BeLOnGings

Restoring America 5. Circles of Love

by paulgilbertkyle@gmail.com on November 29, 2016 in Restoring America

Father and I are authoring these blogs together as I have little idea in my head from week to week where we are going next until, through another experience and resulting heart revelation, He makes it clear.

Just last weekend I was in Chicago singing at a wedding. Afterwards I realized how in that assignment I was being given a ‘Circles of Love’ blog to complement last week’s ‘Circles of Righteousness’ one, and a “befriending creation” illustration complementing last week’s “befriending Indians” theme and completing the two aspects of the prophecy we were given 22 years ago!

The story begins a few months back when I received the following email,

Hello Mr. Kyle,

My name is Gabriel Franken and I was a student and Northwestern College in Orange City, Iowa in 2002 when you came and played for us there.

I have wanted for a long time to reach out and express my gratitude for your role in my spiritual life. You modeled for me a unique way of relating to and engaging in dialogue with God. I remember you telling stories about how God would speak to you which made the world seem positively charged with messages of Love from our God. This was unusual for me as, at the time, really the only way I understood that God spoke to me was through scripture. But you really helped enliven a fuller, more interactive relationship with God and that was very significant for me.

You also gently lead me through one of the first charismatic experiences with the Holy Spirit that I ever had. I’d stuck around after your show because I had enjoyed your music so much and I wanted to thank you. You asked if you could pray for me and then proceeded to ask for God’s guidance and protection as I traveled around the world. You had no way of knowing that I had just signed up for Semester at Sea, a study abroad program that circumnavigates the globe on a ship. When I asked you how you knew, you told me that God had simply given you a picture of me going around the world and God wanted to bless me in that journey.

That was an incredible journey that helped to shape my life. Thank you for praying and blessing me.

I was trying to remember your name the other day so that I could send you this letter and “Paul Kyle” just popped into my head. Probably not unlike the image of me going around the world popped into yours.

Gabriel went on to say how he had found Mary, the love of his life, and wondered if I might play at their wedding. Ben and I ended up doing just that, in Chicago one week ago.

At the reception the call came to move upstairs for the food, and we found ourselves left singing to an audience of 5 – two little girls dancing delightedly, their baby brother, bouncing in daddy’s arms, and one of the Mexican ladies from the catering company who kept passing through the room with a smile (and tears) on her face!

We were singing “Lord Jesus we enthrone you, we proclaim you are King…. Come Lord Jesus and take your place……..in this place….at this time,” and then moved into “Let your GLORY, let your GLORY, let your GLORY fill the earth….Father Son and Holy Spirit, let your GLORY fill the earth.”

As I flew home the next morning I looked out through the window and there was an unusual sight! (pictured above) It looked like a rainbow – a sign of God’s covenant love. But the strange thing was – it was circular! At first I thought it was the rare circular rainbow but later discovered (in Wikipedia) it was another unusual phenomenon called a GLORY!

It seemed that we were being sent a message (through our friend, Creation) that our prayer had been received as an “Amen” on earth to what has already been announced from heaven:

“The GLORY of the Lord shall fill (circle) the earth as the waters cover the sea.”(Hab.2:14)

God’s glory is his essential nature – which is LOVE (1.Jn. 4:16) In this sense Gabriel’s life was prophetic as he circumnavigated the globe to find his love. His full name means “messenger of freedom”and speaks of Jesus (Gal.5:1) who has sought us out. His wife Mary (meaning “rebellious”) represents the bride of Christ – those who like Mary the mother of Jesus, once his ‘enemies’ now by God’s grace, carry Christ in them – “the hope of GLORY!” (Col.1:27)

I remembered boarding the plane in Minneapolis at Gate 16 and then de-boarded in Chicago again at a Gate 16! Beside me there had been seated a man with a teeshirt that said WM 32 (underneath I read it was from a Wrestlemania event in Texas!!!)

Father made sense to me of these confirmatory ‘signs’….a double portion of love (16 aspects of love in 1 Cor.13) manifested in this wedding where a (W)oman and a (M)an were coming together revealing God’s eternal plan in this covenant (32) of love – called marriage.

In Genesis 9 the rainbow was placed in the sky as a sign of the covenant of love God made with “ALL life on earth” (repeated 5 times!) that it would never again be destroyed by (physical) water…. but rather, as it says in Habakuk 2:14, will be flooded by the Holy Spirit the agent of God’s glory that His promise to “restore ALL things“ (Acts 3:21) might be fulfilled.

P.S.My friend Pat in Florida originally from Chicago swears he will never live there again because ‘snow is part of the curse as a result of the fall.’ Well there was no snow in Chicago when we left it but plenty back in Minneapolis….. and if that isn’t proof enough that the curse over the Windy City is being reversed – consider the Cubs after 108 years : – )

Restoring America 4. Circles of Righteousness

by paulgilbertkyle@gmail.com on November 22, 2016 in Restoring America

Gareth from London wrote to me,

“Your blog on the Full Circle about C.S.Lewis, reminded me of Ps 23v3 – “He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.” The Hebrew for “path” in this instance has a root meaning of circle, so could be translated “He leads me in circles of righteousness” So sometimes when we think we are going around in circles, it could be that God is giving us another chance to learn or do it more “right!”

Many commentators have been drawing a parallel between Donald Trump and Andrew Jackson – Jackson being the first “populist” American president. He too was of Ulster Scot’s ancestry (After you have had coffee at Established and Claire’s cake at The Loft you can visit his ancestral home in Carrickfergus – a few miles away : – )

I cannot judge the man, however The Indian Removal Act which he was responsible for had tragic consequences. One native elder friend, Father brought into our lives, was Alvin. A long serving Methodist ‘minister’ he told us the story of how his believing grandmother had walked the “Trail of Tears” as her people were forcibly removed from their homeland to a Reservation in what is now Oklahoma. It was a deeply moving experience when he taught us a “Jesus” lullaby in his native language that she had used to settle the babies when they would get upset by the trumpeting soldiers carrying out their duty on behalf of the “Christian” government – to “grab” more land.

A few weeks ago Gilbert’s car broke down. As I was driving to his aid I decided to listen to the radio, something I don’t often do. What I was meant to hear was an incidental piece of news – that Andrew Jackson’s picture was to be removed from the $20 bill (and replaced with Harriet Tubman’s)

” Mmmm” I thought, “So the architect of “The” removal, is now himself – being removed!”

Last week I mentioned another famous Ulster Scot who was a contemporary of Jackson’s known as the ‘king of the wild frontier’ – Davy Crockett (You might remember Paddy had wakened that morning thinking of the very same man…….and humming Davy’s tune throughout the day!)

As I read the Wikipedia entry about Crockett I discovered a couple of interesting things. His Ulster Scot’s great grandmother was called Sarah Gilbert Stewart. Well Hilary’s mother was Sarah, my father was Gilbert, and both our mothers had the surname – Stewart. What a “God-incidence”!!!

Then I discovered that Davy Crockett was the only one in the Tennessee legislature who opposed The Indian Removal Act!

Here was a redemptive sign for our tribe…..where another one of “us” historically had proven to be the Indian’s Friend – not Foe!

I shared this exciting discovery at dinner time with the family. “Oh!” Kim, our American daughter-in-law said, ” The little Irish ancestry there is in our family line……is said to go back to – Davy Crockett!

The photo above is of Ben and Kim’s daughter Isla Kyle and Mni Cloud in dress up and in an embrace as they are “best friends” Mni is a 6th generation descendant of Chief Little Crow, who lead the Dakota Uprising in Minnesota (1862). They live here together in the Big Green (Ps.23) House.

Isla is Scottish for island. Mni is Dakota for water. I guess Father put this friendship together!

The world of fractals shows us how each of our little lives are reflecting a much greater story, for the most part unknown yet sometimes known, as our Shepherd leads us in “Circles of Righteousness”

Restoring America. Part 3. Friend or Foe?

by paulgilbertkyle@gmail.com on November 15, 2016 in Restoring America

Well, last week’s blog proved to be quite “prophetic” didn’t it?

“The Donald” has lived up to his Scottish name and is now a ‘world ruler’ and the “Look out for me and my clachan” vote won the day with the ‘married white men’ demographic determining the election outcome!

One camp is exultant the other devastated. There is however only one important question:

What next?

Let’s begin this blog where we left the last one ….with another verse from the Psalms:

“But NOW Lord, what do I look for? ……MY hope is in YOU.” (Psalm 39:7)

And let’s see what more, we can learn from history……..

When our family of 9 were about to set off for this New World 22 years ago we were given a prophecy.

“When the first Ulster Scots came to America they fought the Indians and fought creation. You will be friends with the Indians and be friends with creation.”

When we arrived, Father simply said “Make friends and be friends.” and over the years some people from the first nations here have welcomed us and become our closest friends, not by our design but by His.

Concerning friendship, Ohiyesa (pictured above) writes in The Soul of an Indian,

“Among our people friendship is held to be the severest test of character. It is easy to be loyal to family and clan, whose blood is in our own veins. Love between man and woman is founded on the mating instinct, and is not free from desire and self seeking, but to have a friend and to be true under any and all trials is the truest mark of a man. The highest type of friendship is the relation of ‘brother-friend’ or ‘life and death friend’ ….. It is without thought of pleasure or gain, but rather for moral support and inspiration. Each vows to die for the other, and nothing is denied the brother friend, but neither is anything required that is not in accord with the highest conception of the Indian mind.”

This seems akin to the sort of friendship Jesus invites us into in John 15 – a more noble aspiration than the depiction of “Friends” in the popular American sitcom of that title!

“It is easy to be loyal to family and clan whose blood is in our own veins” Ouch! that hit home….”But I need to look out for me and my clachan!”

Our fear based reaction and the sectarian spirit that now grips America stands in contrast to the Lakota prayer, Mitakuye Oyasinin, which affirms “You are all my relatives.”

Left unhealed I realize our fear based wounds will simply continue to wound.

So we have sought to come to America this time in humility as learners rather than teachers, as the wounded rather than the healers for I believe the very people we originally came to ‘civilize’ hold the key to our healing as broken children of the European “Enlightenment” that was actually a “Darkenment” of our experience of the Spirit.

Our native friends who have embraced Jesus have taught us that the main fault line between the Native Americans and the New Americans was spirituality vs. materialism. Jesus said the same thing in this way, “You cannot serve God and Mammon (material things)” (Matt.6:24)

Of course there are natives who have grown happily rich on casino earnings and newcomers who are deeply spiritual, but Ps.118:8 remains the test for each soul “Do I, in truth, trust in Creator/God or trust in man (including myself)?”

The native people did not at first seem to have any difficulty with Jesus. Ohiyesa quotes one elder,

“I have come to the conclusion that this Jesus was an Indian. He was opposed to material acquisition and to great possessions. He was inclined to peace. He was as unpractical as any Indian and set no price upon his labor of love. These are not the principles upon which the white man has founded his civilization. It is strange that he could not rise to these simple principles which were so commonly observed among our people.”

Ohiyesa comments, “I confess I have wondered much that Christianity is not practiced by the very people who vouch for that wonderful conception of exemplary living. It appears that they are anxious to pass on their religion to all others, but keep very little of it for themselves. ……even in the white men who professed religion we found such inconsistency of conduct. They spoke much of spiritual things while seeking only the material. They bought and sold everything;time, labor, personal independence, the love of woman, and even the ministrations of their faith! The higher and spiritual life, though first in theory, was clearly secondary, if not entirely neglected in practice. ”

This blog is entitled Be-LOnGings because our deepest LOnGing is to Be connected. If we fail to make that connection with our Creator we will seek connection with ‘created things’ Any thing (including religious things) that has supplanted God and become the primary object of our affection is what the bible calls a dead ‘idol’

“They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshipped and served created things rather than the creator who is forever praised. Amen.”(Romans 1:25)

We are meant as spiritual beings to find life in connection with God – who is Spirit.

….and being with you nothing else I desire.”(Ps.73:25)

I believe it is not just a commandment of the old covenant but a promise of the new covenant that God will keep and fulfill in us, “You SHALL have no other God’s before me.”

Restoring America 2. The Wild Frontier.

by paulgilbertkyle@gmail.com on November 8, 2016 in Restoring America

My experience facing the plumbing under the kitchen sink and Davy Crockett’s facing the Indians on “the wild frontier.” may not have been that different! We are both of Scots Irish ancestry and were ‘Born Fighting’ The problem however is that blindsided by ancestral FEAR that goes all the way back to Adam we mistake who the real enemy is! As it says in Ephesians 6:12 “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood…or kitchen sinks” (P.K.V.)

Our name Kyle identifies us as a Scottish border family. By all accounts farm life on the border between England and Scotland was precarious. Living in the shadow of the English Empire we had a fear of lack and a fight to survive!

So despite a Reformed theology of new covenant grace through faith, in practice we too often have believed our fallen senses and walked by sight rather than faith as we face into what we perceive as a fearful world where we have learned to mistrust authority and with fierce independence look out for me and my ‘clachan’

This is well illustrated in a village actually named LACK, deep in the heart of the Ulster countryside where some of those Scots where ‘planted’ by the English. On our way to visit our friends Paddy and Breda we pass through Lack. As you enter you are greeted by a plaque proudly announcing “Best Kept Small Village 2007.” but also by red white and blue bunting and Union Jack flags that signal it is a bible believing Protestant island in this rural Catholic sea. Sure enough everything seems ‘neat and tidy’, but I feel an uneasy underbelly……. that says “We are under threat – but have things well under control”

I ponder Psalm 23. Although sheep graze in the surrounding fields the ‘vib’ of the village seems to contradict the ‘good news’ that “The Lord is my shepherd I shall LACK – NO-THING!……yeah though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will FEAR – NO EVIL!…. for YOU are with me.”

A few thousand miles across the ocean these same dynamics are being played out in the American Presidential election. Many are fearful and angry and are expressing themselves in a vote for Donald (or Bernie!) for it has become obvious that the ‘establishment’ cannot be trusted. There is a mistrust of BIG institutions – whether government, banking, religious, industrial or media – with corruption in these heartless ‘corpse’orations having been uncovered right to the top. More and more voices are being raised such as The Truth About Cancer, Wikileaks and Standing Rock, in protest at how ‘we have been duped!’ by ‘the powers that be.’ (or think they be :- )

(Below, for example, is a view from Dr. Mercola, a respected alternative health practitioner.)

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2016/11/08/dont-panic-politics.aspx?utm_source=dnl&utm_medium=email&utm_content=art1&utm_campaign=20161108Z2&et_cid=DM125027&et_rid=1744167456

So the Braveheart battlecry goes up again, “It’s time to take things back from the evil Empire and into our own hands and to look out for me and my clachan!”

(Even as I finish this blog I turn to check the BBC website and see an article “Belfast – The City with a Rebel Heart.”)

But this disillusionment is all part of God’s plan, for the heart of the human problem is expressed in the verse at the very heart of the bible, Psalm 118 verse 8, which says,

“It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man.”

(More next week…..no matter which ‘man or woman’ wins today’s election : – )

P.S. I sent a draft of this blog to Paddy and Breda to check that I had rightly read the spiritual climate of LACK. Paddy wrote back

” For no apparent reason, yesterday, in that pre sleep haze, I began to remember Davy Crockett and The Alamo! Now the theme song from tv, Davy, Davy Crockett, king of the wild frontier, is playing in my head.”

“Your reading of LACK is picture perfect, but without even basic services i..e. Shop, Post Office.”

Then they added this encouraging personal note!

“It’s interesting to remember that when we first came here, that, due to the information we were given, we had address labels printed which said, “off the Lack Road”, Bre looked at me and said “That’s a Word for us!” …and indeed it has been. We are enjoying a season of real delight in being together, it has to be Grace, because our health circumstances have not improved, yet, we are content, and convinced that a new season of Father’s purpose is just about to break out.

Restoring America 1. The Kitchen Sink.

by paulgilbertkyle@gmail.com on November 1, 2016 in Restoring America

No prizes for guessing the question we were asked most often when back in the Brith-ish Isles?

“So what do you think of Donald Trump?”

A hard question to answer in a few minutes. Fortunately I had a quick one line response. “I am not qualified to vote – so I don’t feel responsible to make a judgement!”

Today our renewed Resident Alien cards arrived in the mail. As ‘aliens’ we are not entitled to vote. Since being lead to move here 22 years ago through the story of Abraham who was one of that company who “admitted they were aliens” (Heb.11:13) we have remained comfortable with this status knowing that our ‘true’ ‘citizenship is in heaven’.(Phil.3:20)

We understand that our responsibility in this place is to “Seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.” (Jeremiah 27:19.) As European exiles, I believe seeking the welfare of our new ‘home’ begins by entering into relationship with those given the original mandate to care for this part of creation……but more about that later.

Back ‘home’ again in our land of exile, after 6 weeks at ‘home’ in our land of origin we see more clearly than ever the connectedness of these, our two ‘homes’

To understand America and ‘The Donald’, whose Scottish name happens to mean ‘world ruler’, I believe you must first understand our ‘tribe’ – the Ulster Scots. One writer entitles his book,’The Other Irish” for when talking about the Irish in America everyone immediately thinks of the great wave of Catholics who came as a result of the Irish famine in the mid 1800s. A hundred years earlier however another breed of Irish from the North and antecedently from Scotland had arrived to play a pivotal role in the embryonic days of this ‘new’ nation. The impact of this people group in shaping the American psyche was enormous….as testified to in movies and books like,”American Sniper” about the life of Chris Kyle (No, not my younger brother : – )) or “Born Fighting” by Jim Webb.

This morning I was doing a project under our kitchen sink! As I entered that still place of the Spirit, I was able to observe myself and my reactions. Father then began pointing things out to me – about me! I recognized a ‘defensive posture’ in my soul. “This is my project, just give me space and let me figure it out myself!!

As I turned from this to the truth, “And God is able to make all grace abound that at all times and in all things having all that you need you will you will abound in every good work.” ( 2 Cor.9:8) I started perceiving in the comments that came from different quarters no longer “threat” but “grace.” I also anticipated the hand of a benevolent God who was working all things (even the contorted pipes and rotting chipboard) together for good! (Rm.8:28)

Within minutes rather than hours the project was completed to everyone’s satisfaction. (Note Gilbert’s grin above – he actually did the lion’s share of the work : -).

I realized the job had ended up a joy! Why? Because I had stopped “fighting”and started “surfing” the wave of grace that awaits all who “trust in his unfailing love.” (Ps.147:11)

So what has this got to do with next week’s election?

You’ll see more clearly in next week’s blog : – ))

God (hoax) Calling

by paulgilbertkyle@gmail.com on October 26, 2016 in Uncategorized

Many of us are familiar with the daily devotional “God Calling” or more recently “Jesus Calling”. These have been a rich source of timely words for believers over many years…… something to set you up for the day.

The other day I experienced God calling…however this time it wasn’t in the form of an intentional reflection written by a believer for Christians, it was in the form of a phone scammer looking for a gullible victim. Father of course is sovereign. He uses anyone and anything at anytime to speak to us.

Before declining the call I noticed it was from MOBILE RIVER, MARYLAND, and somehow that ‘useless’ piece of information got lodged somewhere in my subconscious. I proceeded to set off on my morning run and then at one point jogging down a nearby street, I noticed a service van parked outside a home. On the side was written MOBILE SCREENING. I smiled realizing that’s what I had done that morning – with the call from Mobile River. A few hundred feet on I left the road to run in the woods. I entered the park as usual but this time the name which I always run past caught my attention – MARY HILLS.

So now I had two MOBILES and two MARYS! I ran on waiting for Father to give me the punch line….and just a few feet further on there it was….

There had been some unusually heavy rains, and there in front of me where the paved path I normally run should have been there now flowed – a river. This river had left it’s old course and had forged a new one – without any regard to man’s controlling asphalt foot print.

I realized this is the nature of a river. It usually happens more slowly imperceptibly over years or centuries, but every river is always moving and migrating and changing the landscape.

No different with the river of GOD’S SPIRIT. The moment we think we have it sized up, captured and controlled we have become alienated from the life of God……it is a MOBILE RIVER

What is the key to staying connected with this river of life?

MARY.

Cultivating the Mary disposition, seated at the master’s feet poised continually to hear every ‘word of life’ coming from his lips entering our heart. We need to learn to live in MARY-land at the top of MARY Hills.

Then Father reminded me of an incident from earlier in the run where at a particular moment I had been in that place. At one point, a beautiful deer ran scarred across my path. I stopped. She stopped. Slowly, gently I moved toward her. It was as if she was aware I was looking to capture her beauty in a photo – and was OK with that. I clicked. Then looked up and said to her. “Thank you.” It was as if she smiled, then turned and playfully trotted away.

The next day I shared the incident with my friend Tony. He wrote back:

Hi Paul, In some cultures deer are often considered to be a symbol of unconditional love. It was beautifully appropriate to express your gratitude to Unconditional Love, God. God understood your thankfulness perfectly, my brother. While living the 30days of silence and spiritual exercises of Ignatius many deer befriended my moments, sharing themselves by walking with and toward me and dancing all around in a small apple orchards. Thank you for reminding me of Unconditional Love! Absolute love absolute freedom. Thank you for sharing your blog.
Peace, Tony

The Inevitable Free Fall

by paulgilbertkyle@gmail.com on October 20, 2016 in Uncategorized

At the end of our time in the BRith-ish isles, we hosted a FREEDOM! retreat in Belfast in our friend’s coffee shop, The Loft. If Established is worth the visit for the coffee, The Loft is worth the visit for our friend Claire’s home baking!

Father gave us a beautifully ‘home baked’ version of our retreat through the various contributions of poetry, song, story and humor from our local friends and family there.

We teach 5 Steps to Freedom, all beginning with the letter R.

One friend with deep insight into the heart of the Irish problem, (which of course is the problem of the Irish heart) came up with a comically tragic 5 Steps to Bondage (Northern Ireland Version.) all beginning with the letter B

1. Believe: God is like a disapproving headmaster patrolling his rules with a big stick. He is out to get you.
2. Beat: When you do something wrong and feel guilty, beat yourself repeatedly and conclude that you must be bad. Now embrace your new identity: shame.
3. Bury: God is unsafe (see step 1). Bury your pain and shame and close the door tight. Deny it’s there. Do not acknowledge disappointment.
4. Behave: Either a). Obey the rules, work hard and try to please
or b). Rebel, what’s the point? You’re never going to measure up.
5. Become: Keep separate from your heart and avoid vulnerability. Keep control and become hardened.

(I suspect these steps are familiar to many outside NI)

The 5 R’s are.

Repent. Change your thinking to fit the truth about God, yourself and your circumstances.
Release. Let go to God all offenses as he has released yours
Renounce the works of the world the flesh and the devil in your life.
Rebuke the devil – he must flee from you (James 4:7)
Receive your Father’s love – and be free!

It was only toward the end of the retreat that someone twigged we had another BR!!! In fact it is as we move from the 5 Bs through the 5 Rs (B->R) that we find ourselves free to experience our Father’s love in the whole of life!

At the start of these retreats we show the following hilarious Scottish skit

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5FFRoYhTJQQ

There is one key in journeying to freedom. I think of this life as “The Great Humbling” Jesus invites us to identify with his life in us as the one who is “gentle and humble in heart”. If we don’t choose to humble ourselves we will be humbled (even by a “failed American actress”) The humble heart is the true…..

that leads to FREEEEEEDOM!

Today Hilary and I went for a fall bike ride. I realized every single leaf (in my photo above) shares a common fate. Every one will die and end up in free fall making a final flight over which it has no control back to the earth from which it came.

“The other day I saw the leaves fall and I knew there was only thing that mattered” I said in a song. “How did you fall? Did you fall gloriously: did you love truly? Did you fall victoriously: did you trust fully?”

For in the end of the day, the only thing that matters is ‘faith expressing itself in love’ (Gal.5:5) and it is only as we stop trusting in ourselves and trust fully in His victory that we are set free to become our true ‘child-of-God’ selves……manifesting His glorious love.

“Aye! die you will” said William Wallace …….and yet you may remember that in the movie he did not die because his seed was carried on. BRaveheart was a type of Christ. It was Edward I, a type of earthly kings, who hears on his deathbed the news that his line would end. It is those who have been impregnated with the ‘living and enduring word of God’ who now carry that ‘holy seed’ that will never die. (1 Pt.1:23)

“Yet to all who received him, who believed in his name he gave the power to become children of God.” (Jn.1:12)

.……and so we finish, or maybe just begin, our B->Rith – ish (covenant man) adventure!!

P.S. If the last paragraph seems obscure it might be worth revisiting the movie Braveheart or at least the last few scenes.

P.P.S The mystery of the Oxford bag at the end of the last blog was solved!! Our Dutch friends Pieter and Loes visited us this summer. Loes wrote: “Haha, the bag was mine and I have no clue whatsoever why we left it behind, but now I know!”

P.P.P.S. Our next FREEDOM! retreat will be here at Rivendell 11th and 12th November. We’d love to see you or one of your friends! Contact us if you are interested.

Full Circle with C.S. Lewis

by paulgilbertkyle@gmail.com on October 13, 2016 in Uncategorized

I mentioned in last week’s blog that as a child I lived In Gortin, not a spellings stone’s throw away from Columba’s childhood home of Gartan, Donegal. Just a physical stone’s throw (or two) away from our East Belfast home at 76 Gortin, another Ulsterman, C.S. Lewis spent his early years also in number 76 – Circular Road.

The western mind thinks linearly, but traditional cultures are more in tune with God’s time cycles or circles.

I’m beginning this blog as we circle back to Minneapolis on this, the Day of Atonement, as set down in Leviticus 23 in accordance with God’s yearly calendar.

Lewis completed his life’s circle in the elite university city of Oxford. Hilary and I had never been there – until last month when on a whim (if there is such a thing) we decided to call in as we had a few hours to spare before flying out of Birmingham. We found ourselves circling Oxford on the ring road and finally not knowing where we were going just pulled in to park. I looked up and in front of us was “The Eagle and Child” pub. We got out of the car and wandered in. Lo and behold we had ‘stumbled’ onto “sacred ground”, for this was the very place where the Inkings including Lewis and Tolkien had their weekly get togethers! We couldn’t resist taking a ‘selfie’ of us sitting where they had sat : – ))

As if this wasn’t co-incidence enough the next week I discovered my brother John was also for the first time in Oxford, attending a high powered meeting of leading Anglo Irish thinkers to try an figure out the meaning of BR-exit!

Meanwhile sitting in a coffee shop back in Belfast I noticed a newspaper headline “Oxford Arrogance” It wasn’t about the conference but it got me thinking about how “Knowledge puffs up but love builds up” (1 Cor. 8:1) Lewis had a brilliant intellect but it was combined with honest questioning and a humble heart which brought him to a ‘Lucy like’ trust in a God who could not be confined by the doctrinal strictures of his theologically proud Ulster Protestant antecedents.

Having a brilliant mind can be a liability. Jesus said, “I praise you Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and learned and revealed them to little children……learn from me, for I am gentle and humble of heart.” (Matt 13:25,27 ) “Oxford Arrogance” is a reality in us all, and Lewis being planted in Oxford struck me like the twelve year old Jesus in the Temple confounding those same arrogant spirits of his time that thought they had the measure of God.

This was brought home to me at the graveside of a friend’s mother. She had never joined a church but loved nature and literature. The masterful eulogy the daughter had written and her husband read was the best of Belfast realism, with a large dose of heart and humor. It was followed by recitations of W.B.Yeats and John Masefield’s longings for Isle and Sea and then it was left to C.S. Lewis to inject hope into the proceedings. His closing words from the final Narnia story, The Last Battle, did it perfectly.

“All their life in this world had only been the cover and the title page: now at last they were beginning Chapter One of the Great Story which no one on earth has read : which goes on forever: in which each chapter is better than the one before.”

This blog completes the circle of my BR stories about a few of the true BRith ish (covenant men and women) among the living and the dead whom we encountered over the last 5 weeks. Lewis had to cross the sea from Ireland to find his mentor, George MacDonald, in Scotland and a platform in England to form the backcloth for the Narnia stories telling us the real ‘gospel’ story.

….and one final hopeful BRith-ish story…..the ‘cherry on the cake’

I met up with an old friend who is now prominent in the Northern Ireland political arena. He is a member of a very traditional Protestant/Loyalist party. He told me of how the parliamentary proceedings had for several years been marked by bitter contention. He had felt lead to introduce a bill requesting funds to mark the 50th anniversary of C.S.Lewis death. (He takes responsibility to clean the commemorative “Wardrobe” sculpture in Lewis’ old stomping grounds pictured above) At the end of another cantankerous round in the house, his bill was brought forward at the last possible moment in the final session.

To his amazement a member from the Catholic/Republican side rose and began speaking highly of Lewis peppering her speech with numerous quotations!

My friend was amazed. “It was as if heaven came down!” he said, as the dark atmosphere of conflict and bickering gave way to the light of harmony and agreement!

I believe in that moment in the Northern Ireland parliament a true son of God was being honored from heaven……even though he had passed from this life’s scene to begin “Chapter 1 of the Great Story“.

I’m finishing this long blog from home this morning. Our Psalm for the day just happens to be 133, “How good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell together in unity….there God commands the blessing – even life evermore!” Beyond their diverse ‘tribal’ positions the more fundamental reality surfaced that day in parliament that we are all related as human brothers through the first Adam and heavenly brothers through the last Adam. Jesus was the New ‘covenant man.‘ His covenant of grace is gift to us all from start to finish, “lest any man should boast.” As another Great Storyteller puts it, “For as in Adam all die so in Christ all will be made alive.” His final words are as reassuring as Lewis’ “…so that God may be all in all” (1 Cor. 15:22- 28)

Maybe it’s appropriate that on the Day of Atonement this year we consider how he atoned “for the sins of the whole world.” (1 Jn. 2:2)

P.S.

I just noticed this bag hanging over our banisters here back home in the US…”Thank you Father for confirming these thoughts are on track : – ))”

Not “The Main Event”

by paulgilbertkyle@gmail.com on October 5, 2016 in Uncategorized

The last time we came to Ireland a friend asked me, “Are you here to do ministry?” I replied, “I don’t think in those terms so much anymore, rather I simply try to Live Life, Look and Listen, and Learn how to Love. I believe the Christian life isn’t so much about what you do but about who you do everything with.

Father’s commentary usually turns the world’s view upside down. Majors become minors and minors majors, the significant, insignificant and the insignificant, significant. We tend to focus on the things over which we have control. When something out of our control happens we often dismiss it lightly for example with a “Wasn’t that a co-incidence?”

Last Tuesday for example when I posted the blog related to golf I found myself that evening watching Rory Mclroy the No.1 Irish golfer being interviewed in our hometown of Minneapolis USA while we are sitting here, just a few miles from his hometown of Holywood N.Ireland!! Tuning in to Father’ voice begins by refocusing on the things like this that are outside of our control and continually asking, “Father are you saying something to me through this?”

On this occasion I simply took it as His smile confirming that all men’s steps are perfectly ordered by him and his giving me an illustration for this point in my blog : – )

Then take our recent encounter with St. Columba. Known as the ‘dove of the church”, his name crops up in it’s many forms all over the world in rivers, cities, flowers, nations…….

See what you can pick up on the fringes of these photos of The Main Event of St. Columba

In Gartan, Donegal, (pictured above) where the saint was born and spent his early years we were the only ones present until we were about to leave, when another car pulled up. The lady admitted to being a dedicated groupie of both Columba and JFK journeying anywhere in the world to the next commemorative lecture or anniversary for either ‘saint’!

“Five hundred a day cross over to his famous monastery on Iona.” she said,” And look at this – only you and me are here!” She lowered her voice. “At the last lecture the professor told me his birth stone was actually under the big slab in the corner of the wee chapel just here….not where the large commemorative cross stands – down there.”

We had a look ‘just here’

Then we went ‘down there’:

I photographed the damaged stone……. and more

We paused at the Holy Well. Another human sign……

……..and another heavenly one……. for those who have eyes to see.

From Gartan we drove to Derry. I have visited the impressive St Columb’s Cathedral in (London)Derry (Hilary’s birthplace) a number of times in the past but last week on another wet Irish afternoon walking and praying around Derry’s walls I discovered for the first time – ‘the wee church’ in the shadow of this much larger sanctuary. The ‘wee church’ was said to be the site where Columba’s first monastery was actually established.

Then within the ‘wee church’ there were several impressive stained glass windows and artifacts but only one ‘wee’ acknowledgement of ‘the dove’

I photographed it – a framed version of the poem: Columba The Scribe

Three hundred churches he founded Three hundred were close by the sea; And Columba as well as the churches, Three hundred good books, wrote he

On looking into the photograph there was the third “Not the Main Event” sign……in the wings of the dove.

We are all actors and all of our stories (even the spider’s) are being spun into The Big Story.

I realized I had been raised in Gortin, not a spelling’s stone’s throw from Gartan.

Maybe I’ll write 300 blogs too : – ))

P.S. After last weeks BR blog I received this encouraging email from a friend whose steps are also being ordered by the Lord:

Oh Boy! Your friend BRian saw the golf ball and wondered what God was going to be saying to me. Two Saturday’s ago I played my second ever game of golf and most of the balls went off the course. I really didn’t care because I was with brothers in Christ for the fellowship.

God has been showing me how to find grace in the midst of fire. I am very blessed to have the assignment of interim CEO for a regional YMCA and have discovered conflict, water leaks, and a spirit of confusion from some new direction almost every day. The Lord says, “keep walking, choose joy and be my vessel of blessing and redemptive judgement – all things work together for good.”

Amen

BRian

P.P.S. Another friend Sam, who came to run the Twin Cities marathon with us several years ago, told me the BR running shirt was branded by Bill Rogers former American marathon record holder. Sam in fact had one of the shirts (that he maybe wore on one of his 30 to date marathons!)

Thanks for all the feedback friends : – )

(Out of the golf course) God Is

by paulgilbertkyle@gmail.com on September 27, 2016 in Uncategorized

At home in Minneapolis. I run beside a golf course. I come across golf balls that have been hit out of bounds, and when I pick them up – often there is a message for me!!

Just before we flew back here I picked up this ball that had landed on my path.

I arrived back home and noticed a girl get out of a car parked outside the house. She too had her running gear on…… including a shirt that had on the front of it BR!

The next day we were flying back to BRitain. For the first time since we emigrated 22 years ago we would be stepping on English soil. So I knew this was Father alerting us to the significance of being back not just in Ireland but in the BRitish Isles.

In Hebrew brith means covenant and ish means man. BRitish therefore could mean ‘covenant man’. When I told an Irish Catholic friend the golf ball story he said “I thought of BRexit. Maybe BRexit is really BRentrance – an opportunity for these islands to give BiRth to their destiny as an expression of the true new ‘covenant man’.”

This trip was initiated by an invitation to a friend’s wedding. The brith we witnessed being birthed in the middle of the beautiful COTswolds involved an Irish Catholic groom and English Protestant bride.

Wandering around London a few days later we encountered another bride. At St. BRide’s church in the Temple district I read the history of the church. Father highlighted how during the Great Fire of London (1666) the parish was destroyed, except for 16 homes...the BRide of Christ necessarily must be tested by fire!

I remember when our son Joshua was about 7 years old and busy with his homeschool assignment. He paused looked up and said, “I see the fire, and you have to go into the fire to come through the fire. But it’s alright because it’s holy fire.” Then dropped his head and continued with his school work.

And what remained after the fire at St. Bride’s? 16... pure love, the essential nature of God. (See the 16 aspects of love in 1 Corinthians 13)

Incidentally Sir Christopher Wren (the architect of St. Paul’s) was persuaded to design the new St. Bride It’s tower was the inspiration for the first layered wedding cake!

Interestingly the BRide we found in the center of the English capital is an Irish saint. It is one of the many versions of the name BRigit, who along with Patrick and Brendan formed the Holy Trinity of Irish saints.

BReda is another form of the saint’s name.

Crossing the BRidge from England to Ireland we visited our BReda – and her husband Paddy – dear Irish Catholic friends of ours for many years, praying, prophesying and blessing us in every way imaginable! They live in the heart of the beautiful County Fermanagh countryside. As we prayed together Breda had a vision of the sacred heart of Jesus…..ablaze with love!

Although they have been for the most part housebound because of ill health for many years, Breda insisted on taking us to a nearby display of woodcarvings of the Celtic Saints. There in her own little beehive house stood the wooden St.Brigit – her arms laden with the fruit of the earth.

“Hospitality was her gift” our Breda reminded us.

After being feasted physically and spiritually back at their house, their British Protestant friends were sent on their way, laden down with all sorts of gifts, including little woven braclets made from an ancient ball of Irish linen thread they had stumbled upon. Our hometown Belfast at one time was dubbed “Linenapolis” because it was the linen capital of the world.

Again as I reflected on our day together I remembered the first St.Brigit was also known for her fire, which had burned in the monastery she founded for over 1000 years.

Paddy and Breda were in fact the one’s who ‘rediscovered’ the original Brigit prophecy of fire being kindled in Ireland in the last days that was the inspiration for my song “O Ireland” They have walked through their own personal fire, and have come through as a living expression of the sacred heart of Jesus in that beautiful ‘wee’ place.

To become pure, hospitable, burning love, is to be made compatible with Jesus the groom as part of that BRidal company from every tribe and language and people and nation wearing the linen garments of an immortal priesthood after the order of Melchizedek.(See Ez. 44, Heb. 7 and 8, Rev. 5 and 21)

P.S. I finished this blog in Established coffee shop in Belfast….the best coffee in the city. (Our daughter Abby happens to be a manager there – but no bias : – ) The owner of the shop was clearing my table. She is BRidgeen. I asked her, “Is that a form of Brigit?” “Yes.” she said. “My mother and grandmother were also baptized Brigit which is why we have different forms of the name to distinguish us.”

“Ah!” I thought, ” Another trinity of Irish saints : – ))”

P.P.S. Next week – an encounter with St. Columba.