By John Beverly, Reader, Springline Parish
These are some simple story reflections to encourage you during the isolation and downtime we are currently enduring. There is one for each day except Sunday. For Sunday we aim to provide a more detailed (story based) video presentation with a prayer time – Please be encouraged!
If you have any questions or comments, please send them to johnbevster@gmail.com
By the way, Noah only took two of everything when he went into the ark. Try to remember that when you go shopping – except buy one extra for Foodbank – they’re fairly desperate!
Saturday – The Case of the Burning Log
Have you ever heard of D. L. Moody? He was a famous preacher in the late 19th century. Somebody confronted him saying, “I don’t believe you have to go to church to be a Christian.”
Moody didn’t say a word. Instead he went to the fireplace, took out a log and placed it on the hearth. Together, they watched the burning log expire. Moody then returned it to the fire where it ignited once again.
Couldn’t say it better myself!
In this time of isolation and trouble there’s even more reason to stay where the fire is to keep us ignited and warm. Please give yourself a time every day to come to your computer and look at our daily reflection – to keep God’s alive in your mind and heart.
Monday – Keeping Clean the Jesus Way!
My hands have never been so clean! I’m washing them every time I pass soap and water. However, I think the government has got it wrong. Yes, wash your hands for at least 20 seconds … but sing “Happy Birthday”? I don’t think so. Along with a lot of others I try to forget my age. With my forgetfulness I’m not even sure that I recall the words.
So, when I wash my hands I say the Lord’s Prayer. I’ve never prayed so much in my life! It takes me about 40 seconds so it more than covers the required time.
Don’t you think the lines, “Your Kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven,” and “Deliver us from evil” are especially pertinent at this time?
I also use the modern words because I have to concentrate on the prayer more to get them right!
One of my favourite (and encouraging) Bible passages is, “If my people (Christians – us) who are called by my name humble themselves, pray, seek my face and turn from wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin and heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14).
So, pray the Lord’s Prayer when you wash your hands … and lots of other times as well.
Tuesday – Growing My Hair
I’m reading the Bible in one year using an online thing. Every day I get a Psalm, something from the Old Testament and a New Testament reading. Today I read about Nazrites. In Moses time apparently people could dedicate themselves to God. To show what they were doing they had to grow their hair long.
This got me thinking. I’ve always wanted to have longer hair but my wife doesn’t like blokes with long hair. Now that we’re banned from going to the hairdresser maybe I can grow it a bit. Then I can be a Nazrite!
But what about the other part? The bit about dedicating myself to God? Well, during this enforced isolation perhaps that’s one of the things I can do. I can set aside some time to spend with God I can dedicate that time to God. Some of the things I could do are:
- Think about other people and send them messages of support.
- Do some spiritual reading – read through Matthew’s Gospel; find something online to listen to. Try Holy Trinity Brompton, an Anglican church based in London. Their sermons are lively and engaging (try Mike Pilavachi from 13th January 2020 as a starter).
- Think about your friends and neighbours and pray a blessing over them. An idea for this can be found tomorrow.
If you’ve never done the Alpha course watch their videos. They’re really good. Put “Alpha Film Series Episode 01” into a search engine to start.
If you have any questions about anything you read, hear or see please contact one of us:
- Father Sebastian springline@btinternet.com
- Sue Deacon susandeacon3@btinternet.com
- John Beverley johnbevster@gmail.com
Wednesday – Here’s a bit of bible Study
Remember all that stuff about Moses? He took the Hebrews out of Egypt, across the Red Sea and into the desert for 40 years. While they were in the desert God gave Moses lots of instructions. One of the things he told Moses was how to pray for a blessing. Here’s a slight paraphrase of what he said:
“I want to bless you with my love. Say to the people, ‘The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face towards you and give you peace.”
So this is what God wants for us. Some of the words that mean the same as ‘blessed’ are adored, anointed, honoured, made holy.
He wants to keep us meaning he wants us to be safe and well and to prosper. He wants us to see his face and for it to shine on us – to be our light.
Being gracious involves being loving, kind, tolerant and forgiving.
He wants to turn towards each one of us and see us just like we want to look at something beautiful because it gives us pleasure.
And he wants to give us peace.
Receive that yourself from God. Spend a few moments absorbing God’s desire for blessing for you.
God blesses us so that we then bless others. Think about your family, friends, neighbours and pray this blessing over them.
Then tell them what you’ve done!
Thursday – Nagging Prayer
Here’s a story about a couple of teenagers.
Two 16 year old girls told us they were going to start a youth group for 11-15 year olds. And they told us adults were no good at doing things for youth, so we were to be banned! The church found a dilapidated, damp building they owned for them to use – Choppards Mission – on a remote hillside nearby. The church insisted an adult was present but we were banished to an adjoining room by the young people.
A typical session would start with games. One of the games I remember them telling me about was After Eight Mint Melt: Melt an After Eight Mint a little so that it will stick on your forehead. Then it will melt further sliding down your face. The winner was the one who ate their mint fastest. No hands allowed!
Then they’d look at a Bible story and talk about it, finishing off with a prayer and a song (one of the group learnt guitar so they could do this).
When the two girls went off to university others took over. A man who walked the dog every morning and could see Choppards Mission would pray, “Lord, bless those young people. May they flow out of there like a Pennine spring of living water into here and all the world.
After 6 years the group folded. About thirty young people had passed through in that time. However, those who took part over that period took gap years and spent time serving in Germany, Bulgaria, Romania, Malawi, Ruanda, Philippines, Nepal, Mozambique, Kazakhstan, and India. (In all the world!)Two are Anglican priests, one is a pastor in a large city centre church with a congregation of about 700 and one worked for Christian Aid and is now director of Tearfund in Northern Ireland.
Prayer works. Let’s pray for our young people:
Father God, We pray for your children. Keep them safe in this time of crisis. Please give them peace, comfort and relief from anxiety.
Help families to cope with stress over the coming weeks.
And as the Bible tells us that Jesus grew in stature, wisdom and favour on earth and in heaven, so we pray our young people will grow in the same way.
Amen.
Friday – God Comforts: The Story of the Hand
One day when our eldest daughter was ten years old she said to my wife, “I think I’ve got a lump in my stomach.” Audrey thought she should check this out so went down to the doctor’s (this was in the days when you could just turn up). The doc immediately phoned the hospital, made arrangements for them to be seen and off they went. A lump the size of a grapefruit was identified in her abdomen.
Two days later she was in a specialist regional hospital having surgery to remove … who knows what they were removing?
Our daughter remained calm throughout but my wife and I were terrified. We stayed with her all the time.
I went to find some quiet in the hospital’s chaplaincy room. There I found this photograph. It’s a child held in a hand.
As I looked at the photograph I saw the child held safely in the hand of God. At that moment the child was my own daughter.
It was also myself, held safely in the palm of God.
Framed, on the wall of our house we have a word from God which aptly fits this. It can be found in Isaiah. Apply it to yourself. Imagine God speaking these words to you.
(Insert your own name here) “I have called you by name. You are precious in my sight and I love you.”