Matthew under the arm 58
The terrain that Columba and I are walking through is dusty and hot. What makes it worse is the hot wind which makes to dust feel as if it is burining into the skin. High on hillside, we came across three people, two women and a man, sitting on rocks a little way off the path. One of the man was being 'lectured' by the woman and the other man, so much so that you could hear their ranting from away down the hill. Columba stopped and looked at them. The woman shouted on him to come and help. So we both went and sat beside them. Columba was thirsty and asked if they had spare water. They were too focused on their difficulty to hear his request. 'This is my brother', said the woman. 'He is not joining in our prayers any more on this pilgrimage. He doesn't do his share of washing of clothes. He is selfish and...and...etc He is so negative about the pilgrimage that he must be attacking the holiness of it. So we are trying to persuade him to own the dark forces within him!' 'I resist your pilgrimage as well!', whispered Columba. 'Ask yourselves what is within YOU that is bringing about his response.' Columba got up quickly and wept for them.
Matthew 13:24-30….
The prophetic challenge of the Gospel is that the only enemy within us is the one we create. To root out the enemy’s weapons (the tares, the weeds) is to leave the enemy intact – within. They are not the issue. The burning by fire is the work of the Spirit within that purifies the self that is made in the image of God and consumes all the falsity that gets in the way. The parable simply points to God working within us alongside that which is destructive – not avoiding it – allowing it to be transformed by love.
Let your awareness of My creativity grow within you
The knee-jerk reaction is to find that the negative elements in you are somebody else’s fault. You have, frankly, created your own enemies. Once you see them as your friends, they lose their power! The sentence is an importance means of dropping down into the depths of your heart and becoming more and more aware of Christ working creatively within you. That process, if allowed to work and given time, of its own, reveals that which undermines your life in God. Let the negative elements within you rise to the surface gently. Take responsibility for your own enemies. Christ will transfigure them in the depths of you with the Spirit.
+Martin
Bishop of Argyll and The Isles
Matthew 13:24-30….
The prophetic challenge of the Gospel is that the only enemy within us is the one we create. To root out the enemy’s weapons (the tares, the weeds) is to leave the enemy intact – within. They are not the issue. The burning by fire is the work of the Spirit within that purifies the self that is made in the image of God and consumes all the falsity that gets in the way. The parable simply points to God working within us alongside that which is destructive – not avoiding it – allowing it to be transformed by love.
Let your awareness of My creativity grow within you
The knee-jerk reaction is to find that the negative elements in you are somebody else’s fault. You have, frankly, created your own enemies. Once you see them as your friends, they lose their power! The sentence is an importance means of dropping down into the depths of your heart and becoming more and more aware of Christ working creatively within you. That process, if allowed to work and given time, of its own, reveals that which undermines your life in God. Let the negative elements within you rise to the surface gently. Take responsibility for your own enemies. Christ will transfigure them in the depths of you with the Spirit.
+Martin
Bishop of Argyll and The Isles
Labels: Enemies and demons
posted by Martin at 2:06 pm
2 Comments:
There was this church where the thing was to get everything correct. The bow-ometer was in constant use; deep shame and more was heaped on any who didn't comply. An enemy came and sowed seed in that ground, good strong seed (an F1 hybrid). The leaders wanted to pull the new plants up, the plants were strong and full of real joy. The leaders were worried in case the old plants were swamped by these new plants. The new plants were producing fruit and they cared for all the fruit. The leaders tried many ways to produce fruit on the old plants but unbeknown to them their DNA had been corrupted many years ago. The new plants' DNA had been healed and now they produced beautiful fruit. The old plants only produced tiny shrivelled thorny bitter fruit. The new plants could see the owner coming to harvest his field but the leader and the old plants would not listen. The new plants were full of joy knowing that the reaper would be pleased with the results of their efforts. The old plants said they’d be OK; the owner of the field gave us warmth and light, food and water, it doesn't matter how we grew. The old plants and their leader were pleased that they had a bow-ometer.
This bow-ometer, can you get it at Hayes and Finch ?
Seriously, F1 hybrids may produce wonderful uniform fruit at the time, but no seeds for the next generation. It is always a challenge for the historic 'church catholic and apostolic' to be open and surrendered to the Holy Spirit for the new generation.
On the other hand, Christian history is full of defunct sects who in their day might have been described as ' the fastest growing denomination'
'All my fresh springs are in Thee'
and 'I will build my church....and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.'
Post a Comment
<< Home