I've Got to Have Faith

I have been preaching on the subject of 'faith' over the last few weeks. I opened one such service with: George Michael once sang. 'Because I've got to have faith.' The song is a classic 1980s track and I couldn't resist singing it a little. It is a song of my youth in many ways. I could say miss-spent youth but that's another story. He is talking about relationships and that you have to trust and have faith in someone for a relationship to work. Being a Christian means having a personal relationship with Jesus - accepting him as Lord and Saviour and seeking to follow him. Being a Christian means putting our trust and faith in God. When everything in life is going well faith can either be strong or neglected. Why would we want to open our Bibles and search for God's heart and a word into our situation when life is so great? When life gets tough again we can go either way we can wallow in our own self pity and focus on the storms of life or we can seek God's face. I wonder if God gives us trials in life to focus our attention on him? People seem to be more likely to pray when the proverbial hits the fan.

Today we had a theatre company come to entertain us at church this afternoon. Burton Inclusive Performing Arts (BIPA) is an inclusive group who love to entertain, many of the group have learning difficulties and special needs, none are professional singers all had a smile on their faces and a song in their heart to share today. I felt so blessed by their presence. Having promoted the event as much as I could I woke up this morning with a stinking cold and in panic mode. Will anyone come? Will it just be me and a couple I send up one of those arrow prayer - help! At 2.39pm people I've never seen before started to come in through the doors and they kept coming inthrough the   doors. God is good! I went home with a smile on my face. As I drove into my road George Michael's voice came on the radio, 'I've got to have faith...' God's humour is never lost on me. As I write this I hit the Sky Plus planner button to watch Mount Pleasant that I recorded the other evening and in the opening scene they are listening to the radio and 'Jitter bug, Jitter bug, Jitter bug, Jitter bug you but the boom boom into my heart...' God has hit me with a Wham! - HAVE FAITH.

Have you met my Saviour?

He held out his hand

And whispered my name.

He smiled 

Wide as the earth

Holding my glaze.

He looked at my heart

It flipped a beat

Held in His hands.

Dust at my feet

I felt naked once more.

Nothing can be hid 

All is revealed.

Emotions contained

Spill out of my soul.

Touching his garment 

He heals and

Love is revealed.

One question remains 

I ask you my friend,

'Have you met my Savour

Who holds out his hand

And whispers your name?'

©Revdjo 4/10/13

My tears wash the feet

I have been away on the East Midland Baptist Association's ministers' retreat this week. We were blessed with two fantastic speakers again this year, Julie Kilpin (you can find her on twitter @julietkilpin) from Urban Expression (@urbanshalom) and Ian Stackhouse. Juliet was talking about alternative expressions of church and Ian on his book Primitive Piety. I have already blogged on Ian's book - when I eventually find the post I will post you a link! Why am I always so amazed at how much God speaks to my heart during this time?

We ended the retreat with praise and worship and Ian spoke to us on Luke 7: 36-50 - the women who anointed Jesus feet. As I reflected on the following verse and the love expressed I wrote this short poem.

'As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.' Luke 7:38

My tears wash the feet

My tears wash the feet

Of the Saviour I meet.

My scares are seen

In his hands and feet.

In the mirror,

That once was dark,

I see the light.

Reflection seen,

The picture of me

And Christ inside.

©Revdjo 27/9/13 

The Mind of Christ

Baptist Church meetings are all about finding the mind of Christ. They are not a democracy where everyone votes in an expression of their opinion but rather a theocracy where we seek to find the mind of Christ and listen to what God says about any one issue. This was on my mind as I wrote this poem. Let me know if you like it. I always have difficulties in knowing if what I write is hitting the spot or not. 

The mind of Christ

Is always there.

We search in earnest

And see him there.

He's in the midst

He weeps with you.

Sorrow and pain

Are in his stare.

Look up to Jesus

Nailed to a tree.

forgiven sinner

that's you and me.

Watch, listen.

Understand.

We tread the path

on solid ground.

And pray we must

to seek his face,

With bended knee

Humility.

The mind of Christ

He's in the midst.

Look up to Jesus

Watch, listen

And Pray we must.

Revdjo 18/9/13

Caught in a World

Caught in a world 

Silently trapped.

No crying heard.

No going back.

Motionless movement.

Only a stir.

No dancing jig.

No evening twirl. 

Memories vivid.

Dreaming inside.

No recompense.

No chance for regret.

Patiently waiting.

Wanting to hear.

The voice of the maker

Say I'm over here.

©Revdjo 15/9/13

No words can express

In the silence of night,

And cool autumn breeze,

My wandering mind

It falls to its knees.

Struggling to think,

Spiralling pain,

Empty inside

I call on your name.

No words can express,

I struggle to say,

As I pour out my soul 

Transformed by your Spirit.

Memories fixed,

Won't be forgotten,

Forgiveness and love

Grace reconciled.

Justice for all,

Or only the righteous?

These are the questions 

Please answer them Lord.

©Revdjo 11/9/13