[Hosea 11 rewritten]
When I [insert my/your name] was a child, You (God) loved me and called me, Your daughter, out of the dark places, the places of oppression and slavery to fear.
But the more You called me, the further I went from You. I tried to do everything on my own, and I turned to other things (and other people) to satisfy me; I merely played at religion.
But God it was You who taught me to walk, taking me by the arms; but I did not realise it was You who healed me. You led me with the cords of human kindness, with ties of love; You lifted the yoke from my neck, and bent down to feed me.
Yet at every turn I try to go back, back to the places that seemed comfortable and safe, but in reality are really only places of destruction and oppression - I seem to try anything, anything that is except from returning to You! That is why I feel so empty inside, so burnt out and washed up; why every plan of my own invention to try to improve things never seems to work. I still seem determined to turn from You, even now. So many times in the past, even if I have called to You, the most High, it hasn't been real, my heart hasn't really been connecting with You.
But still You cry, how can I give up on You, [insert my/your name]? How can I hand you over? God, Your heart is changed within you; all of Your compassion is aroused.
So You will not carry out Your fierce anger, nor will You turn and devastate us. For You are God and not man - the Holy One among us. You will not come in wrath.
I will follow You, Lord, and You will roar like a lion. When You roar, me and all of Your children will come trembling from the far places. We will come trembling like birds from Egypt, like doves from Assyria. You declare that You will settle us in our homes.
Selah.
[My reflections]
Hear the Lord's anguish in this passage; hear His desperation and His heart for us, His longing for us to return to Him. We who turn from Him, in spite of all that He has done and does still; and yet, still He loves us with an everlasting love; still He refuses to give us up, to abandon us to the wolves and to our own devices.
Praise be to God!
Showing posts with label thought provoking. Show all posts
Showing posts with label thought provoking. Show all posts
Saturday, November 26, 2016
Sunday, June 28, 2009
"The Life of Christ"
No, this isn't an account of the whole life of Christ as described in the New Testament, rather, I wanted to say that I had the most amazing day today ! We went to Wintershall in Surrey to see this open air play (entitled "The Life of Christ") which is described as: "The greatest story of all time, movingly recreated by a cast of over 200, authentic detail, outstanding quality, sound and music." It was running all this past week (and has been every year since 1999, although this is the first year I've ever heard of it !) and today was the last day.
It was amazing. It lasted all day (10 til just after 4), but I forgot that it was a play, and actually feel like I have spent the day sitting in Palestine watching the Biblical story unfold. It really brings it to life in a way that I find very hard to sense from just reading the narrative.
For one: I was really struck by the vibrancy of the community that Jesus lived in. For some reason, I've always pictured it more like just streets of dust/desert, (I guess cause it's such a foreign place to me, never ever having been to that area of the world - though I would like to go to Israel someday, if it ever stabilises a bit more). But here were streets of people running about, and showing emotions just like us, and dressed in the most amazing array of colours you have ever seen. Wonderful music at the wedding...basically, it just brought it home how Jesus was actually living with real people, at a real time in history, in a real place.
Second: I really felt a part of what was going on (which I think was part of their intention in putting this on). Especially when it came to the sermon on the mount and the feeding of the 5000 I really felt a part of the crowd that Jesus was speaking to; and like he was speaking directly to me in a way I've never experienced before. And, although I knew he wasn't actually Jesus, I still had this overwhelming desire for him to just look at me, and see me in the crowd. But, then that made me realise, that actually, Jesus does see me in the crowd; and in fact, amazingly (I can't get my head round this however much I try) he sees each one of us in the crowd, no matter who we are. Wow.
Third and just generally: it was amazing to get a big picture, as so often when I read the Bible, I don't have/make time to read a whole gospel, but only read a part; this gave us a picture of how all the different parts of Jesus' life fitted together.
There are many more things that struck me too, but it would take too long to go into all of them. All in all though, it was very very moving. I didn't really cry much as such, but was very deeply moved.
It was also very interesting to note the different reactions of the people in the crowd to what was going on; just as in the day of Jesus. Some were crying and clearly moved, others were chatting and more interested in finishing their lunches, some laughed, many applauded which I found odd - yes, ok, at the end of the day it was a play, and it was amazing, but the point is, that I wasn't watching the story, I was IN it. And to be suddenly jolted back out of that by people reminding you it was a play I found a bit unhelpful, and slightly missing the point (although I did join in with the standing ovation at the end, but that's different). So, the real question at the end of all of this, is, how would you have responded ? If you had been there in the real Biblical times, or even there today, what effect would Jesus' words and deeds and life have had on you ? It's a question worth pondering.
And from a practical point of view, I would also highly recommend anyone to go and see it - whether they are a Christian or not. I think it is the kind of thing that whoever you are, (and even however many times you've been to see it before) you would take something away from it. They've finished for this year now, but hopefully it will be back next year; so why not go along and find an answer to that question ? (Tho I would advise a sunhat, lots and lots of water, and a fold-up chair!) The same people also run "The Acts of the Apostles" in October, and "The Nativity" at Christmas time, which I would also be interested in now seeing (in particular "The Acts of the Apostles.)
p.s. If you're my friend on facebook and you want to know more about today, for a bit of a taste do go and have a look at my facebook photo album (just uploaded). I have something from the majority of the major scenes.
It was amazing. It lasted all day (10 til just after 4), but I forgot that it was a play, and actually feel like I have spent the day sitting in Palestine watching the Biblical story unfold. It really brings it to life in a way that I find very hard to sense from just reading the narrative.
For one: I was really struck by the vibrancy of the community that Jesus lived in. For some reason, I've always pictured it more like just streets of dust/desert, (I guess cause it's such a foreign place to me, never ever having been to that area of the world - though I would like to go to Israel someday, if it ever stabilises a bit more). But here were streets of people running about, and showing emotions just like us, and dressed in the most amazing array of colours you have ever seen. Wonderful music at the wedding...basically, it just brought it home how Jesus was actually living with real people, at a real time in history, in a real place.
Second: I really felt a part of what was going on (which I think was part of their intention in putting this on). Especially when it came to the sermon on the mount and the feeding of the 5000 I really felt a part of the crowd that Jesus was speaking to; and like he was speaking directly to me in a way I've never experienced before. And, although I knew he wasn't actually Jesus, I still had this overwhelming desire for him to just look at me, and see me in the crowd. But, then that made me realise, that actually, Jesus does see me in the crowd; and in fact, amazingly (I can't get my head round this however much I try) he sees each one of us in the crowd, no matter who we are. Wow.
Third and just generally: it was amazing to get a big picture, as so often when I read the Bible, I don't have/make time to read a whole gospel, but only read a part; this gave us a picture of how all the different parts of Jesus' life fitted together.
There are many more things that struck me too, but it would take too long to go into all of them. All in all though, it was very very moving. I didn't really cry much as such, but was very deeply moved.
It was also very interesting to note the different reactions of the people in the crowd to what was going on; just as in the day of Jesus. Some were crying and clearly moved, others were chatting and more interested in finishing their lunches, some laughed, many applauded which I found odd - yes, ok, at the end of the day it was a play, and it was amazing, but the point is, that I wasn't watching the story, I was IN it. And to be suddenly jolted back out of that by people reminding you it was a play I found a bit unhelpful, and slightly missing the point (although I did join in with the standing ovation at the end, but that's different). So, the real question at the end of all of this, is, how would you have responded ? If you had been there in the real Biblical times, or even there today, what effect would Jesus' words and deeds and life have had on you ? It's a question worth pondering.
And from a practical point of view, I would also highly recommend anyone to go and see it - whether they are a Christian or not. I think it is the kind of thing that whoever you are, (and even however many times you've been to see it before) you would take something away from it. They've finished for this year now, but hopefully it will be back next year; so why not go along and find an answer to that question ? (Tho I would advise a sunhat, lots and lots of water, and a fold-up chair!) The same people also run "The Acts of the Apostles" in October, and "The Nativity" at Christmas time, which I would also be interested in now seeing (in particular "The Acts of the Apostles.)
p.s. If you're my friend on facebook and you want to know more about today, for a bit of a taste do go and have a look at my facebook photo album (just uploaded). I have something from the majority of the major scenes.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Seeking and finding
So...I've been feeling a little under the weather the past few days. On the outside I look fine, and have been going to work as usual, but on the inside my stomach is churning about, and is somewhat uncomfortable. I've also been feeling really really tired for no apparent reason today, with a slight headache. All this combined, meant that I have spent a large proportion of time today not really being able to concentrate on what I should be doing, and hence procrastinating (although, I did do a few useful things too).
In the course of my procrastination, I discovered this blog, via a link from a friend's blog. I think it's excellent - very very funny (I kept getting odd looks at work when I kept bursting out laughing; Christians do the strangest things sometimes - which you don't realise until someone points it out!), but also very very thought provoking too.
I was especially provoked to thought by this post. Have a read, but I was especially struck by this:
"In a way there are many films, songs, books, and images that point our imaginations to God even though the artist may not have intended this. To those who are seeking after Christ and his kingdom, they see glimpses of it all the time in the most peculiar places."
There are a number of points I could make from this:
1)I identify with this completely and think it is very true. When I was little (and in some senses I still do this now, but slightly differently) I used to listen to pop songs and immediately relate all the lyrics to my own circumstances. I guess this isn't unusual, for someone who doesn't consider themselves wonderfully good with words to use prewritten words to try to fit them to her own life and use them to express how she feels ! But anyway, this meant that a lot of songs I would relate to how I saw God and what I wanted to say to Him. I saw God everywhere.
I still do. As people who know me well will tell you, I have a tendency to think about things very deeply (although I'm not always able to express this well in words). I can go and see a film, and will come out not necessarily thinking about how amazing the story was, but often thinking about what it taught me about God and who He is, and my identity in Him ! I can also go into a gig - be it a university concert (as last Friday), or a folk club, or anything else - and come out feeling like it has given me as much to think about and has made me feel much the same way as when I come out of church on a Sunday.
Why is this ? Now, it could be because God is bigger than just being God of church! He doesn't just speak to me when I'm sitting down on a Sunday morning, but He is a God who loves me and wants a relationship with me, and wants to relate to me in every aspect of my life i.e. He can 'speak' to me through other mediums as well as sermons (!) and He in fact chooses to speak to me through things I relate well to - like music and nature. (For those of you who aren't quite sure what I mean about God 'speaking', I'm sorry to use 'Christian Jargon'. But I think me trying to get my head around what I actually mean by using that would probably take up a whole nother blog post in itself ! Suffice for now to say that I'm not necessarily referring to speaking with an audible voice per se - although, that isn't impossible.)
It could also be because if God has created all things - including us, who He has given the ability to be creative - then surely all things will therefore point back to Him, and speak to us of His nature ?
2) The fact that I identify with this encourages me; it means that although I often feel like I fail to be pursuing God's Kingdom (again, another whole blog post! :) as much as I should be/want to, by this definition I must still therefore to some extent be pursuing Him, even when I know that there is more !
3) This is going to be a more long-winded point.
I went to a lecture tonight at the University, which was entitled:"Right hand, left hand: Asymmetry in brains, bodies, atoms and cultures." It was really really interesting - I learnt a lot of new things, like for example the fact that our bodies are asymmetric and about 1 in 10,000 people have their bodies wired around the other way from most other people, so with their heart on the right instead of the left etc. It's called Situs Inversus ! Basically, it was an astounding story that he was piecing together, about how inherently more complex things are asymmetric. For example, the majority of humans are right-handed (although most other animals are about 50/50 right and left), but that this asymmetry only arises because of underlying other asymmetries etc... all the way down to atoms in our bodies and the laws of physics ! But I was sitting next to a friend, and she said to me (I can't remember how it came up exactly) something along the lines of that people see what they want to see; like if someone is obsessed with the number 13 they will see it everywhere.
Are we endanger of being accused of this as Christians ? That the only reason we see God everywhere is because we are looking for Him ?! I know that in "science and God" debates I have often heard the point that there are many scientists who see God in the complexity of things, but there are also many scientists who are atheists as they believe that science alone explains things without a need for God - both groups are accused of seeing what they want to see, when in fact, science IN ITSELF can neither prove or disprove God.
But then, on the other hand, take these Bible verses:
"But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." Matt 6:32-34
"You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart."
Jeremiah 29:13
"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you." Matt 7:6-8
It says that when we seek, we will find. Implying that when we don't seek we don't find ? Hmmm...this would lead me nicely into an analogy that I like using sometimes...but that will have to wait for another blog post, as I really do need to go and get some sleep !
Questions, questions, and no easy answers. It's often the way, I start blogging thinking that I know what I'm going to write, but finding that it gets more confusing as I go along and process stuff ! Apologies for my incoherent ramblings.
But ultimately, however all of this stuff works out, it is encouraging and I know that the God of the Bible is, as I said in point 1, a HUGE God; He has made us creative people (in His image in fact, as He is the ultimate creator!) And I do definitely believe that He isn't limited to drawing us to Himself through only sermons at church or "Christian Music".
I shall end, as is fairly frequent on this blog I know, with some song lyrics; the opening two lines of a Steven Curtis Chapman Song:
"I found You in the most unlikely way.
But really it was You who found me"
- from the song "Remembering You" by SCC
In the course of my procrastination, I discovered this blog, via a link from a friend's blog. I think it's excellent - very very funny (I kept getting odd looks at work when I kept bursting out laughing; Christians do the strangest things sometimes - which you don't realise until someone points it out!), but also very very thought provoking too.
I was especially provoked to thought by this post. Have a read, but I was especially struck by this:
"In a way there are many films, songs, books, and images that point our imaginations to God even though the artist may not have intended this. To those who are seeking after Christ and his kingdom, they see glimpses of it all the time in the most peculiar places."
There are a number of points I could make from this:
1)I identify with this completely and think it is very true. When I was little (and in some senses I still do this now, but slightly differently) I used to listen to pop songs and immediately relate all the lyrics to my own circumstances. I guess this isn't unusual, for someone who doesn't consider themselves wonderfully good with words to use prewritten words to try to fit them to her own life and use them to express how she feels ! But anyway, this meant that a lot of songs I would relate to how I saw God and what I wanted to say to Him. I saw God everywhere.
I still do. As people who know me well will tell you, I have a tendency to think about things very deeply (although I'm not always able to express this well in words). I can go and see a film, and will come out not necessarily thinking about how amazing the story was, but often thinking about what it taught me about God and who He is, and my identity in Him ! I can also go into a gig - be it a university concert (as last Friday), or a folk club, or anything else - and come out feeling like it has given me as much to think about and has made me feel much the same way as when I come out of church on a Sunday.
Why is this ? Now, it could be because God is bigger than just being God of church! He doesn't just speak to me when I'm sitting down on a Sunday morning, but He is a God who loves me and wants a relationship with me, and wants to relate to me in every aspect of my life i.e. He can 'speak' to me through other mediums as well as sermons (!) and He in fact chooses to speak to me through things I relate well to - like music and nature. (For those of you who aren't quite sure what I mean about God 'speaking', I'm sorry to use 'Christian Jargon'. But I think me trying to get my head around what I actually mean by using that would probably take up a whole nother blog post in itself ! Suffice for now to say that I'm not necessarily referring to speaking with an audible voice per se - although, that isn't impossible.)
It could also be because if God has created all things - including us, who He has given the ability to be creative - then surely all things will therefore point back to Him, and speak to us of His nature ?
2) The fact that I identify with this encourages me; it means that although I often feel like I fail to be pursuing God's Kingdom (again, another whole blog post! :) as much as I should be/want to, by this definition I must still therefore to some extent be pursuing Him, even when I know that there is more !
3) This is going to be a more long-winded point.
I went to a lecture tonight at the University, which was entitled:"Right hand, left hand: Asymmetry in brains, bodies, atoms and cultures." It was really really interesting - I learnt a lot of new things, like for example the fact that our bodies are asymmetric and about 1 in 10,000 people have their bodies wired around the other way from most other people, so with their heart on the right instead of the left etc. It's called Situs Inversus ! Basically, it was an astounding story that he was piecing together, about how inherently more complex things are asymmetric. For example, the majority of humans are right-handed (although most other animals are about 50/50 right and left), but that this asymmetry only arises because of underlying other asymmetries etc... all the way down to atoms in our bodies and the laws of physics ! But I was sitting next to a friend, and she said to me (I can't remember how it came up exactly) something along the lines of that people see what they want to see; like if someone is obsessed with the number 13 they will see it everywhere.
Are we endanger of being accused of this as Christians ? That the only reason we see God everywhere is because we are looking for Him ?! I know that in "science and God" debates I have often heard the point that there are many scientists who see God in the complexity of things, but there are also many scientists who are atheists as they believe that science alone explains things without a need for God - both groups are accused of seeing what they want to see, when in fact, science IN ITSELF can neither prove or disprove God.
But then, on the other hand, take these Bible verses:
"But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." Matt 6:32-34
"You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart."
Jeremiah 29:13
"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you." Matt 7:6-8
It says that when we seek, we will find. Implying that when we don't seek we don't find ? Hmmm...this would lead me nicely into an analogy that I like using sometimes...but that will have to wait for another blog post, as I really do need to go and get some sleep !
Questions, questions, and no easy answers. It's often the way, I start blogging thinking that I know what I'm going to write, but finding that it gets more confusing as I go along and process stuff ! Apologies for my incoherent ramblings.
But ultimately, however all of this stuff works out, it is encouraging and I know that the God of the Bible is, as I said in point 1, a HUGE God; He has made us creative people (in His image in fact, as He is the ultimate creator!) And I do definitely believe that He isn't limited to drawing us to Himself through only sermons at church or "Christian Music".
I shall end, as is fairly frequent on this blog I know, with some song lyrics; the opening two lines of a Steven Curtis Chapman Song:
"I found You in the most unlikely way.
But really it was You who found me"
- from the song "Remembering You" by SCC
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
"Living Without Religion", a ramblers humble opinion.
I take the title from a series of short articles that I read today during my procrastination break (that is, a short break from work during which I procrastinated, not, a break from procrastination !) and which got me thinking: "The late Nicolas Walter gave five radio talks in the "Words of Faith" series on the BBC World Service in 1996. Each programme took up one theme, relating humanism to: Living, Thinking, Feeling, Science, Weeping and Laughter
The transcripts are reproduced here."
It's worth a read, as it's definitely thought provoking. I don't know if I'm going to be able to explain this really well, but basically what comes across to me most, is that this guy appears not to quite grasp what Christianity is all about. In the transcripts he talks about "living well", about love, and emotions, and thinking, and about the complexity and potential of human beings. All good things really by my book. In fact, I would probably go so far to say that I agree with most of the things that he says ! Using Christianity as an example of a 'religion' where one has faith in a 'supernatural being', I would say that a lot of people have this image of Christianity being outdated (now that we can explain everything using science of course - which as a scientist I beg to differ with anyway), about following a set of moral rules and guidelines, having an irrational belief in a supernatural God who one leans on as a crutch when one can't cope with life, and as a way out of thinking rationally about the world. This is so far from the truth !!! I would call myself a Christian, although very very far from being a perfect one, but I would say that to me my faith is: very relevant, about far more than just moral guidelines, about having a very rational belief in a God who loves me with an everlasting love that is deep and outworked and a God who promises He will walk beside me through all of life's difficult circumstances, and allows me to think about things in this world very deeply. This contradiction between widely held perception and what I have experienced to be true in my life shouldn't surprise me really, considering what it says in Corinthians (Message version): "The Message that points to Christ on the cross seems like sheer silliness to those hellbent on destruction, but for those on the way of salvation it makes perfect sense. This is the way God works, and most powerfully as it turns out. It's written, I'll turn conventional wisdom on it's head, I'll expose so-called experts as crackpots." 1 Cor 18-19
A good example of this can be found in the following: I looked up humanist on Wikipedia, to get a better understanding of what they actually believe, and this quote particularly struck me: "The focus is on doing good and living well in the here and now, and leaving the world a better place for those who come after." Do they therefore think that Christians don't also want to do this ? Ultimately, we all live out our lives on the same earth, and don't most of us want to have a good influence on the world around us ? I suppose the crucial difference is whether we rely on ourselves, and striving to fulfil our innate potential in our own strength to carry out this goal, or whether we look to God, discovering the talents and potential He has given each of us, whilst also looking to His strength and seeking to play out our part in His good plan.
Going back to the humanist transcripts I quoted at the beginning of this, two other quotes in particular struck me, which I shall leave you with...
1) "But science is always on the move. We have tasted the fruit of the tree of knowledge, our eyes are opened, and there is no going back."
- for someone seeking to live life without religion, he sure quotes from the Bible a lot !
2) "Favourite children's stories end happily ever after, but great adult novels hardly ever end happily. Just as our rational minds tell us that the world is not a perfect place, so our emotional minds want the imperfect world to be reflected in our art."
- I disagree with this statement entirely. Just because our experience on earth tells us that things do not always have "happy endings" should we therefore bring our art, and the things we meditate on and fill our minds with down to the level of our experience ? This relates somewhat to a recent post on the Woodies Worship Leaders blog . At those times where I see, hear of or experience those things which bring pain, hardship, confusion, my heart cries out within me that there must be more than this. That there is surely hope to be found despite the pain; there is joy despite the sorrow and mourning, there can be clarity in the midst of confusion...and that this doesn't just refer to the new heaven and new earth of which the book of Revelation speaks, where "He will wipe every tear from their eyes" and "there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain" (Revelation 21:4) but can also be partially true in the here and now, as, because of Jesus, we seek to more and more live out our lives now as God intended.
This has been a slightly more weighty post that any I have written recently. Apologies for any incoherent ramblings - it's late and I'm getting more and more tired, but I just wanted to try to pen some of this down before the busyness of tomorrow makes me forget it all ! A true rambling from one who is good at rambling :-)
The transcripts are reproduced here."
It's worth a read, as it's definitely thought provoking. I don't know if I'm going to be able to explain this really well, but basically what comes across to me most, is that this guy appears not to quite grasp what Christianity is all about. In the transcripts he talks about "living well", about love, and emotions, and thinking, and about the complexity and potential of human beings. All good things really by my book. In fact, I would probably go so far to say that I agree with most of the things that he says ! Using Christianity as an example of a 'religion' where one has faith in a 'supernatural being', I would say that a lot of people have this image of Christianity being outdated (now that we can explain everything using science of course - which as a scientist I beg to differ with anyway), about following a set of moral rules and guidelines, having an irrational belief in a supernatural God who one leans on as a crutch when one can't cope with life, and as a way out of thinking rationally about the world. This is so far from the truth !!! I would call myself a Christian, although very very far from being a perfect one, but I would say that to me my faith is: very relevant, about far more than just moral guidelines, about having a very rational belief in a God who loves me with an everlasting love that is deep and outworked and a God who promises He will walk beside me through all of life's difficult circumstances, and allows me to think about things in this world very deeply. This contradiction between widely held perception and what I have experienced to be true in my life shouldn't surprise me really, considering what it says in Corinthians (Message version): "The Message that points to Christ on the cross seems like sheer silliness to those hellbent on destruction, but for those on the way of salvation it makes perfect sense. This is the way God works, and most powerfully as it turns out. It's written, I'll turn conventional wisdom on it's head, I'll expose so-called experts as crackpots." 1 Cor 18-19
The things he says, to me mix up things that I believe to be true about the world, while missing out some of the crucial bits (all the bits where God's involved) at the same time - a most dangerous combination.
A good example of this can be found in the following: I looked up humanist on Wikipedia, to get a better understanding of what they actually believe, and this quote particularly struck me: "The focus is on doing good and living well in the here and now, and leaving the world a better place for those who come after." Do they therefore think that Christians don't also want to do this ? Ultimately, we all live out our lives on the same earth, and don't most of us want to have a good influence on the world around us ? I suppose the crucial difference is whether we rely on ourselves, and striving to fulfil our innate potential in our own strength to carry out this goal, or whether we look to God, discovering the talents and potential He has given each of us, whilst also looking to His strength and seeking to play out our part in His good plan.
Going back to the humanist transcripts I quoted at the beginning of this, two other quotes in particular struck me, which I shall leave you with...
1) "But science is always on the move. We have tasted the fruit of the tree of knowledge, our eyes are opened, and there is no going back."
- for someone seeking to live life without religion, he sure quotes from the Bible a lot !
2) "Favourite children's stories end happily ever after, but great adult novels hardly ever end happily. Just as our rational minds tell us that the world is not a perfect place, so our emotional minds want the imperfect world to be reflected in our art."
- I disagree with this statement entirely. Just because our experience on earth tells us that things do not always have "happy endings" should we therefore bring our art, and the things we meditate on and fill our minds with down to the level of our experience ? This relates somewhat to a recent post on the Woodies Worship Leaders blog . At those times where I see, hear of or experience those things which bring pain, hardship, confusion, my heart cries out within me that there must be more than this. That there is surely hope to be found despite the pain; there is joy despite the sorrow and mourning, there can be clarity in the midst of confusion...and that this doesn't just refer to the new heaven and new earth of which the book of Revelation speaks, where "He will wipe every tear from their eyes" and "there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain" (Revelation 21:4) but can also be partially true in the here and now, as, because of Jesus, we seek to more and more live out our lives now as God intended.
This has been a slightly more weighty post that any I have written recently. Apologies for any incoherent ramblings - it's late and I'm getting more and more tired, but I just wanted to try to pen some of this down before the busyness of tomorrow makes me forget it all ! A true rambling from one who is good at rambling :-)
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Make them go away
I'm on the mailing list of Oliver Gearing, an amazing musician I met once whilst performing at an open mic night in Cambridge. Anyway, since I'm on his mailing list I get to hear about all he gets up to, and he recently sent out the following e-mail about the use of one of his songs...
"Breaking news: Make them Go Away has been selected by The Department for Children, Families and Schools to feature in their latest anti-bullying campaign. The song forms the backbone for poignant short film created by Nick Webber and his team at Take One Productions
Currently being distributed to schools across the UK, you can watch it now at olivergearing.com
I am delighted to be involved in such a good cause and thought provoking campaign."
I've just watched the video and would recommend watching it - although, don't watch it unless you're prepared to be challenged. The song is good, of course, but the film is very moving. It moved me to tears anyway.
There's so much wrong in this world, and sometimes one feels overwhelmed and helpless to know what one can do to make any difference at all ! Although, I do know that because of Jesus there is hope...we can make a difference, not in our own strength but by learning how to be his body and hands on this earth. I'm not trying to preach, just trying to be real as I'm struggling to work out my reactions to stuff in life. I didn't have this in mind when I started this post, but oh well...it seems appropriate to post the lyrics of another Ginny Owens song I have been impacted by in the past, which me starting this post brought to mind. The song is basically talking about various people from the Bible (who, were actually real people like us too!), and how some of the stuff God asked them to do seemed so overwhelmingly huge, yet God just asked them to be obedient and to trust in Him; that He had a plan and would use us to "show them I Am". Seems relevant in many ways:
"No Lord, he said, you've got the wrong guy.
Simple conversation gets me tongue-tied.
And you're telling me to speak with a maniac king.
Could it be I've lost my mind?
And besides, I am weak, don't you want someone strong,
To lead them out of Egypt when they've been there so long?
And anyway, they wont believe You ever spoke to me.
That's not your problem, God replied.
And the rest is history.
"Breaking news: Make them Go Away has been selected by The Department for Children, Families and Schools to feature in their latest anti-bullying campaign. The song forms the backbone for poignant short film created by Nick Webber and his team at Take One Productions
Currently being distributed to schools across the UK, you can watch it now at olivergearing.com
I am delighted to be involved in such a good cause and thought provoking campaign."
I've just watched the video and would recommend watching it - although, don't watch it unless you're prepared to be challenged. The song is good, of course, but the film is very moving. It moved me to tears anyway.
There's so much wrong in this world, and sometimes one feels overwhelmed and helpless to know what one can do to make any difference at all ! Although, I do know that because of Jesus there is hope...we can make a difference, not in our own strength but by learning how to be his body and hands on this earth. I'm not trying to preach, just trying to be real as I'm struggling to work out my reactions to stuff in life. I didn't have this in mind when I started this post, but oh well...it seems appropriate to post the lyrics of another Ginny Owens song I have been impacted by in the past, which me starting this post brought to mind. The song is basically talking about various people from the Bible (who, were actually real people like us too!), and how some of the stuff God asked them to do seemed so overwhelmingly huge, yet God just asked them to be obedient and to trust in Him; that He had a plan and would use us to "show them I Am". Seems relevant in many ways:
"No Lord, he said, you've got the wrong guy.
Simple conversation gets me tongue-tied.
And you're telling me to speak with a maniac king.
Could it be I've lost my mind?
And besides, I am weak, don't you want someone strong,
To lead them out of Egypt when they've been there so long?
And anyway, they wont believe You ever spoke to me.
That's not your problem, God replied.
And the rest is history.
There's a bigger picture you can't see.
You don't have to change the world, just trust in me.
'Cause I am your creator, I am working out my plan,
And through you I will show them, I Am.
Now Lord, are you sure? He's just a shepherd boy,
Too small for battle gear with a giant to destroy.
What on earth can he do with five stones and a sling?
That's not your problem, God replied.
'Cause I can do anything.
There's a bigger picture you can't see.
You don't have to change the world, just trust in me.
'Cause I am your creator, I am working out my plan,
And through you, I will show them,
I Am the first, I Am the last,
I Am the present and the past,
I Am tomorrow and today,
I Am the only way.
Great Lord, she said, I'm just a simple girl.
You say that I will bring your son into the world.
How can I understand this thing You're gonna do?
That's not your problem, God replied.
'Cause, there's a bigger picture,
And you don't have to change the world.
I'm your creator, I am working out my plan.
And through you, I will show them,
There is a bigger picture, you can't see.
You don't have to change the world, just trust in me.
I'm your creator, I am working out my plan,
And through you, I will show them, I Am."
- I Am by Ginny Owens
Sorry for rambling (again) - it's late, I'm tired, that's my excuse ! Having said that, I need some sleep now (and to finish my work for tonight, which is the reason I'm on the internet in the first place!) Before I do, let me commend the rest of Oliver Gearing's music to you. You can download most (if not all?) his music for free from his website, as cited above. Enjoy and goodnight !
p.s. I don't know why the song lyrics format has lost all the formatting between preview and posting...I hope you can still read it, but I'm too tired now to try and mess around sorting it out. I'll try and sort it out another day.
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