I’d thank you Lord for giving me wings. Many of you will recognise these words as the start of a children’s praise song. It came to mind when thinking about the theme for the retreat I attended recently: All Creatures of Our God and King. It was a creative retreat and so I packed my bags with art materials.
I knew that most of the people would be sewing or doing some sort of needlework. I only took my art materials as I didn’t have time to think of what else I might take. I assumed (rightly) that there would be generosity of sharing materials as the leaders of this type of retreat always take plenty.
This is the double page spread of my journal that I added to on the retreat and finished at home. The left hand page was already started before the retreat. I began my wondering what would happen if I circled the bumps that had been created from the gluing down of the items on the other side of the paper. I then smeared some left over brown paint, did some doodles with white marker pens and stuck down the fronts of two cards I had received and wrote Thank You at the top. I thought about sticking the knitted butterfly on but chose not to. It had been given to me by a fellow participant on a spiritual direction course I had attended over the last year. She made one for everyone. However, by the end of the retreat I realised it definitely belonged on the page and so stuck it on when I got home.
Before the retreat I had a sense of the page being about thanking God. During and after the retreat this was definitely the case.
The square of woven ribbons was added because I’d been thinking about the words of psalm 139 about God knowing me and weaving me together before I was born.
The background of the right hand page was done using stencils.
I made the bright orange butterfly first. I chose orange because it was a bright colour. On reflection though it was probably not the best choice aesthetically – but I am glad I did chose it. We are all different. Some are bright and bold, others are more subdued. We are all loved and have a place in God’s world.
I didn’t particularly want to put in all the creatures in the butterfly song as I was focussing more on thanking God for making me, me. I wasn’t sure about putting a robin in the tree. However this changed thanks to an amazing encounter on Sunday morning .
I decided to share the main message I received on the retreat with my congregations and so here’s my sermon. Apologies for the repetition/overlap with the beginning of this blogpost.
Romans 12:1-8 and Matthew 16:13-20
Discerning God’s Voice
Our readings today are about the church. We are the body of Christ and as such need to be transformed by the renewing of our minds so we can discern God’s will, using our gifts and the grace we’ve received. We use them to continue the work started 2000+ years ago when Jesus established his new body of people. He chose Peter – you know, the one who opened his mouth and put his foot in it and often misunderstood what Jesus was asking. Peter was given the name Rock and it was on this Rock that the church would be built. And the enemy’s attacks would not succeed. His church will prevail, come what may.
Our main weapon against the enemy is prayer. And I want to thank you for all your prayers for me while I was away on retreat earlier this month. They were certainly answered. It wasn’t a silent retreat by any stretch of the imagination, although there was silence after the night prayer through till after the address after breakfast. Then we were allowed to talk, if we wanted, but I tried to keep to a quiet corner of the quieter room. It was what I needed this year. Fellowship as well as time alone. God meets us through other people as well as in our own quiet times.
It was a creativity retreat – right up my street – chosen because the dates were right more than the content. So I feel it was there waiting for me. God had it lined up perhaps. The theme was ‘All Creatures of our God and King’ and the main creativity was stitching. Here’s our collection on display for our final act of worship when we offered what we had done to God.
I did a little stitching but mainly collage – or montage – as I was informed is the correct term. I’ve brought my journal so you can see the two pages I did for yourselves. And I have started a fabric piece.
I realise that not everyone can go away on retreat – they are expensive, and of course time taken away from family and work commitment. But we can all carve out time in our daily and weekly lives for connecting with God. I want to share with you some of my retreat because I think I can just about make it fit today’s readings by encouraging you to think about how you can discern God’s will. But mainly because I want to encourage you with what happened on the Sunday as well as my reflections and prayers using what I had created.
This double page spread was already started before I went. The left-hand page had its background and the cards stuck on. I had written Thank You and had a sense that this was to be about thanking God. Then when we were discussing hymns on our first session I thought of If I were a butterfly – and that’s why I started making butterflies I thank God for making me, me. And I thank God for making you, you. We are all so wonderfully different. Some people are loud and obvious whilst others almost blend into the background. We all have different gifts and talents, things we enjoy and are good at. How can you offer your gifts to the furtherance of God’s kingdom? Paul lists a few in the letter to the Romans, and elsewhere there are other lists of gifts and ministries.
I also thought of Psalm 139 and the way that God had woven me together. So I wrote that on the page and stuck down a square I had woven some ribbon on.
Our lives are a mix of work and play, of quiet and noise, of activity and reflection and prayer. All flow into each other. All of our life is an opportunity to discern God’s will, to hear his voice gently nudging us in one direction or another. Often it is when I am looking around me that I make connections between what I see, what I know of God and Jesus and get a sense of perhaps what he is trying to tell me.
That happened on the Sunday. It always takes me a couple of days to settle into a retreat and often there’s a point when I feel, this is why I’ve come. This is at the heart of my retreat and my main take home point.
A bit like the pieces of a puzzle fall into place and you can see the picture emerging. In a similar way our gospel reading today is a turning point in Matthew’s gospel. It’s where Jesus is recognised as the Messiah by Peter.
On Sunday morning the 8 of us went to church. Here it is viewed through an arch of trees. It’s about the size of Croxden church.
We doubled the normal congregation, who themselves had grown as a neighbouring church had closed down and the remnant had joined them. It was a communion service and used the same readings you would have had here.
When you come to church, do you expect to hear God in the readings, prayers and hymns? I hope you do. I do. When we expect God to speak, he usually does. Notice what stands out for you in the reading. It may be one of the pieces of your puzzle.
That week the Old Testament was the story of Elijah in the cave, complaining to God that he had been very zealous for the Lord, and he was on the run because they wanted to kill him. And he heard the still small voice. I asked God what the still small voice had to say to me. I also have been zealous for the Lord. Many people reject the Chrisitan faith, and we look around at society and wonder who or what people worship. But at least nobody is trying to kill me.
The New Testament had the phrase: “How can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news.’” And I thought, I was sent to the Dove and Churnet benefice, and I’ve got beautiful feet.
The gospel didn’t particularly speak to me that day.
When we had got to the intercessions I noticed some young people – late teens, early 20s in the porch. And they came into church. Then a few more and then some more.
There was about 15 all seated at the back of church. I wondered if they would kick off and be a nuisance, or if they would walk out again. But, no. Someone gave them some books and they stayed. They joined in and they all went up to receive communion.
It was a wonderful moment that all us oldies felt. To see them going up and then coming back to their seats was uplifting and joyful. So after the service I went up to one of them, a young lady, and thanked them for coming in and joining us. I told her how wonderful it was and what a joy to see so many young people worshipping. I explained that I was a vicar of 4 rural churches with very few young people. I’m 66 and one of the younger ones in the benefice. She said they were from Hammersmith in London at a HTB church plant. There were over 300 young people all hungry for more of God. And I felt tears well up. They were tears of joy as I said what hope it gave me for the church. That day hope touched my heart.
I made a quick exit. Didn’t engage in conversation with anyone else. However the young lady followed me and stopped me outside. And she thanked me for my words of encouragement to them. If you feel a nudge to speak to someone with words of thanks or encouragement. Do it. Don’t be shy. It might be what they need to hear.
We spoke for a short time and then she offered to pray for me. It was a beautiful prayer and the words were just right. She also prayed for revival in my churches. I offered to pray for her, and asked her name. It is Robin.
I hadn’t wanted to put all the animals of the butterfly song on my page as I wanted room to put whatever I felt I needed to remember from the retreat. I did wonder about putting a robin in the tree. I knew then that I had to have one. (I added it when I got home)
After lunch I went for a walk to pray and think about the events of the morning. I wanted to get a sense of confirmation about what I thought God was saying. Someone had said there was a hollow oak tree so I went off to find it.
This meant I had to go further on my walk than before. It doesn’t take long for a habit to form does it? Three days of going to the bird hide and back again. It was far enough for me. We sometimes need to venture out of our comfort zone into new territory.
I got to the tree and managed to get in without too much of a squeeze. Dare I sit down? Would I get up again? I sat and admired the view.
I was in my cave and ready to tell God what I really thought. There’s no point in your prayers keeping to polite conversation. I wondered how I might hear the still small voice.
My eyes look to the hills, from when commeth my help. My help comes from the lord, the maker of heaven and earth.
Would he speak through the seeds blowing in the wind? No, but I prayed that the seeds I had sown throughout my ministry would bear fruit. I have brought a few people to faith, but not many. I don’t know what the effect of my ministry has been – we often don’t see the results of much of what we do for God. But we offer it and he takes it and does what he will with it.
Would he speak through the leaves? No. But I did reflect on them. These 3 were on the floor, dusty from bark, fallen while still green. Outside there were new leaves and acorns on the tree. It wasn’t dead. It will continue for many more years. There were autumn leaves on the ground, the proper time for them to fall.
And on my way back in another field there was another young oak tree growing.
God’s church will continue. It may not continue in the place it has always been, but there will always be new growth, there will always be a church somewhere.
I realised that I had heard the still small voice in the words of scripture in church and in Robin’s prayer. We can all hear the still small voice in scripture and in prayerful prophetic people.
As I got to the lake I stood and watched some boats sailing round in a circle. I thought they may be racing. One lagged behind, and got further and further behind. They weren’t doing very well. And I thought, we don’t all have the same boats, some people are more skilled at sailing, have a better crew etc. I felt God say that I am doing OK with what I’ve got and where I am and it’s fine by him.
So I returned home with a good sense of God’s presence and affirmation in ministry here.
We don’t know exactly what the future holds, but we do know that God is with us and for us.
We need to continue in prayer for renewal and – yes, revival!
We need to discern what God is calling us to do and to be.
To help us in this Garry and I have been talking with the Lichfield Diocese Mission Team leader. He is going to lead us in a day of reflecting on our Mission Action Planning on Saturday 28th October. So save the date…. Everyone is invited to be involved.
Elizabeth Jones' Diary 