Tag Archives: jesus

To give up or to hold on …. a ‘choice’ or ‘both and’?

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Celtic Lent today introduces the story of Cuthbert.
After a vision Cuthbert gave up his old life to start anew as a monk with God. He journeyed on a horse with a spear and a servant walking beside him to the monastery door. When there he gave the servant his spear and horse and walked into the monastery with just the clothes on his back.

I have struggled with this question over the years because I think there is a bit of a balancing act to do here. I wonder if giving up everything to follow God is all that is required if we are to learn and change on our journey.

During my early Christian life I believe I gave up too much. I gave up a career, which I still believe was the correct thing to do; but I think I also gave up my true character and social class. This was due to a desire to fit in but it resulted in me denying who I was and am.

I have come to understand that Jesus called me as me. Jesus called me as the very left wing, working class, dancing, drinking, loud, dreaming and challenging, and often annoying, character that God created me to be. I may say more about this at a later date. God called me as me, with my faults and sharp edges, because God wanted me to meet others with similar faults and sharp edges so that we could learn more and travel further together.

So, as we travel today and think of Cuthbert and the others we have learned from this week; yes … let us think about what we can lay aside or give up. But let’s also commit to keeping, growing, forming and allowing those bits of our characters that God wants to use to become what God wants them to be.

Red, white or green

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This morning’s thought asks ‘what are you willing to give up?’ whilst adopting the Celtic Christian practice of thinking that lent calls for martyrdom.

I love how those Celts took a triune view of martyrdom with red being giving up your life, white being a major lifestyle change to follow God and with green being adopting a spiritual practice.

For the first time I’m seeing those martyrdoms from the other side. I have grown to adopt white and green into my life. The white has involved leaving a ‘career’ in education and taking roles, in the Christian world, which I felt called to. This is the traditional type question of asking what is God calling me to do and getting on with doing it.

The green I have adopted through practices that were started through previous Lent journeys which have become established in my life beyond Lent. For me this has been meditation and a program of silent retreats.

Following the brokenness that I alluded to yesterday, I find myself in the position that I can no longer do the white in the way I am used to. I have already given up roles and positions to follow God and I cannot currently continue in, or return to, that vein.

Currently I am settled in a new job which allows me to volunteer in a cause I am passionate about. It’s a job I absolutely love. I belong to a team that love to support each other and regularly call out great things seen in team members. I have a lot of fun and love what we do and I really wish I had found this place earlier. In the volunteering I can see, very clearly, how I am making a difference. All I have ever wanted to do is make a difference, and nothing major, just in my own little part of this amazing creation we live in and are part of.

Now …. And this is what has hit me today as I’ve mulled this stuff over ….. if God asked me to leave this job, and this volunteering, what would I do?

What would you do?

just dust …. or a whole lot more?

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This mornings thought from Celtic Lent has caused me to consider throughout today the ‘who am I’, ‘how was I created?’ question.
Were we created from dust, or were we created from a whole lot more?
Celtic christianity has a beautiful story of us not just being created from dust (and to dust we shall return) but that we, or strictly speaking, Adam, was created from earth, sea, sun, clouds, wind, stones and the light of the world.

I totally love that! The idea of being created from all aspects of creation. If that is so it explains the resonance many feel towards the rest of creation. If that is so it means humankind is inextricably liked with the whole of creation, and not just placed alongside to be a steward. Creation is broken, which isn’t a surprise as humankind is broken. We are part of creation and creation is part of us.

Over the last few years I have been experiencing a time of being broken. Thats another story for another time but I can share now that it hurt.
I have needed to be recreated.
Rebuilt.
Restored.
Being smashed into tiny pieces, like a really complicated jigsaw, obviously takes great time and effort to fix.
Only God has the patience and ability to do that.

I am not there yet. But I will be!

During my contemplation today I was reminded of the practice of Kintsugi.
Slowly I am allowing God to rebuild me.
Like someone that fixes a broken vase.
God has started the work, has continued today and will do more tomorrow.
As there are so many little pieces to fix back together God is needing to use a lot of gold.
Today, that simple thought reminds me that despite everything, I am precious to my creator.
So are you.