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An artist, a priest and an awakening

2/27/2018

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Public domain image
Henri Nouwen was a Roman Catholic priest who gave up his life at the prestigious Harvard University to live and work amongst severely physically and mentally handicapped people. One day, on the back of a colleague’s door, he saw a poster of Rembrandt's painting, The Return of the Prodigal Son. He was instantly drawn to it. Sometime later, on a visit to St Petersburg, he got to spend considerable time with the original painting.
 
So deep was his connection with the painting that he was moved to write a book of the same name. He describes how he saw much of the prodigal son in himself but he also related to the elder brother. Eventually, at the insistence of a friend, he came to realise how much he was like the father in the story.
 
It's a powerful read. But many years ago when I read it, I remember feeling the greatest connection not to the son, the brother or the father but to the other characters in the painting. Rembrandt brilliantly highlights the father embracing his wayward son and the angry brother standing at the door, refusing to come close. But there are two others in the background, looking on … perhaps neighbours or friends who’ve been invited for the celebrations. They’re in the shadows, observing what is playing out before them.
 
At the time I felt that was me. Not in the arena in the centre of the blood, sweat and tears, but looking on from the sidelines. I’d been a Christian since I was 15 and had been involved in church ministry for most of that time, and yet suddenly I felt an observer.
 
I didn’t feel a part of what God was doing in the world, as if I was playing around the edges, content with comfortable Christianity. It’s hard to explain but maybe Rowan Williams, in quoting the Anglican missionary, Raymond Rayne, says it best …
 
“He once described the aim of most Western Christianity as ‘Shutting up sacrifice in Jesus alone and not letting it pass to us’. ... And so Christ is killed every day by the injuries we refuse, by what we will not let ourselves feel and know, by the risks and involvement we refuse.”
 
I can only say that at first I felt guilty but over time that gave way to a deep longing to be in the centre of the action with Jesus … to pour myself out no matter the risk … to sacrifice whatever I had, rather than remain an onlooker.
 
It was a defining moment in my life. Have I succeeded to stay in the arena ever since? No, not by a long shot, but by God’s grace, I’ve experienced more blood, sweat and tears with Jesus and the awesome privilege of seeing him work in ways I never would have by standing on the sidelines.
I’ve just finished rereading the story of Jesus healing the demon-possessed man in the Gerasenes.  As the man was healed and the demons entered the pigs, the onlookers were afraid and asked Jesus to leave. His power made them feel uncomfortable. As I thought about it, in story after story throughout the scriptures, there were onlookers.

Jonah certainly didn't want to be in the action, he wanted to head for the hills to observe from a safe distance what God would do. Of the twelve spies who Moses sent to explore Canaan, only Caleb and Joshua were willing to risk going into the promised land, trusting God, the other ten chose to wait on the sidelines and they did, for 40 years.
 
And in Jesus day there were the onlookers. There were the curious, those just wanting help and those who were there to judge and condemn. Even Jesus disciples, after he was arrested, chose to look on from the shadows in fear rather than get involved and stand with him.
 
Is it fear that keeps us merely observing ... fear of the risks involved or the suffering, sacrifice and messiness it could entail? Or is it complacency ... the satisfaction with comfortable Christianity ...  feeling that I’m already doing enough or just that I’m content with my life as it is and not keen to change it. 


I think for me, it was complacency. I thought I was a fairly involved Christian, just unaware of the real sacrifices Jesus was calling me to.

In the words of someone who certainly wasn't an onlooker,  "A sacrifice, to be real, must cost, will hurt and will empty us. Give yourself fully to God. He will use you to accomplish great things as you believe more in his love than your weakness." Mother Teresa.
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Henri Nouwen. Image via Frank Hamilton / Wikimedia Commons
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How to add a new richness to life

2/20/2018

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We celebrate weddings and birthdays, anniversaries and graduations. We celebrate the milestones. But what if celebrating became a way of life?
 
I spent last Saturday at the Royal Botanic Gardens celebrating the humble tomato. The Tomato Festival is in its 5th year and over two days, thousands of people flocked to the gardens to join in the celebrations. There were tomatoes of every size, shape and colour, tomato tastings, gardening talks, cookery demonstrations and everything from tomato seeds to Panna cotta with candied tomatoes.
 
Of course there was the Long lunch and the mind boggles to think what chefs might have concocted to serve three courses, all from tomatoes.
 
So I began to think, if you can celebrate a tomato, then there has to be endless things in daily life to celebrate. Celebration is birthed in gratitude, so how much richer would our days be if we cultivated a celebratory mindset.
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Recently my youngest granddaughter graduated from nappies to underpants. Now that’s worth celebrating. My daughter took her shopping and let her choose some pretty underpants to celebrate, and when next I saw her she proudly lifted up her dress to show me her pretty new undies.
 
Last week I started at the gym. For me that is something to celebrate because a gym is one of my least favourite places to be. But, determined to stay as fit and flexible as possible as I navigate old age, I’ve made the commitment and that’s a big achievement for me. And I look forward to celebrating lots of reached goals along the way.
 
All around us everyday there are things to celebrate, we just need to be mindful and grab the opportunities. Be bold and imaginative. 
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  • Take a friend out for coffee and celebrate the day you met or the years of friendship you’ve enjoyed together
  • When a child has mastered a task, been especially kind, thoughtful or helpful, let them choose their favourite meal for dinner
  • Celebrate summer fruit
  • Celebrate rain - go walking in the rain and enjoy the wetness of the rain
  • Invite the neighbours in and celebrate a new or old friendship
  • Celebrate failure and the opportunity to learn from mistakes. Why only celebrate achievements? Federer always has a celebratory dinner whether he wins or loses, he celebrates getting as far as he got and wants to thank those who helped him along the way. This is especially important for children to learn that they are valued even if they didn’t win or achieve the goal, as long as they tried their best.
  • Celebrate Autumn  - visit some of the wonderful open gardens during March and April - jump in a pile of Autumn leaves and savour the crunch underfoot - children love to be 'buried' in Autumn leaves - hunt for colourful toadstools
  • Celebrate pine nuts, hazelnuts, pistachios, basil or asparagus – we enjoy some of the best food in the world in this country so try new recipes, create new food memories
  • Celebrate Tuesdays ... start a Tuesday tradition
  • Get into the great outdoors and celebrate nature - have a picnic, go on a bush walk, climb a mountain, play in the snow, explore a frosty wonderland
  • Celebrate courage. I remember when my daughter was young had to have blood taken and she was very brave, we bought a little monkey on the way home - it became her special friend and it always reminded her of being brave.
  • Celebrate family - parents, siblings, children, cousins, nieces and nephews - plan a celebratory meal - send a surprise card or note to let them know they are loved - surprise them with a visit
  • Celebrate the successes of others - be generous - be enthusiastic - be encouraging
  • Don't just celebrate beginnings but also endings - a job well done, a life well lived, a dream realised, a tough hurdle overcome
  • Above all, celebrate the grace given to us in Jesus. I love Philippians 4:4, "Celebrate God, all day, everyday. I mean revel in him."   The Message
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Thankful for my enemy

2/13/2018

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I’ve never found that, “Love your enemy” command easy. Not that I know anyone I would call an enemy, but we are all different and we all have the capacity to frustrate, irritate or hurt each other at times. In those moments, even a spouse or a friend can feel like an 'enemy'.
 
This week as I continued to saunter through Luke 6, verse 27 jumped off the page. The Message put it this way,  “Love your enemies, let them bring out the best in you, not the worst”.
 
Wow. Don’t let them bring out the worst … its my choice. Rather, let them bring out the best. Each of these confrontations is an opportunity for me to either react or to grow in patience, grace, kindness, tolerance, love, understanding, and forbearance.
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Kris Vallotton says, “We forget that there is no victory without a battle, no testimony without a test, and no miracle without an impossible circumstance. God leads us in triumph by leading us into battles, tests and impossibilities”.
 
Its human nature to want to avoid the difficult and painful at all costs, but to avoid the test is to deny myself the chance to grow by facing what I need to face.

 
My ‘enemy’ exposes the limitations of my love. They confront me with the extent of my demandingness and self-centredness and make me aware of how far I fall short.
 
I watched a fascinating video clip the other day about practise. If we practise worrying, we become really, really good at it and find an endless supply of things to worry about. If we practise anger, we’ll become really good at it and flare at the least little thing. If we practise gratitude we will become really, really good at it and discover a multitude of things to be thankful for.
 
Maybe that's what this verse is saying. Every time we let our ‘enemy’ bring out the best in us, there's an opportunity to go on growing in grace and love.


I'm no theologian, but it seems to me that these verses are all about restored relationship. That is the heart of God. If my focus is on moving towards the other person with the desire for restoration then  the next three verses put some flesh on the bones.

"Bless those who curse you and pray for those who hurt you." 

It's through genuine, heartfelt prayer for the other person's good, that my heart can be changed and healed, and the other person blessed. 

" If someone slaps you on the face, offer the other cheek also." 
I need to refuse to retaliate, it will only widen the chasm I'm trying to bridge. I need to be willing to be vulnerable and risk being hurt again if it will lead to reconciliation.

" If someone demands your coat, offer your shirt also."
Rebuilding a relationship requires radical love, mercy and generosity. The generosity of spirit that's prepared to go more than half way or as far as is needed to bring restoration. 

I think this is beyond forgiveness. I think about Elisabeth Elliot, who went beyond forgiveness to live amongst the Auca Indians who had murdered her husband and soulmate, the man she had hoped to spend the rest of her life with. In going to live amongst them she was risking all, to open a door for reconciliation and the opportunity to show them God's love.

And if I belong to Jesus then this needs to be the driving force for seeking to restore any relationship ... not so I will feel better ... but to demonstrate the love of God. My love will never be adequate ... only his love will suffice.





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A second life

2/6/2018

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When I was a child, Sunday afternoons were for reading. I can still picture us all curled up in the big, wide-armed lounge chairs, lost in our own world of books. For an avid bookworm, it was one of my favourite parts of the week. 

Most of us can think of a book that impacted our lives.   
 
Ever since Johann Gutenberg invented the printing press in the 1400s, books have been a source of power … to change lives … to change the direction of the world and to inspire and challenge generations.
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Bookshops are becoming few and far between and last week two opportunity shops refused to take my books, so I’m left wondering if books are losing their value.
 
The Internet has trained us to skim and scan so our attention span has decreased. There’s a tendency to want instant answers and a reluctance to delve into a book and engage the brain.
 
But there’s something about holding a book in your hands. Perhaps it’s the smell of fresh ink and new, crisp pages or perhaps it’s experiencing a book with a history, the fragrance of age and the softness of well-turned pages. Maybe it's
the fact that it can transport you to places beyond your imagination or is it the reality of the permanency of someone’s thoughts held between those pages? 

​A book is a work of art.
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Of course books will never die and book lovers are fighting back. 
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Inspired garbage collectors
In Turkey, a group of garbage collectors have started a library from books that were heading for landfill. Initially it was intended it to be for employees, family and friends but now it's been opened to the public and many people are donating their books to the library rather than sending them to the rubbish tip.
 
The library is situated in Ankara in an old brick factory. It now has 6,000 books including a section for children, an area dedicated to scientific research and some books in French and English. And the library has provided job opportunities, requiring full time staff to run it. What a wonderful way to give books a second chance at life and a community the benefit of all those books have to offer.
 
Street libraries
Street libraries are popping up around Australia. You can donate books you no longer want or borrow books that you are keen to read. Communities are getting involved, friends are being made and children are developing a love of books. The Singleton’s Men’s Shed de-gassed an old refrigerator, put in extra shelving and a Perspex window in the door to make a great street library. And did you see Costa build a street library on the verge in the last episode of Gardening Australia?

The street library movement in the inner city is proving a great blessing to homeless people. Sometimes books are requested and someone might have that book sitting on a shelf gathering dust and be willing to add it to the library. Its a win for all. Donate books to your local street library or start one. Any one can join the street library movement.  
 
Bookcrossing
Bookcrossing is a global phenomenon with millions of members and well over 10 million books crossing the globe. This is the act of ‘releasing’ a book into the wild and then having the option of tracking where that book goes, via the Bookcrossing system.
 
If you have books you are finished with, you can become a member of Bookcrossing, receive a label to put into your book, with a unique number and then leave it in a strategic place, such as a coffee shop, bus seat, in a train or airport, where someone else can pick it up and read it before passing it on. Alternatively you can give it to someone you know, asking that they pass it on when they're finished. The person who gets the book is asked to go online and register the book so you can know where it journeys.
 
There are some fascinating stories of books and where they travel. One book found its way to Beijing where a woman picked it up – it was her mother’s favourite book and she discovered it on the anniversary of her mother’s death. Another one was left on a park bench in Cork. It was picked up by a Norwegian girl and rereleased in Norway.
 
For those of us who love and value books, it's a great joy to see books finding new homes and  inspiring fresh eyes. There's one book that has had a huge impact on my life, Bold Love by Dan Allender. Now whenever I give a wedding gift, I slip in that book, one I wish someone had given me. 

So if you have books you no longer read, don’t let them gather dust on a shelf, send them on their way where they can have a second life. Or maybe buy a few copies of a book that changed your life and release them to bless someone else.
 

Well, I'm off to release a few books into the wild with Bookcrossing. I wonder where their journey will take them?
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    Author

    Glenyss Barnham
    ​I'm a mother and grandmother who loves  discovering beauty in unexpected places.

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