything.

Sometimes we will be called to suffer – Jesus talks about taking up our crosses – but we know that ultimately we have everything in the One who gave the once-and-for-all sacrifice. We have a call to a better life – but it means losing the old one. As Phil Moore says in his book Straight to the Heart of Revelation: ‘The Gospel is free, but it is not cheap.’

We find our true selves when we are willing to give up our rights to live just for ourselves. Some may pressurise or taunt us because we are Christians, but, ultimately, Jesus reminds us that those who reject Him now will not enjoy eternity with Him. And it is important to realise that our willingness to deny ourselves involves showing sacrificial love to others. By doing this, we reveal Jesus to those around us.

Prayer: Lord today I want to reiterate that I am willing to give myself to You completely – whatever the cost. Thank You that You give me true life in return. Amen.

Lessons from lockdown

I am delighted to welcome Tony Horsfall back to my blog. He wrote about love and loss in lockdown previously. In this guest post he is considering how we have been changed during the pandemic – and what the Church may need to take away as lessons learned through the difficulties of lockdown.

Last night at our prayer meeting we thought about how church will be different after the pandemic. It’s a question many churches are asking, even agonising over. As we listened to God afterwards, I felt him say, ‘It’s not that church will be different, it’s that you will be different.’

Church will change because hopefully we have changed during this pandemic. Each of us will have been impacted by the pandemic in different ways, but, make no mistake, the pandemic and the experience of lockdown has changed us – hopefully for the better. And those changes will shape the way we think about church and practise ministry once we are free to meet again.

THE CHANGES I HAVE SEEN

This is certainly true for me. I am not the same person going into 2021 as I was at the start of 2020. Life has shaped me and deepened me, and I pray this will show in my ministry. I have been sensitised to grief and loss like never before. I now see both the great need and enormous opportunity to help others on their grief journey, something to which most local churches are oblivious. Will this be part of my ministry going forward, or will my role be to advocate for this group?

Having been the recipient of so much kindness myself, I hope I am a kinder person with a greater empathy for others, seeing something of the image of God in everyone I meet. I have had a brush with death and that causes me to value life and not take it for granted. Every day is precious, to be received as a gift and enjoyed with thankfulness. As a result, I hope I have a better grasp of what is really important, and what is secondary. I feel more open to change than I have ever been, more willing to accept differences in others and see them as a blessing. 

I hope all of this will show in my teaching and my writing. Not many people get the opportunity that I have, to start life again, and I am praying that I will make good choices that will make my later years abundantly fruitful. I don’t simply wish to go back to how things were before – I want to live another adventure with God.

CHANGES WE SHOULD ALL PONDER

Other people will have been impacted differently by the pandemic. Some I know have been involved in delivering food parcels to needy families, developing in them a social conscience. Is this community involvement something that will be carried forward?Feelings of anger at perceived injustices can be a powerful motivating force for change and shape the way Church responds to society. 

Some have seen how technology and media presence can enhance the ministry scope of the local church, giving it access to those who don’t normally attend, and even creating an international audience. How can we maintain and develop this new aspect of ministry?

Yet others will have felt the impact of the pandemic in a deeply personal way, having lost their job or been furloughed. Restricted income has caused a reassessment of priorities and the place of material things. Some have chosen to simplify their lifestyle. Will simplicity become the new normal?

Hopes have been dashed, key events postponed, relationships put on hold. We have felt the pain of separation from loved ones – will it make us value relationships all the more? When church fellowships have not meant for months, will we be drawn closer together going forwards, or drift further apart? Has the opportunity for more time alone helped or hindered our walk with God? Have we deepened our spirituality or simply drifted away?

HOW ARE YOU BEING SHAPED?

I have always felt that the ministry of the local church should be a reflection of the gifts and interests of its members. That way, rather than copying what others are doing, we can authentically be who we are in our expression of Church. This makes local church ministry both sustainable and enjoyable. Church after the pandemic will be different because we are different. Our characters will have changed, new giftings will have emerged, we will feel burdened in different ways than before. Rather than simply getting back to ‘business as usual’ perhaps we can pause and consider if God may want to do a new thing among us.

How do you think you have changed as a person during the pandemic? It is worth stopping to think about this because we don’t want to miss the gift of transformation that God is giving us through these difficult days. Don’t waste your sorrows, griefs, losses, sacrifices, hardships…What has God been forming within you? And how will that shape your service for him in the coming days? How will it be different because you are different? What will be new for you in 2021?

Tony Horsfall is a retreat leader, author and mentor. His latest book is Finding refuge and is available directly from him at tonyhorsfall@uwclub.net

PS If you are walking through grief, or feel you have loss and disappointment you need to process, there is still time to sign up to my online retreat, which is taking place on 23 January.

Living by the Spirit

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These reflections on living by the Spirit are based on Galatians 5:13–26.

‘the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control’ (vv22–23)

We have spent some time looking at the things that we need to actively ‘take off’, and previously saw how a lack of self-control affects our whole being. Today’s passage puts in stark contrast living for our fleshy selves with living by the Spirit. We are reminded at the start that we are ‘called to be free’ (v13). But the only way to do this is to ‘live by the Spirit’ (v16). What does this mean? Well verses 22–26 give us a very clear indication.

CULTIVATED BY THE SPIRIT

If you are anything like me, you may read the list of the fruits of the Spirit and feel slightly condemned. I know that gentleness is not my strong point. In fact, way back in church youth group a visiting speaker challenged us to take turns thanking God for the qualities that we saw in each other. I was asked to go first and, as we were all quite shy, the guy encouraged the others to speak up by making suggestions. When he said: ‘Is she gentle?’ everyone fell about laughing. No, gentleness is not a natural quality in me. But, rather than the fruit being things we need to work up in our own strength, the Holy Spirit works in our hearts to cultivate them.

As we give Him access to the whole of our hearts, His fruit will naturally grow. That is why Paul urges us to ‘keep in step with the Spirit’. Our old, sinful selves have been crucified with Christ, but he recognises that they have desires that do assert themselves.

BRINGING OUR BATTLES BEFORE THE SPIRIT

Many of us will have encountered battles during the past year with this. As restrictions have tightened, it has been tempting to indulge in activities that we find give us fleeting comfort and pleasure, such as binge-watching or eating.

It has been beautiful to see a sense of community grow, as many people have pulled together to support each other in these tough times. And yet, in our own homes, sometimes the tiredness and stress of the situation has had us lashing out at those closest to us, as patience has worn thin, and tempers have flared.

It is in such moments that we have a choice: either give in to what we know are unhealthy desires, or say no to them and ask for the Holy Spirit’s help to walk into the life we have been called to. Of course, we must be kind and compassionate to ourselves, and those around us. Being aware of what pushes our buttons is part of that process. Let’s ask the Holy Spirit to reveal more of those things to us today, and bring them before Him.

Prayer: Holy Spirit, I thank You that You grow Your fruit within my heart. Help me to walk in step with You, allowing You access to the whole of me. Amen.

A lack of self-control

These reflections on self-control are based on 2 Timothy 3.

‘People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God’ (vv2–3)

We are now returning to the weekly series we were doing before Christmas. Paul doesn’t pull any punches here in 2 Timothy. Describing what people will be like in the ‘end times’ (between Jesus’ resurrection and second coming), a lot of it rings true for today’s culture. The view of so many is that it is fine to seek after pleasure, status and money. However, here Paul slates such self-gratifying behaviour. 

Interestingly, a lack of self-control is up there in his description. The Old Testament also talks about those who lack self-control: ‘Like a city whose walls are broken through is a person who lacks self-control’ (Proverbs 25:28).

Sadly this seems to describe what has happened this week in America. It has been heartbreaking to watch. But, while we may have looked on aghast, in our hearts we knew it was the inevitable result of what has been happening over the course of many years.

And the verse displayed above seems to describe many politicians and other leaders. It is certainly sobering to think of the state of our world today – but also of our own hearts.

In verses 8–9 Paul talks about the magicians who counterfeited Moses’ miracles (see Exodus. 7). He was saying that, just like them, the false teachers of the day would be exposed for who they truly were. The same is true for anyone – while individuals may be able to hide their shortcomings from others for a while, God sees and knows who they really are. Actually I take comfort from that today, as we read the promise that ‘their folly will be clear to everyone’ (v9). Lord may it be so!

OUR TRUE SELVES REVEALED

Of course, that same truth applies to us too. When we are put into stressful situations that ‘squeeze’ us, what is revealed? Have we learned to cultivate the kind of qualities Paul did throughout the pressures of his life (see vv10–11)? Or do we lose control in the face of difficulties? 

I think we have probably all had times during the past year when we have done and said things that have surprised even ourselves. When we are under extended periods of stress, and the unexpected happens over and over, we are bound to be affected. But it is also helpful to recognise and bring those less than godly responses before God, in repentance and humility, asking him to mould and shape us.

GOD’S WORD IS ALL-SUFFICIENT

I love Paul’s reminder that ‘All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness’ (v16). In an age when the credibility of the Bible is constantly being questioned, it is refreshing to be reminded that it contains everything we need. That remains true even in the midst of what is happening in the world today. Yes it is a challenge, but we can remain steadfast, and exercise self-control, even in the midst of pressure and pain.

Prayer: Lord I am humbled by Paul’s words. I want to be known as someone who is self-controlled rather than one who lacks it. Help me to develop this quality. Amen.

Time to reflect…and look forward

We are nearing the end of what some have termed ‘the worst year ever’. As the year draws to a close, it is a good time to reflect back. It has certainly been a time of catastrophic, worldwide losses and deep, personal pain for many of us. We have seen the pandemic sweep across the globe, with no signs of slowing down, politicians play dirty, nations continuing to suffer under poor leadership as well as natural disasters, and a spotlight on the racism still deeply embedded in many of our cultures.

TIME TO REFLECT

We would do well to reflect soberly on the state of our own nation, neighbourhood – and our own individual hearts. One of the big lessons of this year is that we have so little control over anything. May that make us humble before God, acknowledging our place, as well as his place, in the universe.

I always like to take some time in the run up to the turn of the year to reflect back and think about what went well, what I found difficult, what lessons I learned, what brought joy and what relationships blossomed. I also think about the things I need to leave behind. Perhaps you could take the time to do the same?

LOOKING AHEAD

I also think it is important to think and pray about the year ahead. I like to consider how I might go deeper in my relationship with God (perhaps trying new spiritual disciplines), what relationships I sense God is asking me to cultivate, how I can encourage my family, what I believe are the next steps for my work/ministry etc.

At a Zoom Christmas lunch I attended this December, we were each asked to think about what good things we’d like to take forward from 2020 into 2021. My response was to keep clinging to God (which I have had to do a lot this year) and also listen to my body and give myself a break when I really need one, without feeling guilty.

A WORD FOR THE YEAR?

That leads me neatly onto another practice I started doing a few years ago – asking God for a word that he would like me to pray into and explore for the year. I haven’t settled completely on my word yet, but I have a sense that it links into finding that right rhythm with God.

MAKING SPACE

If you haven’t already done so, can I encourage you to take some time out to reflect back on 2020 and look forward to 2021 with an attitude of prayer. One of the practices that I have found really helpful, since reading Sharon Brown’s Sensible Shoes series, is the Daily Examen.

It can be helpful to view the Examen as a way of sitting with Jesus and talking through what happened during the day. It is about slowing down to pay attention to the details of our lives, which we might otherwise overlook, so it can be helpful to visualise snapshots of our days in our minds.

The wonderful Lectio365 app has utilised this approach over the last three days to help users look back over the past year. If you haven’t already seen it, it would definitely be worth taking a look. You can download the app from here.

GOD KNOWS

I know that it has been a tough year, and we are still in the midst of difficult restrictions. But we have much to be grateful for (another spiritual discipline!) – not least that we have a God who sits on the throne, for whom none of this has been a surprise, and who knows exactly what next year holds.

And finally…

ONLINE RETREAT

I recognise that many of us still have much to process from this year. To help facilitate this, I have created an online retreat for 23 January for us to spend time with Jesus and walk through our disappointment and loss with him. Details can be found here:

If you know anyone else who you think would be interested in this event, please do forward on the details to them. Thank you x

Waiting this Christmas…and beyond

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Christmas is almost upon us, and yet still we are in that painful stage of waiting and longing – and it looks likely that it is set to continue well into next year. We wait for an end to the isolation, for the virus to be halted, to hug those we love…

TIME TO MOURN

I am writing to wish you all a Merry Christmas and peaceful New Year. However, I also feel it is important to acknowledge the pain and loss that will be felt during this year’s celebrations. We do need to cling to those things we can be grateful for daily, but there are moments when we simply need to weep – and it feels that now may be the time for some. Particularly for those who can no longer see those we long to visit and hold. The last-minute announcements have been for our good, but oh how they have cut deep. Please do give yourself time to mourn if you are struggling with the sudden change of plans.

LOSS OF CONTROL

So much of this year has been topsy-turvy, with many of those things we take for granted suddenly being taken from us. We have certainly learned that there is very little we actually have control over – may we remember that lesson in years to come. We have seen the absolute best of humanity too, with those working around the clock to protect and support the vulnerable and sick. But we have also seen some of the worst, as deep-seated issues have sadly come to the fore yet again.

OUR GOD IS NEAR

May we take the time to reflect on the fact that on that first Christmas, God was willing to come down into our huge mess in order to serve, heal and ultimately die for us. Yes we are suffering right around the world, and there is so much we do not understand, but he is not standing far off from us. And he is still the author and perfecter of our faith – the one constant in an ever-changing world. Lean into him for his peace, for his patience, kindness – and for his understanding. May we pray for eyes that see his perspective, and hearts that remain humble and open. 

Take care and lots of love to you this Christmas season xx

PS If you have suddenly found your plans changed this year, and are looking for ways to stay connected to God, one of the publishers I write for has put together an hour-long programme of videos, carols etc. My short reflection on walking with Jesus through disappointment and loss is within it. I hope you find it helpful.