Crazy Dream for 2012

I dont often tell anyone about the dreams I have, mainly because who wants to here that I trip in my dreams as  much as I do when I'm awake. And I only ever remember tripping up in my dreams not what else happens. But last night was different, I thought I would share.

There were two of us in a foreign land, we had no where to go and we were searching for for someone. We were walking through a small alley way of open shops mostly selling books. We start to look through the books and find this Christian book, and hold to the man on the stall asking how much, all the other shop owners gather closer, the shop owner holding the book starts to read from it, ending by saying that there is a high price for the book cause to own it means you are a Christian and within this Land Christians are not welcomed. We just said we didn't care how much for the book cost we would take it, and all of a sudden there was hugging and clapping and laughing. The stall holders where Christians as well. They asked were we where staying for the night and we said we had no where so they said sleep on our floors, that they gathered for worship first and then dispersed to homes or places and that we must stay. And when the service started we were welcomed and then they sang the glory of god, and all around the place where these shops were more people sang, it was explained that there were more people, many more people who believed and that although the land was hostile towards Christians there would always be some. We would be provided for and that God would point the way, and then we slept.

I'm not sure what it means but yesterday I said I would post about my dreams for 2012. This year is the end of my degree, and I hope to find a job, to continue to work towards my calling, continued to challenged and stretched for Jesus and work for him. There will be other things I would love like a place to live other than home, to be in a relationship, to be able to keep my car, but We shall see wont we.

Most of all I move into 2012 know the living God, knowing my saviour and knowing of God's amazing provision and community. I hope for nothing more than to see Christ more fully each day.

Here's 2012.

The top ten of 2011.

It comes to the end of another fantastic year, and to be just like everyone else I thought I would share some highlights of 2011, and some hopes for 2012.

The top ten:

1. India - when I think of the craziest things I've done this year, this was certainly up there. Maybe because it filled a whole month of my year therefore means that the likeliness of it to appear increases. It was a lifetime experience.
2. Surprising in number two is having my tonsils removed. It has actually made a huge difference to my life. And who wouldn't want to watch Kung Fu Panda in Hospital.
3. Mission to Berko with a fantastic team is also up there, it was a great ten days with some amazing people. Its always great to be involved with churches that are doing great things for God. 
4. Being involved with MYA was a great experience, to see so many young people passionate about the Methodist Church is really inspiring. I also got to hang out with some great people, promote cliff, lead workshops, worship, see some old friends and just be. It was also good to be stretched by God that weekend. 
5. I turned 20.... which was slightly crazy as at midnight when they day turned to the 26th May I was cold, hungry and all alone in a tent, and everyone else in college was in Tesco's I believe. (I almost cried) Then two friends ring me with an emergency, which turned out to be an Indian take away and jelly snakes, which started the fantastic day of hiding at every meal time and many cakes and putting up lighting. And of course the whole festival weekend is a great opportunity of fellowship, worship and being challenged by God.
6. Summer Camp - who doesn't love summer camps, and going away this year with church to help lead a camp for the young people of the circuit is no different. Campfire worship all the way
7. The Norfolk Show - I returned once again to the Norfolk show as a chaplain a great two days to Just listen and talk to people about everything and anything, from tractors to communion and everything in between.... well mostly weather, guest intakes, prices and trade. It was warm and sunny and great to be out with the rest of the Norfolk Churches Together.
8. I finished my second year of Cliff, and have started my third and got a new ensuit double room. Continuing my studies at Cliff is really great, I cant believe that at the end of 2011 I have one semester left. This is most likely the last full year of Cliff Life.
9. I suppose its on a similar train as going to India but flying back from India - not because I was coming home, but because the world was truly beautiful that night.
10. The many times I've been reminded I'm alive, wether thats because I'm awake at 4am to see the sunrise across the beach, climbing an indoor climbing wall, climbing out of my now written of car (i only did this once honest) or standing on top of the edge watching the sun set I thank God for his mercy and love that has kept me here.

What are your top moments of 2011?

Tomorrows post will be the ten hopes and dreams of 2012!

UK today, India tomorrow

It may have escaped someone attention, but tomorrow I leave for India.

I'm also (Shockingly) almost packed! I think the last few days have already started a journey for me. I had completely under estimated what people thought of me in college. I knew I had worth, but then any one who can sort things out with out to much fuss is bound to, but this seemed more than this. They bought me a card and I'm going away for a month, not forever.

As for tomorrow, it might even beat some of my longer coach journeys, but I'm looking forward to it. the thrill the excitement, the wonder of if I have packed everything, and told everyone all the right details.

Currently my concerns are travellers cheques..... how on earth do you use them.

Otherwise I'm excited for the this month, It's been completely in Gods hands, and there it shall stay.  :D
Be Blessed
xxx

Photos

Photo's/

Don't you love them. To one person a photo can mean so much, to others not a clue.

I love going out with the camera if I have time or catching a moment with the old phone (or rather new phone with good((ish)) camera.)
But for some they will mean nothing and others so much. Here are some photo's that I love, that make up my rolling screen saver.... whats more there are explanations.

 My and my friend, Emma went to the beach, very early in the morning... around 4 and it makes me think that there is always some one walking with me. Always something good to remember.

 I took this photo a couple of years ago. It's one of my favourite places in the world. Not only the beach but Mundesly, just always peaceful if you go at the right time.

 This was at Amport house. The tri-service Chaplaincy centre, this was were I spent 3 of a 10 day visit to the Army.

 This motley crew are just some of the fantastic people you meet at Cliff... whats more its snowing. The world was escaping. 

 My brother, need I say more.

 One of the memorials in the churches I visited over the summer. So many names scattered around this globe in memory. Not enough poppies.

I just really like this photo... no actual reason!

Christ for All, All for Christ. The college motto and something we are really thinking about again this year. It comes up in our liturgy in prayers. its on two stained glass windows and at other points around campus. 

Just a few photo's I hope you like. 

Remember: Christ for All, All for Christ

xxx

Three notes noted

Note number one:

This weeks been tough.
This week I'm struggling, but praise be to God because he is good.

Note Number two:

Still a small and slim but possible chance to go to MYA 3generate.... it's going to be great!

Note Number Three:

It's been a while, and for my third year I have to do a block placement for two weeks. I could do practically anything as long as it was essentially safe and at the end of the two weeks I could write a 3000 word assignment on it, or rather the dreaded words - theological reflection. I thought about it long and hard and I was hoping to find away of working with a militrary chaplain/padre over the summer. Having my tonsils out really ut paid to that. So giving up on that brilliant but unsccesful plan I thought to myself... simple I will just find a church who wants to have student be involved in there church for two weeks, no problem there will be many... some how no.

Three weeks ago I was beginning to start to panic block placement still has to be fitted in (yes I know I still have plenty of time) there was the dissertation to be thinkin about, extended mission and  all of my intensive weeks. Then I was driving one of our tutors to the train station and he says.... "do you know anyone who wishes to go to India for a 1 to 3 months?"

And I thought to myself, that would be cool.

And I went to see the academic dean... a very nice man who said yes if you want go to india... and my programme tutor said the same.
 And evrything clicked into place within two days, all that is apart from a visa - which is hopefull now being processed as we speak.

So two weeks from now I shall hopefully travelling to what shall slowly become a frozen England to a very warm India to work with a bible seminary. And I'm excited.

Still two weeks after making this decision to leave some of my studies for a month and there is a bad week, a week filled with negativity and sleepless nights and the need to catch trains, its this week where most of the time it would seem so much easier to cry and walk away, but you know what,

God is still good, still faithful and unchanging, and probably has a very comfortable shoulder to cry on. Just have to be honest and at this moment in time say I'm not feeling my strongest... will you carry me still.

Poem

When all is said and done, 

I wish to walk towards the Son. 

Holding fast to the cross, 

Kneeling at his feet.

Dancing for his glory.

Singing all his praise.

I want to tell all these kingdoms,

about great news you are.

Share a glimpse of heaven and 

Share the love from all above.

Poem

I started this some time ago, by the sounds of it, it wasn't the brightest time in my life... today I finished it :D

I feel asleep one night
and down I fell
a dream of bugs and bells
The fire burnt bright
the shadows grew deeper
I hope i awake to daylight strong
and an ever deepening understanding
and voice for your song

The Royal Norfolk Show

For the last couple of years I've had the great opportunity of working with the Churches Together Tent at the Royal Norfolk Show. For those of you who are unaware of this particular county show, it is currently the largest Show of its kind within the country, to the point this year Norfolk made the national travel updates due to the amount of traffic on the roads... usually no one outside our county needs to know.

The first few years I had the privileged of an in-tent job working with the Messy church set up. The tent is often set out as a cafe with activities for children families or any one really who wants to get involved and then with activities around the perimeter focused on the theme as well as a prayer space. I loved woking on the Messy Church work, it gave both an opportunity to be messy but to allow the adults as much as anyone to have the space to discuss faith in a non threatening if not slightly unusual environment that was not judgemental but trying to offer support in all ways. It wasn't just families but teachers as well, especially primary school teachers who were not necessarily comfortable with teaching RE found it great to allow their children to explore faith through both messy and Godly play. With the two years I spent in-tent so to say I had a great many conversations with visitors to the show.

These last two years my role has been different, with the interest in chaplaincy my minister gave me the great opportunity to join other ministers, nuns and local chaplains in being show chaplains. I remember last year being completely daunted with the task when they showed me 'my patch' so to say. Firstly I was young. There is no denying the fact that in the culture in which I am most often perceived (British or Western) I am not of the age to talk to unless I am talking to those of that age, who probably should still consult some on older. It is difficult to think that in some cultures by now I would probably have been married off by now with at least a couple of children to fend for. Yet I recognise currently I have to have a lot of confidence within my ability and my identity, in some ways I can not hide behind the idea that age is wisdom because I do not have the wrinkles to pull it off (not all wise people have wrinkles and not all old people have wrinkles not all old people are wise and not all wise people are old - just as a disclaimer.) I do not have the identity of a dog collar, and actually this is something that people still connect with. The dog collar in some places can still be seen as something to respect. I found this year on my first at the show sharing the role with some who wore a dog collar meant that some people spoke to me because of the lovely lady I was with, who would not even recognise me the second day, let alone give me the time of day in some cases, because of this natural authority and respect the dog collar still gave. It was not the same in all cases but I still had to make my own identity and communicate that to the people with out the very helpful aid of a dog collar. Personally, I would like to recognise that the chaplains would have done and did there job wether with or with out the dog collar. They do an incredibly difficult but rewarding job and I pray that all chaplains in all situations from simple show chaplains to forces chaplains, betting shop chaplains to canal chaplains train chaplains to hospital chaplains and beyond continue to rest in God and allow his Spirit to continue working in there work.

1st of September

I'm not sure that its the new year that changes the world.... Nothing happens in January except a load of mostly already broken promises we keep trying to persuade ourselves to do.

September is the month!
September is the month when everything changes... its really the start of autumn.
But looking back every September is a change, big things happen.

We go back to school, or college, or Uni, if we have families they do the same and if we have none we can go back to places as there are no longer school, college or uni students hanging around.

Its been 10 years this September since 9/11. Its the month of international talk like a pirate day. Its the start of the Methodist Year. September was when we started using our current calendar system!

This time last year I posted about a changing experience I had with the Army, and it is incredibly scary to think that the guys some younger than me who had started there training when i visited will have completed there phase two training and probably be working full time. Its bizarre to think that some I have met will still be training to go back out to continue fighting a war or peacekeeping or still be prepared to blow people up and be blown up.

Two years ago I would have been panicing about going to Uni, What would Cliff be like, would anyone like me, would the food be okay would I be able to write assignments. What would happen when people discovered how clumsy I was. I had my first Uni hospital visit. I made fantastic friends, I wrote my first assignment albeit in November ... I survived, and most would now accept my clumsiness as endearing.

The year before that we started with the this time next year you could be at Uni speech...
The year before that Welcome to college speech...
The year before that we started with the this time next year you could be at College speech
The year before that Welcome to your GCSE's....

You kind of get the picture. September is when everything changes.

You are thrown into life once again... building up to something to look forward to all winter... something to hold fast to as the colour fades from summer skies.

This September is no different.
I can most likely guarantee I will go back to uni and get the this time next year you have to enter the real world... welcome to your final year of your degree. Its inevitable.

I'm not the same person each September though. This one month is not the end of life changing events its just a key one.

So what about me this September.

I'm still clumsy.
I'm still on the road... just.
I still love God, still clinging to Jesus and attempting to live by the Spirit.
I love dancing more than ever.
I have taken up photography.
I'm quite excited about writing a dissertation.
I'm on trial as a Local preacher.
I still paint badly.
I'm still scared about receiving the collection in church.
I want to learn to sky dive and visit Australia.
I'm still looking at a calling in Methodist Ministry,
and I still have not organised my third year block placement.
I no longer wear odd shows which is both odd and a shame.
I no longer organise my computer files as well as I should or my books by colour.
I still would love to own a kayak and drive a yellow mini (old style)
Mundesley is still my favourite place in the world.
and I still love to stand on the Edge, in literal and metaphorical sense.

Furthermore in my new (That being September) I cannot wait to see how God is going to refine me, how he will reclaim me, and how is plan is going to work out for me. I may not be looking forward to all that sanding down and chopping off but its plan.

Whats more I hope I stay smiling as God is Good... all the time.

Clearing out my laptop sharing the poem and thoughts - mostly half finished so they're gone from my computer but not lost forever.

*


Find the soul of the lost
Taste the hour that eclipses
Know that tomorrows walk will add blisters on to blisters
Time shall not bear easy on you
Nor shall the road be smooth
Fight for tooth and nail upon the rocky path
For tomorrow will not be easier
But maybe it won't be harder

*

You have called me

All that I am

Put me here in this moment

Standing with the lamb

You gave me a map

And You ask me to pray

To work with you on my direction

Everyday

You ask me to intercess

For my fellow travellors

For their paths and directions

Are important to you to

For we all serve your glory

The glory of the king

Our direction faces into you

To you our praise we sing.

*

To the glory of your name

I bring to you my life in praise.

How can you accept us?

I’ve seen the work our hands have done

Crazy shameful moments

Time wasters, life suckers

Criminals, hypocrites

Murders, surfers.

Middle class mums

And high class dads

Working class aunts

And vagabond uncles.

Brothers and sisters lost and in pain

Wandering feet and wandering spirits

Life with incredible limits.

Boundaries and walls

I can’t imagine how they can fall

How can your inexhaustible love

infiltrate into this pollution

into a world where you can be moving

yet few see you

and fewer seek you

Such disunity and helplessness

 But Lord I have seen your people

Connected, praying, loving

Not judging.

I have seen their passion for you

Their love for your people

Who have answered your call

And stayed true to your word and work

I have seen hearts break with love for these people

And I have seen hearts mended here

I have seen people walk in humility

Walking ever closer to you

They have their eyes on the goal

And are solid in their foundations

Based upon the one true Cornerstone

They are a living for you Lord

And you supply and bless

To the glory of your name

In response

I bring to you my life in praise.

One day you may wonder how you changed the world?

When all is said and done,
Don't let this world wear you down.

x.X.x

One day you may wonder how you changed the world?
Turn round and take a look at the laugher you have shared,
Those tear shed side by side.
The silence that was companionable,
And the love you gave to all.

One day you may wonder how you changed the world?
So do not twist your today with hate,
As then the picture skews.
Forgive so you may love better
And hope in all you do.

One day you may wonder how you changed the world?
But spare a moment to,
To think about how this world has also changed you.
Thank God for all the people who travelled by your side,
who lived and loved and laughed with you in all seasons of your life.

2nd Year Mission -2 (06/April/2011)

Okay so its this time of the year agian where he head off on Easter mission with college... and last year at this point I was freaking out.

This year the only difference I really want to go. I know how important missions are. I'm looking forward to working as part of a team. I really hope they're excited and inspired and encouraged and absolutely terrified as well.

When ever we go out preaching we're always told the day your not nervous you go home, why is mission not the same, its still done in the reverence of God. For his Glory.

Please pray for the Cliff college teams going out on mission on Friday, also pray for Northern Ireland, Newham, Northallerton and Berkhamstead.... As they've all got teams visiting them!

Loving people

Okay so I have had one major, major, major problem this year. One major theological query, one thing that has caused me more sleepless nights than attempting to sleep in a lions cage, brought me to more tears, more smiles and more laughs more than anything. One of the hardest things ever. And probably at the core of mission, the core of evangelism, the core of LIFE.

Loving people. 

I've struggled and wrestled with theology; you name it predestination, the trinity, feminism, female leaders within the church, young leaders in the church, relational evangelism, children's spirituality, 1 Peter 2v4-10, old testament covenants and their relation to today, Islamic culture,the wesleyan quadrilateral and the fact there is only 7 days in a week, 24 hours in a day, 60 minutes in an hour (etc.) and its still not enough time sometimes, and to much at others.

I have wrestled with work; academic - meaning many thousands of words on the above topics. But also the stuff that allows me to be at college by paying for me to wash up, sweep floors and chop carrots.

I have wrestled with the fact that i never thought I would score a goal in football, play table tennis whilst being able to serve, get to play frisbee with people who loved, or dance in worship!

I have wrestled with the fact that this academic year I have a purpose on my life, and reason to be alive, and a chance to celebrate it. Whats more I walked out of two car accidents of varying severity with minor cuts. God is good.

I have sat through many lecture, I have sat in the doctors waiting room more times than I have with the doctor, and I have also been in an ambulance three times this year, and some form of A+E or minor injury units more time than any one else from college this year (not all for me.)

But Loving People thats a whole other ball game. How do you not get bogged down in theology to the point you forget that the Gospel preaches Christ risen - A God of Love. Humanity and divine on a cross to death for us. God loved people. He loved us, died for us, and just to shock every rose from the dead... for us. to bridge the gap. to LOVE us!

Further more, we're growing in Christ, which excites me, cause we're growing in love for one another! Amazing really. But not easy.

I live in a Christian community, and I love them, and this year we have looked at being salt and light in the community, and it got to me that we only thought about placements, home churches, communities outside of ours. But we are salt and light at home as well. Where ever you are sat now you are salt and light! and that means loving people.


I struggled with paid work as well. These people are people I see regularly but how am I showing love to them, being Christs love in their lives, salt and light and all that stuff!

So loving people. encouraging them, being with them, standing their when they've lost their keys, listening when they shout out, listening even harder when they whisper, trying not to judge them, sitting with them, kneeling with them dancing with them. Loving them... all people. I pray that this is what uses me for, for his kingdom. It's not going to be easy and I'm not perfect but its a call that I cannot deny. I recognise its not easy and sometimes there is no easy answer, and sometimes its hard to see you also need to let someone love you back, let someone serve you. But, I'm growing in Christ and learning and loving, bear with me as well.

Father God I pray you take my life and use it for you, allow me to be salt and light to your people. Help me to be Christs love to all, the down cast and the ecstatic, the excited the depressed and the in the middle. Father help me to encourage all people rather than judging. Let me be aware when love means saying hard things and being in tough situations, and when maybe it means walking away to allow someone else to be there instead. Lord help me serve your people. Lord let me love your people, and all people, as you love me and them. 
In your almighty name. 
Amen

time to start loving people, all people. and no giving up.

Does not  matter if you feel God.
He is still there.

A second chance @ Christian Spirituality Week 3

Spiritual Formation was a rather brilliant non-assessed class in my first year here at Cliff. But what is Spiritual Formation? 

For me the image that supports spiritual formation is that of a master potter.  This is image is one that has biblical support which would of course get me brownie points in my essays here, but is also a pretty good basis to life. The image of the potter is God building us up forming us and our spirituality out of clay, building us up and breaking us down, leaving his finger print, and moulding us into a masterpiece where he has left something of himself. This work is not clean or clear cut but rather, rather messy.

What is spiritual formation?

A spiritual hunger for more than spiritual junk food.

A development of our relationship with God moving us to spiritual maturity.

A process for individuals and communities.

Moving towards a Christ-likeness.

A journey of faith.

Painful and pleasing.

Uncomforting and comfortable.

Towards a spiritual identity.

Growth, Unique, unconformity, conforming.

Invisible or often retrospective.

It can be found in our longing and in our absence of longing or in the longer we have to wait.

It can be found in the places of our Gethsemane.

By our streams and forests

In our deserts and dry lands.

Shaping, crushing, painful, lusting.

It is a challenge. A relationship.

It is hard to make sense of.

Further more my challenge this week is to encourage others in there spiritual growth. Do we as a people of God encourage each other enough in this? I challenge you to encourage others in there spiritual formation this week too. 

Consistent?!?!? What?

The consistency of Jesus. This term keeps cropping up amongst our lectures. Why did people follow Jesus... he was consistent. Why do we use his approach to spirituality he was consistent. The Gospel a biographical piece of work, not much character development, but rather, consistent. Jesus was consistent. Wow, not sure if I was to right down my top three reason to why everyone should follow Christ that consistent would be up there. Or would it?

Consistent what does it mean?

the definition straight off my mac:

consistent |kənˈsistənt|

adjective

(of a person, behavior, or process) unchanging in achievement or effect over a period of time : manufacturing processes require a consistent approach.

• compatible or in agreement with something : the injuries are consistent with falling from a great height.

• (of an argument or set of ideas) not containing any logical contradictions : a consistent explanation.


Jesus the Consistent. We often talk, teach and sing about God being unchanging, the same yesterday, today and forever. Jesus is I suppose God but not until this last week did I ever think of Jesus as consistent. A character you could rely on. Revolutionary, radical, relational thats Jesus a nice piece of alliteration. Consistent, how can some one who turns the world on its head, overthrows tables in the temple, washes his disciples feet, forgives the prostitute, accepts the gentile, walks in the desert and is himself baptised, be consistent. 

Revolutionary, radical, relational, that was Jesus, consistent? His disciples must have seen it though to give up there nets, something they could constantly depend on. Even Jesus talks about in Mark 4: 35-41

³⁵ That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” ³⁶ Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. ³⁷ A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. ³⁸ Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”
 ³⁹ He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.
 ⁴⁰ He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”
 ⁴¹ They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!” (NIV)

"Do you still have no faith?" in the man that is consistent?

I look at my life, as why apply this only in a blank theological context with no experience to back it up, and I look at the lives of my family and friends, so I know its not just me. And Jesus is consistent. We, humankind, however are not. We are flakey and flukey and flit from place to place. Yet God, a trinitarian God at that still walks with us. Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Im sure in the past I have described God as a God of the Unexpected. The God who is transforming, and loving. A god whom we should fear, and respect. A God who is revolutionary, radical and relational. A God who gave his son to die in place of my sin. A God who gives hope, share in our vulnerability and is our strength.

Today, I recognise my God, my Saviour and my present help as Consistent!

A second chance @ Christian Spirituality Week 2

What does it mean to be a disciple of Jesus?
Tonights was the second session of Christian Spirituality here at Cliff.
I'm going to draw on a few discussion that took place tonight.

Firstly what are words would use to describe Jesus Spirituality?
How would you describe Jesus approach to others.

I think Jesus Spirituality and the way that related to others was intense. I just imagine this intensity that comes from God. If this was part of his persona, a character trait then it would have appeared in his fasting, praying, study, celebrating, serving.

His whole ministry in itself was a radical concept, therefore why not his spirituality.

Other ideas include Practical, loving, confident, flexible, consistent, relational, caring, selfless, servant hearted, led by example, intuitive, humble, encouraging, visible, paradoxical and inclusive.

Jesus washing his disciples feet is a key example of Jesus practising the spiritual disciplines and teaching them to his disciples.

Tonights key quote for me: [Spirituality is...] Heart knowledge and foot knowledge that walks the dusty roads and sometimes needs to be washed by the hand of our saviour. - Gwen Henderson.

A second chance @ Christian Spirituality Week 1

I have been really challenged by many things in the last few weeks. What came top – and its not a new challenge to the way I work – was do I actually take enough time out. Burnout is an ever-growing concern placed on those within all forms of ministry in the 21st century, because most are not satisfied unless they are juggling 21 things! Furthermore I felt a great desire to re-do the Christian Spirituality module here for level four (first years), I did it last year, but I feel due to the fact that it is a credited module that I did not get out of it as much as I could of. So, this is my second chance at Christian Spirituality. Time out to learn something away from assessments, that I shall be documenting on the World Wide Web, and highly likely that as the course looks at some of the Spiritual disciplines, that I shall be attempting to use them in my life and practice them where possible.


Why is spirituality attractive in the 21st Century?
It could be suggested that many feel that there is something greater out there, that holding on to a spirituality can often make them feel included. Its placed out there by consumerism, it offers an escape, confidence, hope or a way of dealing with or ignoring the root of the problem. It can be safe, or it can be something more wild. A way of drowning out real life, or of having some control, or giving it over or being free. It’s a way of being.


When looking over a handout tonight we where asked to pick our favourite definition, and being me I decided to be awkward and use only half a quote. Spirituality is… ‘about living “the whole life at depth”’(1)






Looking specifically at spirituality as a Transforming experience in the bible
2 Cor 3: 18 says ‘And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.’ It really struck me that the God we worship as Christian works within us he changes us, and this has an outward outworking, we shine his glory.
In Philippians 2: 13 ‘continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.’ This God works in us. Our spirituality is a daily act of recognition of this transformation both inwards and outwards.


What can God do?


My challenge for this week, (or homework for the rest of the class) is to take five minutes out (maybe stick in a worship song, or sit in silence, or go for a walk) and ‘allow God to make you aware that you are a living miracle.’ (2)


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(1)Sheldrake. P., A Brief History of Christian Spirituality, (Oxford: Blackwell Publishing, 2007) p.40
(2)Henderson, Gwen, Christian Spirituality lecture 17th Jan 2011, at Cliff College