Meditations
The following articles are how some church members have responded to what God has been saying to them:
| Meditation on 11th September 2001 | |
| Meditation on How we Grow | |
| Christmas Shepherds | |
| A modern Psalm | |
| The Long Silence |
Meditation on 11th September 2001 |
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Written after a prayer meeting on 11th September 2001 after the terrorist attacks in America.
Just for a moment we see the tragedy of this world as you see it Lord.
Thousands dying - unprepared, not ever understanding what life was for - never recognising You.
Mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters grieving - their world turned upside down.
The things they had confidence in turning to dust.
You see it every day
Today, TV cameras showed us a glimpse of the kind of horror You witness every moment.
Today, You let us feel something of Your compassion for this sin-ridden, self-centred world, but which is made up of individuals - each previous to You;
As precious as that office worker waving the white cloth to attract attention just before the building collapsed.
You know the impotence, and allowed us a taste of Your grief.
Father, evil lies in the hearts of men, and selfishness and worldliness too.
Yet You keep the world spinning - You allow us to continue.
And with each new day You bear the pain of souls dying without knowing You, on a scale and with a depth of compassion that even on this day we cannot comprehend.
Lord, how can we ever comprehend the love that keeps on - that causes each new day to dawn;
That bore the sins of the world on Calvary's cross, and bears it again with every wasted life, and every evil deed.
Just for a moment we see the tragedy of this world as you see it Lord.
Thousands dying - unprepared, not ever understanding what life was for - never recognising You.
Mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters grieving - their world turned upside down.
The things they had confidence in turning to dust.
You see it every day
- in the eyes of the mother watching her baby die in Africa
- in the dying horror of the motorcycle victim
- in the coach crash
- in the "natural" disaster - the mudslide, cyclone, storm
- in warfare and in disease.
Today, TV cameras showed us a glimpse of the kind of horror You witness every moment.
Today, You let us feel something of Your compassion for this sin-ridden, self-centred world, but which is made up of individuals - each previous to You;
As precious as that office worker waving the white cloth to attract attention just before the building collapsed.
You know the impotence, and allowed us a taste of Your grief.
Father, evil lies in the hearts of men, and selfishness and worldliness too.
Yet You keep the world spinning - You allow us to continue.
And with each new day You bear the pain of souls dying without knowing You, on a scale and with a depth of compassion that even on this day we cannot comprehend.
Lord, how can we ever comprehend the love that keeps on - that causes each new day to dawn;
That bore the sins of the world on Calvary's cross, and bears it again with every wasted life, and every evil deed.
Do you remember days when the Lord's work was flourishing in you
And you basked in God's power and love?
It was like being a leaf in a summer shower,
Being soaked by cool refreshing rain, after long hot dusty days.
Everywhere was water
And the power of the water pulsed through the tree,
Pattering on the leaves which danced and vibrated to the flow.
What power, what an experience!
Think, think about how a leaf is nourished.
How does a leaf obtain life-giving water?
It is not in the storm; it is not through the leaves
In the dancing, exciting, flooding experience;
It is through the roots.
Slowly, imperceptibly, moment by moment;
Drawing moisture from deep down in the earth.
This is how the leaves are fed.
This is how a cactus grows strong in a desert.
This is how you grow,
Whatever the weather is like.
And you basked in God's power and love?
It was like being a leaf in a summer shower,
Being soaked by cool refreshing rain, after long hot dusty days.
Everywhere was water
And the power of the water pulsed through the tree,
Pattering on the leaves which danced and vibrated to the flow.
What power, what an experience!
Think, think about how a leaf is nourished.
How does a leaf obtain life-giving water?
It is not in the storm; it is not through the leaves
In the dancing, exciting, flooding experience;
It is through the roots.
Slowly, imperceptibly, moment by moment;
Drawing moisture from deep down in the earth.
This is how the leaves are fed.
This is how a cactus grows strong in a desert.
This is how you grow,
Whatever the weather is like.
When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them (Luke 2:17-18)
Why did God send his angels to tell the shepherds about Jesus' birth? On the surface this verse seems to imply that one of the reasons might have been so that they could tell the good news to others, but it is probably not as simple as that. We know from Jewish historical works that shepherds were considered unreliable and untrustworthy people, and that they were not allowed to give testimony in the law-courts. They also had an isolated profession, and would have had relatively little time or opportunity to tell others about this wonderful event. If God had wanted someone to spread the word then he could not have chosen a worse group of people.
But it is not God's intention to spread the news about Jesus as widely as possible. He does not want Jesus to grow up in a blaze of publicity, or as a religious trainee, like the Dalai Lama. God wants Jesus to live a normal life, so that he could appeal to and represent normal people. So God wouldn't want everyone to know about Jesus' birth. He certainly wouldn't want the religious authorities to know about it, otherwise they would want to take control of his upbringing and all of his public appearances. They would want to shut him off from the public and keep him to themselves as much as possible.
But God did want to tell those who would not hijack the situation, and who better to announce it to than people like the shepherds, who the world had rejected and despised - the very sort of people that Jesus had particularly come to appeal to and to save. And of course if the shepherds went around afterwards talking about what they had seen and heard, who would believe them? Who would believe these people who were not allowed to testify in law courts? Who would believe that God would invite just lowly shepherds anyway? A lot of people would probably just laugh at them.
God must have been tickled pink by the irony of the situation. How he could trust those who the world considered untrustworthy with some of the greatest news of all time, but he couldn't trust those who the world considered trustworthy with it! God must also have loved giving these shepherds, who the world despised, a real treat. Letting them know that they were special and precious to him, and lavishing upon them one of the most amazing nights anyone has ever experienced in the whole of human history.
It is hard to imagine just how amazed they must have been with the angelic announcement. And eventually when they find the baby Jesus they must have been stunned that no-one else was there apart from Joseph & Mary. They were the first to arrive. How they must have wondered at the privilege that they had been given. How they must have marvelled that God had not sent a high-born Saviour, but a low-born Saviour, lying in a manger (part of their world), born as one of them and to live amongst them.
Clearly the shepherds did tell some people about what had happened to them, but who was it who would have found these witnesses the law-courts disdained so convincing. Historical studies indicate that there was a whole underclass of people in New Testament times. Whole groups of people who were looked down on and who were virtual outcasts from the rest of society. This underclass, to which the shepherds belonged, would primarily congregate and communicate with each other.
Among such an audience there would not be the same mistrust of the shepherds, instead the reverse would probably be the case. Members of the underclass would instinctively trust other members of the underclass, because they were all united together by their common rejection by everyone else. Where the rest of society wouldn't have believed the shepherds, a lot of the underclass probably would. Especially when the shepherds had such good news, that God was interested in them and had come to save all of them.
The words used in v17 seem to imply a spreading by word of mouth. The shepherds were isolated and would not be able to tell everyone. But by telling some, they knew that such good news would swiftly be passed around other members of the underclass, and that it would soon become common knowledge.
Did other members of the underclass go and visit Jesus as well? Luke does not record it, but one can imagine some of the people getting together and choosing one or two of their number just to pop along and see Jesus for a few minutes, and then come back to tell the others what he was like. Hopefully they were considerate of Mary, not wanting to overwhelm her, nor wanting to demean the specialness of the occasion by crowding round Jesus, and gawking in an unseemly fashion. Perhaps they took Mary & Joseph some food to eat, or some additional blankets to keep them warm at night.
One can imagine them sensing that Jesus was their Saviour, and that this was their few days to be alone with him, to be close to him and to care for him, all by themselves. Then he would be off home again, but you can bet that they would have kept a special eye out in 20 or 30 years time, for their Saviour. Looking for the man who would grow from the boy, and who would save them from their sins and welcome them to his company once again.
Why did God send his angels to tell the shepherds about Jesus' birth? On the surface this verse seems to imply that one of the reasons might have been so that they could tell the good news to others, but it is probably not as simple as that. We know from Jewish historical works that shepherds were considered unreliable and untrustworthy people, and that they were not allowed to give testimony in the law-courts. They also had an isolated profession, and would have had relatively little time or opportunity to tell others about this wonderful event. If God had wanted someone to spread the word then he could not have chosen a worse group of people.
But it is not God's intention to spread the news about Jesus as widely as possible. He does not want Jesus to grow up in a blaze of publicity, or as a religious trainee, like the Dalai Lama. God wants Jesus to live a normal life, so that he could appeal to and represent normal people. So God wouldn't want everyone to know about Jesus' birth. He certainly wouldn't want the religious authorities to know about it, otherwise they would want to take control of his upbringing and all of his public appearances. They would want to shut him off from the public and keep him to themselves as much as possible.
But God did want to tell those who would not hijack the situation, and who better to announce it to than people like the shepherds, who the world had rejected and despised - the very sort of people that Jesus had particularly come to appeal to and to save. And of course if the shepherds went around afterwards talking about what they had seen and heard, who would believe them? Who would believe these people who were not allowed to testify in law courts? Who would believe that God would invite just lowly shepherds anyway? A lot of people would probably just laugh at them.
God must have been tickled pink by the irony of the situation. How he could trust those who the world considered untrustworthy with some of the greatest news of all time, but he couldn't trust those who the world considered trustworthy with it! God must also have loved giving these shepherds, who the world despised, a real treat. Letting them know that they were special and precious to him, and lavishing upon them one of the most amazing nights anyone has ever experienced in the whole of human history.
It is hard to imagine just how amazed they must have been with the angelic announcement. And eventually when they find the baby Jesus they must have been stunned that no-one else was there apart from Joseph & Mary. They were the first to arrive. How they must have wondered at the privilege that they had been given. How they must have marvelled that God had not sent a high-born Saviour, but a low-born Saviour, lying in a manger (part of their world), born as one of them and to live amongst them.
Clearly the shepherds did tell some people about what had happened to them, but who was it who would have found these witnesses the law-courts disdained so convincing. Historical studies indicate that there was a whole underclass of people in New Testament times. Whole groups of people who were looked down on and who were virtual outcasts from the rest of society. This underclass, to which the shepherds belonged, would primarily congregate and communicate with each other.
Among such an audience there would not be the same mistrust of the shepherds, instead the reverse would probably be the case. Members of the underclass would instinctively trust other members of the underclass, because they were all united together by their common rejection by everyone else. Where the rest of society wouldn't have believed the shepherds, a lot of the underclass probably would. Especially when the shepherds had such good news, that God was interested in them and had come to save all of them.
The words used in v17 seem to imply a spreading by word of mouth. The shepherds were isolated and would not be able to tell everyone. But by telling some, they knew that such good news would swiftly be passed around other members of the underclass, and that it would soon become common knowledge.
Did other members of the underclass go and visit Jesus as well? Luke does not record it, but one can imagine some of the people getting together and choosing one or two of their number just to pop along and see Jesus for a few minutes, and then come back to tell the others what he was like. Hopefully they were considerate of Mary, not wanting to overwhelm her, nor wanting to demean the specialness of the occasion by crowding round Jesus, and gawking in an unseemly fashion. Perhaps they took Mary & Joseph some food to eat, or some additional blankets to keep them warm at night.
One can imagine them sensing that Jesus was their Saviour, and that this was their few days to be alone with him, to be close to him and to care for him, all by themselves. Then he would be off home again, but you can bet that they would have kept a special eye out in 20 or 30 years time, for their Saviour. Looking for the man who would grow from the boy, and who would save them from their sins and welcome them to his company once again.
Be my Refuge, O Lord, and protect me from all evil
Guard my thoughts, and keep them good.
May my tongue speak of Your love
Make my actions mirror Your teachings.
My enemies are amazed at my sureness,
That you are my Protector
And that You love me so completely.
In faith I can be sure that You are always with me.
I exalt You, O Lord,
You are my God, and I am Your servant,
And I am overflowing with thankfulness.
You love me with an everlasting love.
Guard my thoughts, and keep them good.
May my tongue speak of Your love
Make my actions mirror Your teachings.
My enemies are amazed at my sureness,
That you are my Protector
And that You love me so completely.
In faith I can be sure that You are always with me.
I exalt You, O Lord,
You are my God, and I am Your servant,
And I am overflowing with thankfulness.
You love me with an everlasting love.
At the end of time, billions of people were scattered on a plain before God's throne. Most shrank back from the brilliant light before them. But some groups near the front talked heatedly - not with cringing shame but with belligerence.
'Can God judge us? How can he know about suffering?' snapped a pert young brunette. She ripped open a sleeve to reveal a tattooed number from a Nazi concentration camp. 'We endured terror ... beatings ... torture ... death!'
In another group a Negro boy lowered his collar. 'What about this?' he demanded, showing an ugly rope burn. 'Lynched ... for no other crime but being black!'
In another crowd, a pregnant schoolgirl with sullen eyes. 'Why should I suffer' she murmured, 'It wasn't my fault.'
Far out across the plain there were hundreds of such groups. Each had a complaint against God for the evil and suffering he had permitted in his world. How lucky God was to live in heaven where all was sweetness and light, where there was no weeping or fear, no hunger or hatred. What did God know of all that man had been forced to endure in this world? For God leads a pretty sheltered life, they said.
So each of these groups sent forth their leader, chosen because he had suffered the most. A Jew, a Negro, a person from Hiroshima, a horribly deformed arthritic, a thalidomide child. In the centre of the plain they consulted with each other. At last they were ready to present their case. It was rather clever.
Before God could be qualified to be their judge, he must endure what they had endured. Their decision was that God should be sentenced to live on earth - as a man!
'Let him be born a Jew. Let the legitimacy of his birth be doubted. Give him a work so difficult even his family will think him out of his mind when he tries to do it. Let him be betrayed by his closest friends. Let him face false charges, be tried by a prejudiced jury and convicted by a cowardly judge. Let him be tortured.
'At the last, let him see what it means to be terribly alone. Then let him die. Let him die so that there can be no doubt that he died. Let there be a great host of witnesses to verify it.'
As each leader announced his portion of the sentence, loud murmurs of approval went up from the throng of people assembled.
And when the last had finished pronouncing sentence, there was a long silence. No-one uttered another word. No-one moved. For suddenly all knew that God had already served his sentence.
'Can God judge us? How can he know about suffering?' snapped a pert young brunette. She ripped open a sleeve to reveal a tattooed number from a Nazi concentration camp. 'We endured terror ... beatings ... torture ... death!'
In another group a Negro boy lowered his collar. 'What about this?' he demanded, showing an ugly rope burn. 'Lynched ... for no other crime but being black!'
In another crowd, a pregnant schoolgirl with sullen eyes. 'Why should I suffer' she murmured, 'It wasn't my fault.'
Far out across the plain there were hundreds of such groups. Each had a complaint against God for the evil and suffering he had permitted in his world. How lucky God was to live in heaven where all was sweetness and light, where there was no weeping or fear, no hunger or hatred. What did God know of all that man had been forced to endure in this world? For God leads a pretty sheltered life, they said.
So each of these groups sent forth their leader, chosen because he had suffered the most. A Jew, a Negro, a person from Hiroshima, a horribly deformed arthritic, a thalidomide child. In the centre of the plain they consulted with each other. At last they were ready to present their case. It was rather clever.
Before God could be qualified to be their judge, he must endure what they had endured. Their decision was that God should be sentenced to live on earth - as a man!
'Let him be born a Jew. Let the legitimacy of his birth be doubted. Give him a work so difficult even his family will think him out of his mind when he tries to do it. Let him be betrayed by his closest friends. Let him face false charges, be tried by a prejudiced jury and convicted by a cowardly judge. Let him be tortured.
'At the last, let him see what it means to be terribly alone. Then let him die. Let him die so that there can be no doubt that he died. Let there be a great host of witnesses to verify it.'
As each leader announced his portion of the sentence, loud murmurs of approval went up from the throng of people assembled.
And when the last had finished pronouncing sentence, there was a long silence. No-one uttered another word. No-one moved. For suddenly all knew that God had already served his sentence.
