When our younger son Sam was smaller, we noticed how when he\nwent on any journey with us, he would always pack his bag with many things in\ncase he got bored or hungry: headphones and a player, his Gameboy and several\ngames, comics and books, a pack of cards in case he could anyone else to play,\nvarious snacks, a drink, maybe his favourite soft toy – he was very prepared.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Are you a light packer if you\u2019re travelling? Or do you\nprepare for every eventuality? The instructions Jesus gives the disciples are\ncertainly at one end of the scale\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jesus called the twelve disciples together and sent them out two by two. He gave them authority over the evil spirits and ordered them, \u201cDon’t take anything with you on the trip except a walking stick\u2014no bread, no beggar’s bag, no money in your pockets. Wear sandals, but don’t carry an extra shirt.\u201d He also told them, \u201cWherever you are welcomed, stay in the same house until you leave that place. If you come to a town where people do not welcome you or will not listen to you, leave it and shake the dust off your feet. That will be a warning to them!\u201d<\/p>
So they went out and preached that people should turn away from their sins. They drove out many demons, and rubbed olive oil on many sick people and healed them.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
No food, no money, no\nbag, not even a spare shirt! When they arrived at the place they were visiting\nthey would have to ask for hospitality – and if they were offered it they\nshouldn\u2019t try to find anywhere better, but accept the welcome. They were to\nmake themselves totally dependent and vulnerable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I don\u2019t suppose that came easily to confident, independent\nminded fishermen. And I suspect that\u2019s not what we would like either. In life\nas a whole, we want to have control over the things we need. That\u2019s why every\nhousehold has to have its own equipment – even for things we only do very\nrarely. And we like to have control over the information we need – Trip\nadvisor, product reviews – then we don\u2019t need to rely on what other people say.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s not always easy to admit our deeper needs to each other\neither. \u2018I can do this\u2019 is somehow more acceptable than \u2018I can\u2019t do this on my\nown\u2019. We like to be independent, not interdependent. My mum is having to learn\nto rely much more on other people for help and she doesn\u2019t find it easy. I wonder\nif I will be the same at her age.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It seems like the instructions Jesus gave had a positive\noutcome. Making ourselves vulnerable is a very good way of building bridges\nwith people – they may then be more willing to listen to us. But I\u2019m sure that\nthe deeper reason for his direction was to make sure that the disciples\nremembered that in what they were to do they had to stay fully dependent on\nGod. If they wanted to be open to his guidance and his gifts, it would help to\nhave empty hands. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jo and I were at a meeting the other night planning a service\nwith a group, and I came armed with many books and resources – which we didn\u2019t\nuse at all. It\u2019s not always easy to rely only on the Holy Spirit!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If we\u2019re focussed on making sure that we have what we think\nwe need then it\u2019s harder for us to have real openness of heart. And what we\nthink we need isn\u2019t necessarily what we do need.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I love these words from Mother Julian, speaking from her\nanchorite\u2019s cell in the 14th<\/sup> century:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
God of your goodness, give me yourself, for you are enough for me. There is nothing less I can ask that is worthy of you, and if I ask for anything less I shall always be lacking, for only in you I have all.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
I often use part of that phrase in my prayers, which you might like to do now…<\/p>\n\n\n\n
God of your goodness, give me yourself for only in you I have all. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Spend a moment reflecting on any area of your life where you\nare determined to make sure that you have all that you think you need\u2026 <\/p>\n\n\n\n
God of your goodness, give me yourself for only in you I have all. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Is there some way in which you sense a call to step out in\nfaith at the moment? What might make that a challenge?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
God of your goodness, give me yourself for only in you I have all. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
What might it mean for God to give us himself? Can we be\nfully open to that gift?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
God of your goodness, give me yourself for only in you I have all. <\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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