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Friday 10 July 2015

Intimacy and Action : Things I have learnt. Lessons for those serving the poor.

 

Jill Jackson .. reflects on the spiritual resources on which she draws in her work as a CAP centre manager, linked with Calvary Christian Centre in Lostock Hall near Preston.

 

I clearly felt God's call to serve within CAP (Christians Against Poverty). God placed such concerns on my heart when I was a teenager and then I had some words spoken over me about seeing people released with joy not material joy, but joy at what God had done for them.

The words of Jesus which mean the most to me are these from Matthew 11:28-30 and this is from the Message

"Are you tired? Worn out? Burn out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me-watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly."

I love Jesus invitation to us to come to him, to watch him and to learn from him. I find this so encouraging that from Jesus we can learn a way of life which is not burdensome. There is a way of freedom and life if we follow Jesus example.

In these words I find encouragement and challenge. There is the call to come to and be with Jesus for my own sake. But there is also the call to walk and work with him for the sake of others. Both of these give meaning and purpose and significance to both who I am and what I do. This is really important for us as we are involved in serving, to be validated by God himself. It is his call that we follow.

The call of Jesus in these words are split into three areas which I find helpful in looking at how I live and whether I am following Jesus' model for living. They are "Come to me" "Walk with me" and "Work with me". This can relate to the Up, In and Out relationships we can talk about Up relationship with God, In walking with God with others and Out the reaching out and working with God for the sake of others.

"Come to me"

In becoming a CAP centre manage nearly 7 years ago I was involved in a lot of action on God's behalf representing the church and CAP. With my increased social action I needed a greater intimacy with God. After a couple of years what I discovered was that I needed a deeper, richer relationship and walk with God. I found some of my evangelical tradition did not provide the depth and breadth of relating to God. I suppose I was on a search to find God again and figure out what church was all about. If this thing called Christianity was true it must work.

Instead of just reading my Bible to meet with God I found and discovered the benefit of silence and solitude. Encountering God through just being and being quiet. I did discover God again in the Bible but through the use of lectio divina-divine readings. I used a book called Solo which uses Bible passages and causes us to engage with the scripture in a more reflective way. I found this life giving, real and healthy. The use of journaling and reflecting on my week has become an important part of my routine for discovering those areas of life which do energise me and those which drain me. Hopefully I can gain wisdom from this regarding how I spend my time. Also Journaling and discovering prayers/poems others have written which bring me closer to God as others are able to express what is on my heart.

Find your ways of connecting with God completely.

 

"Walk with me"

Jesus calls us to walk with him, but as we observe his life in the gospels he walks with his disciples in groups. If "come to me" is about developing intimacy with God one on one as Jesus did with time alone with his father early in the morning or late at night, then the "walk with me" is about walking with Jesus, with him but also with others.

Serving God as a CAP centre manager can be a lonely role. This is the case in much leadership and charity work. There is the need to take to heart the calling God has given us, but also to inspire others to take this on as their vision as well. When God impacts our hearts we are in risky territory as with this comes disappointments, discouragements and failures. We need to be able to continue with the calling God has given us through these times. Others who have some understanding of what we go through are crucial, so meeting with other CAP centre managers is crucial, sometimes just to be with other who "get it", sometimes for them to prayer for you on the journey. This being alongside others in the journey with Jesus and others is crucial. We aren't meant to do this work on our own and that doesn't mean just relying on God, but also depending on others.

 Find people to walk the journey with you.

 

"Work with me"

Jesus calls us "come to me" and then he sends and commissions us to "Go therefore and make disciples, teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you and baptising them in the name of the father, the son and the Holy Spirit. And surely I will be with you even to the end of the age."

Those words of Jesus again "With you". Jesus wants to be with us as we work not for him or the church, but with him as we partner in doing what we see the father doing. We join in with what God is already doing. In this we need the help of the Holy Spirit to discern, to see and hear what God is doing. This is following Jesus' command "Seek first the kingdom and all these things will be added to you."

Keep seeking and you will find the kingdom of God. Keep pursuing the kingdom.

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