Prayer Resources

Here is the information about prayer resources that was put out for people to browse this Sunday.

Retreat! Luke 6:12

We know deep down that the most important thing we can give our children is our time and focussed attention - communicating to them that we love them because.

Of course distractions cram in and threaten to undermine our ability to give this attention and love. Ironically it is the same deal with our relationship with God - yet in this case it is again us who are distracted, with a myriad of things crowding in stopping us from simply 'being' and receiving the love that God our Father longs to pour into our lives.

Jesus prioritised time spent with the Father, deliberately withdrawing to pray. See in Luke how many times this happens, see how most precede a major new phase of ministry. Shouldn't we take a hint for our own lives? Hence the key question:

[OUT] Does my living for God out in the world flow from resting in Him?

Rather than giving God the answers, or doing some kind of super-broadband upload of info that we call prayer, maybe God just wants us to allow Him to gaze on us, to quietly let us know that He is in control, that He loves us because.

Getting this right is crucial. Thats why in our strategic thinking about corporate prayer we talk about rhythm and diet so much. Thats why key groups in the church are invited to hold a prayer retreat once a term.

The ministry of Jesus flowed from his relationship with the Father. It can only be the same for us. Anything else degenerates to our works, or leaves us burnt out. If we are to sustain reaching out, if to reach further or deeper we must return to Him to receive afresh. There are different practices, resources and ways of doing this [4 examples were given in the Sunday service]. But the bottom line is that it is down to each of us to make it happen.

What practice of being still before God will you give a try going forward, so that you can gear things to work and minister flowing from your rest in Him.

[OUT] Does my living for God out in the world flow from resting in Him?

Luke Reading Challenge - Times Jesus Prays

As you read the gospel of Luke (suggest two chapters a week, with a few catchup weeks, and you will complete this term) make a mental note of the different times Luke records Jesus as praying. Especially withdrawing to pray.

For bonus points think about the flow of the story following these prayer times. What do the prayer times precede?

To the Needy - Luke 5:12-16, 27-32 Part Two

In another seemingly random encounter Jesus sees the tax collector. Another social outcast, a collaborator with the enemy Romans, a Sinner with a capital S, someone locked in an oppressive system. Another a person seen by society as good as dead.

Yet somehow Jesus has faith in this person, that he could turn around, that he could be friend. To this the person replies 'YES', bold font, large letters! He will have to leave a lot behind, his weasel dealing for one thing.  But that doesn't mean abandoning his friends! Having been welcomed by Jesus he now welcomes Jesus to his home for a party, which is a place full of dodgy characters.

Jesus seems to go with the flow - but we don't know the outcome. There is little evidence of church growth (or even moral reform) involving these others! That's an important lesson about Kingdom work: we seek God's Kingdom first and foremost, not simple addition or conformance to our church. We do the Kingdom work as Jesus did, but cannot ourselves guarantee church growth.  That work is for the Spirit in due course.

An example is our work through the Foodbank. We interact with people who are struggling, sometimes messed up with addictions and the like, people for which society has all but written off with no answers. Yet what do we do? Ring-fence them off, ensure we protect ourselves? Or do we stay on the lookout for Kingdom possibility, holding out for that 'YES' in God?

Life out there is messy. We do not have all the answers. As we get involved we will have disappointments and setbacks. Yet our call is to go anyway with Jesus' Kingdom 'YES'. To let Jesus' Kingdom fill our thinking and vision so that we never let ourselves believe that anyone is unreachable, too far gone, unable to be touched by the transforming power of God.

We must therefore go out, quite likely having to leave some of our own stuff behind (as Peter did, as the tax collector did), being ready for those seemingly arbitrary moments when we are faced with incredible need or hurt. Ready to pronounce the 'YES' of Jesus Christ over their lives.

To the Needy - Luke 5:12-16, 27-32 Part One

Some of the gospel events seem to start with a random/chance encounter. The leper is one example. He would have been outcast, pronounced perpetually 'unclean', which in reality meant he was seen as good as dead. Yet somehow he had enough faith to throw himself before Jesus and say 'If you are willing ...'.

Jesus answer to this was 'YES'. Bold font, big letters! Jesus identifies with him (touching him), i.e. puts himself with the one who was dead and restores him to life. That is the Kingdom vision right there: in the randomness of ordinary life being faced with the most hideous and broken, yet saying 'YES - God has life for you, be clean, get back on your feet'.

Note how Jesus also works in tandem with the ordinary systems of society. In his day it was to present to the priest as final arbiter. Today of course it would be to confirm your healing by going back to the doctor.

Yet Jesus then does something interesting - he goes to a solitary place to spend time with his heavenly Father. The 'yes' of Jesus flows from his relationship with God the Father. We need to go out seeing Kingdom possibility ... but not with our own cleverness or zeal, but flowing from our relationship with the Father. Specific time spent close to God will have a direct correlation to what we see and the Godly influence we have on those around us.

Kingdom Deal - Luke 4:14 - 44

What does the word 'Kingdom' mean to you? Since as Christians we talk about 'The Kingdom of God', do we know what we are talking about?

Jesus starts his ministry with a Kingdom proclamation: Jesus is the new king in town bringing a message of hope, a new order which is good news particularly for those oppressed/suffering/bound up. It makes sense for us to look for this Kingdom breaking in wherever people are down-trodden and in difficulty (remember that bias to the poor from last year).

A new king comes with authority: verses 32 and 36 are examples of this. Demons are uncomfortable when Jesus shows up because they are part of the old regime, and as with any regime change the former oppressors are surely to be dealt with. Yet Jesus pays attention foremost to the person, not the demon (who is simply told to 'Shut Up' and to depart). In the new Kingdom the person is affirmed and set free.

The Kingdom proclamation turns to action and healing breaks out (v40). Yet this is not just for one place, but elsewhere too - Jesus must take the message and demonstrate his Kingdom all around. That 'taking the message and demonstration' continues with us. As a Christian, we are a Christ-in person, someone in Christ, in other words in His authority. That means we can act in His authority, e.g. speak healing in the name of Jesus.

Do we get that? And act on it? Hence the key question this week:

[IN] Do we let Jesus' Kingdom fill our thinking and vision?

Our 'seeking to serve' is explicitly going out with this Kingdom message and demonstration. A key strategy area 'Community Impact' is fuelled by this. 3 ways we work this out are:

1. demonstrate Kingdom values, e.g. by bringing a community together at a special event
2. support joint initiatives that help set people free (such as Foodbank, CAP)
3. look for where we can develop relationships, e.g. our work with the hostels, people at 2x2, Messy Ch etc.

Luke 4 shows Jesus ministry gathering steam - pouring himself out in each community he went to. Let us learn to pour ourselves out, with confidence and boldness since we go in His authority.

With Jesus as the new King, His Kingdom is any place/thing/person where things to start to line up with His grace and purposes - with God breaking in to change things.

[IN] Do we let Jesus' Kingdom fill our thinking and vision

Get Baptised - Luke 3:1-22 - part two

John not only pointed towards Jesus, he also told us that things would change gear significantly when Jesus came on the scene. John would baptise in water. Jesus would do it with the Holy Spirit. Keep in mind that the Greek word 'baptise' means to be totally sunk in (hence our preference for full immersion!). With Jesus we can be sunk in all who God is: Father, Son and Spirit.

Recently we've seen river and tidal flooding across the country. Its a scary thing: furniture or even cars are swept around, things dislocated. The Spirit's coming can be like a flood: when He comes it can seem disconcerting, things happening we wouldn't normally expect, surprising us, maybe even worrying us as to what is actually taking place.

Yet whilst we have seen on the news how a water flood leaves destruction and ruin, the flood of the Spirit is quite different. When things have settled back down we find that the coming of the Spirit has brought healing, restoration and good things to a person's life. The moment of that work can bring out stuff deep within us, occasionally in a noisy fashion, but the result is release, peace and purpose.

So the baptism of the Spirit is not something to be afraid of. Quite the opposite, in fact, something to be welcomed and invited. Let us look for Jesus and his baptism just as John did.

Get Baptised - Luke 3:1-22 - part one

John calls people out in the country to baptism, urging them to change their minds and look to God and His ability to forgive. By changing their minds they would become a 'new people' ready to receive the person of Jesus Christ.

Crowds joined him in the river and we get the idea that many were baptised. Yet all we know is that baptisms occurred. We don't know if John actually tipped people back, dunked them down or forwards, or even poured water over them as they responded to his call (neither do we know the age range).

We do know that they asked John how to live, and he replied with a neat summary of all our teaching from last year (!): share with others and live justly.

John's deal was to point towards Jesus. Yet when Jesus turned up he asked John to baptise him just like the others. Odd that - Jesus didn't need to change his mind, didn't need the Father's forgiveness for anything ... but he identified with all of us who do.

There was nothing magic in the water, nothing magic in John, but Jesus led us all by his own example. That is why churches nearly universally use water baptism as the mark of entering the global collection of people who desire to follow Christ (known more simply as 'The Church'). Virtually all denominations follow this logic, and therefore require that anyone wanting to formally be a member of a local church be baptised first. They may differ on how that baptism takes place (e.g. can young children be baptised, must it be full immersion and so on), but they agree that baptism is the outward sign that signifies the person joining the company of 'new people'.

Or to put it more simply: if it was good enough for Jesus, then it ought to be good enough for us!