DANNY’S DESK
Declare Jesus – Develop Disciples – Glorify God
I know the Lord is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me.”
Psalm 16:8 (NLT)
Hello!
Our son Riley has a congenital heart issue that requires a pacemaker to keep his heart beating. He’s had it since he was 6 months old, and for the past 19 years we have been travelling to the Royal Children’s Hospital for check-ups. Last week marked a big change though, when we headed into Royal Melbourne Hospital, (or the ‘big boy’s hospital’ as Riley calls it), as he was ‘transitioned’ to adult care. To be honest, after all those years, it felt really weird for both of us to be in different space. For starters, there were no meerkats to entertain us like at the RCH, but even more unsettling was the realisation that the place was full of adults!! There were no kids! Then the nurse called ‘Riley McDowell’ and off he went for his tests, leaving me sitting alone in the waiting room! I was no longer part of the conversation - he was now an adult! As I sat there watching some inane daytime TV show, I thought it felt similar to when each of our kids moved from primary school to secondary school. We had been quite heavily involved at primary school, but as they headed off to secondary school, our involvement was drastically reduced to maybe 3 or 4 times a year at parent – teacher night.
Why am I sharing this story? Because it’s all about change. Julie and I are now adjusting to a change in how Riley’s medical needs are administered in which we, as his parents, are no longer as involved as we were before. And we need to adapt to that change as we move forward - even though it feels awkward, uncomfortable, unsettling, and a million other things.
Honestly though, this is actually an opportunity for all of us to grow, because change is, in fact, a constant thing in life. And if we are all ever going to recognise and work towards accepting change, then 2020 is the year to do it! The church - the body of Christ – cannot ever go back to exactly what it was before. I believe that God has given us a mighty ‘shake up’ - one we needed in order to adapt and change to the world around us. And so - in faith - we must pursue that change, knowing that whatever that looks like, God is right there with us – sharing the experience. In Hebrews 13:8 it says that: ‘Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.’
So, while we will continue to experience change, we can take great comfort in God’s promise in Malachi 3:6 where He declares: “I am the Lord, and I do not change.” Just the other day, I heard someone say: “With Jesus, we can be certain in knowing that we are held - and that we are not simply ‘hanging on’. I truly believe that applies to change. Change will happen and we don’t have to ‘hang on’ - because right through the journey – we are ‘being held’ by God.
Blessings and have a great week!
Danny
“Our lives are in his hands, and he keeps our feet from stumbling.”
Psalm 66:9 (NLT)
Here’s the YouTube link for the message playlist this week:
www.youtube.com/channel/UC8HYJLxm949-vUbKhFIzLdA/playlists?view_as=subscriber
SUNDAY MORNINGS
Sunday 9am @ TCF – As at 11:59 Tuesday 27th October, COVID-19 restrictions have eased again, and we are now able to have indoor groups of 20 plus a faith leader, and outdoor gatherings of 50 plus a faith leader. So at this point we will continue meeting @ 9am inside on Sundays. Last Sunday we included a couple of songs to open and close our time together. If we break the 20-person limit we will simply split into smaller groups to comply with the physical distancing restrictions. See you on Sunday!
The LT are meeting this week to look at a pathway as to what gathering again here @ TCF might look like, while keeping in mind that the ‘landscape’ is constantly changing with another announcement due from the Premier on November 8th.
So, we ask that you continue to be patient with us as we work this out.
SMALL GROUPS
In regard to small groups, we are still not allowed to gather in small groups in our homes, but your group is welcome to gather at the TCF building. As there are already a couple of groups who usually meet here, please contact the office if you would like to arrange a day/night/time so that there are no clashes.
If you are a small group leader who has, or would like to meet in the TCF building, then we are asking that you keep the limit to 20 people and also that you record the names and phone numbers of all who attend -weekly or fortnightly - and forward them to Deb Hannah in the office either by text or email, so that we are complying with COVID guidelines. This is vital for any contact-tracing that may ever need to be done into the future. We appreciate your cooperation with this. Thank you. ... See MoreSee Less
Flourishing Spirituality Devotions Part 4
Spiritual Rhythms - Bible Reading and Study
by Leanne Hill
I have such good memories of being in a Bible Study group as a teenager where an incredibly wonderful mentor of mine shared his love of scripture with us and brought the Bible alive when he led us. But the more exceptional thing he passed on through his example was that he showed us how to engage with the Bible personally, how to build the spiritual discipline of reading scripture and studying the Bible into our daily lives.
I am so grateful for my mentor’s legacy in my life but the realisation came over the years that continuing my love for scripture and building the rhythm of Bible reading into my life was going to take some personal discipline. To flourish in our spirituality means we need to continuously open our lives up to be shaped and influenced by the Holy Spirit, this includes Bible reading and study.
We have an opportunity to grow in our spirituality, to continue to be purposeful about our spiritual disciplines or maybe for you it is time to engage again with the spiritual discipline of reading scripture. It’s time to dust off our Bibles and to refresh and update the apps on our devices!
As we are engaging with Scripture there are different levels of understanding going on for us. There is an unravelling of the meaning of what we are reading or hearing, we tend to gather information when we read but we need to go further, to go deeper with God. The key when we engage with Scripture is to not simply attain knowledge, to understand the Scriptures but to receive what we are reading, to internalise and personalise the message, to become open and attentive to God.
Eugene Peterson in his book Working the Angles encourages us to focus our attention on what is involved. ‘To read our Holy Scriptures formatively, that is, in such a way that the Holy Spirit uses them to form Christ in us.’ We need to interested in becoming more not just knowing more.
As we approach our Bible reading we need to consider the method, the place and the time. Deciding ahead of time how, where and when you’ll engage in Bible reading is a great first step especially if you find yourself with no rhythm in this spiritual discipline. Making some decisions about when and where, prioritising this time and even blocking time in your calendar are really good ideas if it has been a while. There are many different tools for Bible reading that are available online or ask people you know what they do, you might discover new methods and new ways of engaging. Your church may have a plan that they use that you can connect with and make sure you share with others what God is saying to you, our Bible reading helps us to experience personal and communal transformation.
You know it is not enough to just understand the Bible or even gain admiration for it, as we read and pray we need to remember that ‘God has spoken; now it’s our move. We pray what we read, working our lives into active participation in what God reveals in the Word.’ (Eugene Peterson). Let our prayers be that of the Psalmist: ‘Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path’ Ps 119:105 and may our own lives and our churches continue to live out of a spirituality that is flourishing and is impacting those around us.
Questions:
What has been your experience of personal Bible reading and how would you rate your engagement with scripture in your life right now?
What impact can you imagine that your rhythm of Bible reading and study will have on your family and on your church community?
What will you do this week to build a rhythm of Bible reading and study into your life?
Who have you shared with this week of how Jesus is being formed in you through your reading?
Blessings,
Leanne
BUV New Churches Consultant (Generations) ... See MoreSee Less
