View from the Manse

Dear Friends,

One of the madrigals I used to play contains these words, “The Spring, clad all in gladness, doth laugh at Winter’s sadness.” There is certainly more colour in the world around us, and the lighter evenings help bring this sense of joy and gladness to our hearts. Yet of course, we cannot know one, without the other.

When I mistakenly read the words of St John’s Gospel as ‘Jesus came that we might have life and live it in a barn dance’ rather than ‘in abundance’ it made people laugh. Equally, it helped me to understand better what abundance meant. It did not mean full of joy and fun alone, but it meant that we might live life in all its fullness and that includes the winter’s sadness. God is with us in all things. And that is rather the whole point. God knows the sadness as well as the joy, and is with us in both.

Sometimes we feel close to God when we are in our saddest times. Sometimes we feel close to God when we are alone or in the wonder of creation. I saw recently a program about monks and some of the older monks talked about understanding every moment as being prayer. Their grasp of prayer, of being in the presence of God, was that it was all the time and not just those particular moments when we happen to notice God.

In Singing the Faith there is one hymn that particularly comes to mind as I try to understand these words of Jesus. It is number 45. The second line in each of the 11 verses is “Everyday God”. I feel sure that more verses could be added, but Bernadette Farrell has found a way of reminding us that God is in all things, in the ordinary things as well as those more spectacular moments that we cherish and hold dear.

One of our challenges, therefore, is to recognise God in the ordinary and not to overlook God or ignore God. One of the questions that regularly pops up on my facebook feed on a Monday is “Where did you meet God this weekend?” Perhaps that’s a question we could ask of every week, of every day. One way of helping us to do answer this question is found in Philippians 4 verses 4-9 which says this:

4Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

8Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

God bless
Ian