BeLOnGings

 

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 : – ))”

 

 

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 : – )

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.

 

 

 

The final photo and comment on the previous blog was an “off the cuff” idea. But the night I posted it Father started speaking to me about how nothing is “off the cuff”

We had attended a wedding in the Cotswolds of a wonderful couple who had chosen to sing 5 hymns at the service including the epic “And Can it be” by Charles Wesley. Charles was  the songwriter for the greatest revival ever known in England spearheaded by his brother John.
The final verse is magnificent.

No condemnation now I dread.                                                                                                                                Jesus and all in Him is mine.                                                                                                                                      Alive in Him my living head                                                                                                                                           and clothed in righteousness divine.                                                                                                                       Bold I approach the eternal throne.                                                                                                                         And claim the crown, through Christ, my own.

Father highlighted the last line to me and connected it to the crown of St. Paul’s on Hilary’s head! Is this the “prize” that St. Paul aspired to attain at the beginning of the Millennial bridge/age? (Philippians 3:10-14) The word for resurrection in this passage is best translated the “out – resurrection from among the dead” (See Companion Bible footnotes) In other words Paul is not doubting he will be raised but hoping to be part of the first resurrection of the Overcomer company prior to the general resurrection of all who have ever lived at the other end of the Millennial bridge/age. (Revelation 21)

Then the phrase, “my living head” was highlighted and Father reminded me of an incident back in Stratford. When Hilary and I had wandered in different directions I ended up in the Guild Church. There the guide pointed out a  mural on one of the walls. Apparently this painting had been purged during the Reformation. In fact it was said to be William Shakespeare’s father who as the city chamberlain had been responsible for it being ‘whitewashed’ over!

The mural had been ‘lost’ until some renovation work was being done in 1804 when it was rediscovered. It was now being painstakingly restored. The intriguing thing about it however was that the depiction of Christ was headless. Different theories had been proposed as to why, but there he was – a body but no head!

That night in Kingston, London, I was wakened in the middle of the night by a cry of distress. Was it a child? I didn’t think so. An animal? But it seemed too regular….. and the plaintive cry was growing steadily in intensity by the minute!

I got up and went to the restroom (or to the toilet for British readers : – ))  I opened the window to observe – a fox – walking slowly but deliberately right up the middle of the street!

As I lay down again the scripture came to me, “foxes have holes and the birds of the earth have their nests but the son of man has no place to lay his head.” This forms a verse in one of my songs whose chorus drawn from Psalm 132 goes, “Arise O Lord and come to your resting place”

I knew this was the cry of the Lord, our ‘living head’ to find his resting place – on his body!

Then the final piece came. The year the headless Christ was discovered in Stratford was 1804. You will remember from my previous blog,” Madeline Island and the Capstone” the significance of the number 204. This is the Capstone layer of the Great Pyramid. If you take 204 from 1804 you are left with 1600. You’ll remember from the blog “WE have Overcome” that 16 represents love. 100 represents fullness. So putting this together.

When the head comes upon his body we will have an expression of the fullness of love. 

Surely the cry emanating from that fox…… is about to be answered!

“The Spirit and the Bride say “Come!”…”Yes, I am coming soon”…Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.” (Rev.22)

 

 

 

 

 

Hilary and I sing one of my songs together. The chorus goes:
“This is the greatest love story ever…………toward which all other stories laid claim.”

One of the world’s greatest ever storytellers was William Shakespeare. His plays remain popular because we identify with the timeless portrayal of The Human Experience.

One of his most famous speeches by Jaques in As You Like it begins:
“All the world’s a stage and all the men and women merely players.” 

I suppose the ‘All’ would then include Shakespeare himself?

Through spending time in Stratford-on-Avon and London (and reading a children’s storybook : – ) Hilary and I became more familiar with his life and got glimpses into how he too was indeed a player in The Divine Play – a comedy and tragedy…… but ultimately a love story.

In Stratford we wandered in different directions before meeting again at the clock tower. While waiting  I began reading on it an inscription from a play I was unfamiliar with, Henry VIII.

We then set off for London where we visited The Globe theatre. It was circular with a canopy over the stage depicting a sun and stars…..“like a whole world…..which is why it was named The Globe.”

There I discovered Henry VIII was in fact Shakespeare’s last play and that it was during a performance of it that some sparks from a cannon had set fire to the straw roof…… and the original Globe was consumed by fire!

William’s fellows were eager for him in the light of his success to begin again. His response was, “No thanks I’m going back home to spend the rest of my days with my beloved wife, Anne.”

I believe all of us on This Globe share the same fate, for in 1 Peter 3:7-10 we read,

The present heavens and earth by His word are being reserved for fire……..But the day of the Lord will will come like a thief in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements [Greek: stoicheion, “first or primary principles] will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up.

Col.2:8 says,  “See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles [stoicheion] of the world, rather than according to Christ.”

I believe therefore what this fire of God will destroy is the world’s philosophies such as atheism and materialism, not the physical creation. On the contrary God has promised  that the whole of creation which was declared ‘very good’  will in the end be filled with his glory as the waters cover the sea. (See for example Num.14:21)

In As You Like It, Jaques continues his speech describing “The Seven Ages of Man”

The seventh age is  “Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything!”

It is when we like Shakespeare are “sans everything” – when there is nothing left for us to take pride in, when our ‘ego’ is reduced to ‘absolute zero’, that God can then fill us and the whole of creation with his glory and become “all in all”. (Incidentally I am writing this blog in Belfast where Lord Kelvin the discoverer of ‘absolute zero’ was born. That is the point (273.15 Celsius) where molecules come to complete ‘rest’).

I believe this is the purpose of God’s fire, not to punish but to purify so that we rest from our own works in order to enter fully into ‘his rest’ ….and be united as the bride of grace (Anne) with our bridegroom (Jesus)…..” the author and finisher of our faith” – play : – )  (Hebrews chapters 4 and 12)

We are now 6,000 years from Adam. Barnabas writes in his epistle, (13:4,5)

4 Consider, my children, what that signifies, “he finished them in six days.” The meaning of it is this, that in six thousand years the Lord God will bring all things to an end. 5 For with Him one day is a thousand years; as Himself testifieth, saying, “Behold, this day shall be as a thousand years.” Therefore, children, in six days, that is, in six thousand years, shall all things be accomplished.

I think Father had purpose that it was at the clock tower that I should read these final words of Shakespeare, echoing the old testament prophets such as Zechariah describing the immanent Sabbath Millennium, for I believe ‘the day of the Lord’ is indeed ‘at hand’

“In her days, every man shall eat in safety under his own vine, what he plants:and sing the merry songs of peace to all his neighbors. God shall be truly known: and those about her from her shall read the perfect ways of honor and by those claim their greatness, not by blood.” (Henry VIII. Act 5 Scene 5)

(At The Globe Theatre in London. Hilary, crowned by St Paul’s on the Millennial bridge : – )

 

 

 

On the last day, each of us guessed how many barrow-fuls still remained to be shifted. We loaded up 26 for the back yard and then I realized I wanted to keep the remainder at hand to use in the front garden – so we only needed to move it a few feet. So as not to abort our guessing game we decided to count how many shovels it took to fill one barrow and then count the shovelfuls it took to move all the remaining wood chips to create the new pile a few feet away. Ana (GRACE) would count and then do the calculation dividing that number of shovelfuls by 15 to reach the final count of barrow-fuls. Many shovelfuls later the math was done and the winning number announced – it was ‘42′ barrow-fuls – the exact number Hopa had guessed!

In Matthew 1:1-17 it speaks of 42 generations between Adam and the Christ but if you count there are only 41 until Jesus (v.16)…that is because the Christ (“anointed one”) consists of Jesus the head joined to His resurrected body at His coming again.

The children of Israel’s 42nd encampment on their wilderness journey was after they had crossed over into the Promised land. This is a type of our crossing over to receive our lost inheritance…the ‘Promised land’ of immortality we will enter into at the resurrection…when our bodies are redeemed.

“We know that the whole of creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. For in this HOPE we were saved….”(Rm.8:22-24)

Another perfect set up by Father for a final lesson for…..

GRACE had just declared HOPE the winner after 42!

I should finish this Overcomers series where I began…with Ivan….the initial workman.

 

Ivan of course had been a good resource…..actually more for fun than for work. “Papa if you could adjust the length of this shovel……..if you just get up on top like this and then loosen the pile…….if you turn the shovel like this….. ”

I smiled. All the while he was trying to perfect technique I was quietly loading and removing barrow after barrow as the Old Sinai works mount gave way to the New Jerusalem grace mount (Gal.4) – the big old tree now serving as foundational mulch for our new hedge of hazelberts (but that’s a whole other story!)

 

I chuckled how like Ivan we all are, taking ourselves so seriously as we “Do the Work of the Lord”  when all the while Father (with a little help from his (Jn.15) ‘friends’) is completing the business.  GRACE does indeed have the final word.

I look forward to seeing how ‘wrestling the hawk’ will work out in the life of this budding Overcomer : – ))

 

 

The next morning we managed 30 barrowfuls.

“So what does 30 mean?” I said to the three older girls, who had persevered to the end. “Here’s a clue. What age was Jesus when he began his work?”

“Preparation?” said Amber Sky. “Yes…..Preparation for leadership” I filled in.

“Isn’t it interesting that there are only the 3 of you left at 3-0 today? You do know that is because you three are being prepared to be Overcomers – leaders  to serve in your generation ?”

Shy smiles of acknowledgment all around.

The following morning I thought I’d get a little competition going. “What if the boys fill the blue barrow and girls fill the yellow?” I said.

The only problem was that the blue barrow was twice the size of the yellow barrow and the girls were twice the size of the boys!

The competitive approach worked for a while but the boys were beginning to despair of ever catching the girls. At 9-7 to the girls we paused for another “numbers moment.”

“So what does the 9 mean?” I asked.

“Yes, the 9 Fruits of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control.”

“Oh, that’s like the 7 Grandfather’s!” Hopa chipped in. Hopa and her sister Amber Sky are Native Americans.

“What are the 7 Ojibwe Grandfathers Teachings?” I asked,

“Love, truth, courage, kindness, respect, humbleness, wisdom.” They answered, and then Hopa made a suggestion.

“Why don’t we just all fill both barrows together?” 

“What an inspired idea!”  I said to the budding Overcomer.

“That reminds me of something that happened in the  Olympics woman’s race where Abbey from the US and Nikki from New Zealand collided and instead of each getting up and running on to get the medal for themselves, they stopped to help each other. Now that was Love…… and that is the ‘more excellent way’ (than competition) that Hopa has just suggested! Wasn’t love first in both the Fruits and the Grandfathers?”

” ……..and what is the total of barrows we’ve filled-  7+9 ?  ” I asked.

“Yes! 7+9 = 16….. That’s the number –  for LOVE!” (Sixteen aspects of love in 1 Cor.13.)

I think Father is sending us a message loud and clear about what Overcomers are being trained in! Agape love is the mark of an Overcomer.

It reminded me of another example of selfless teamwork that was seen worldwide when the Fijian rugby team won the Olympic gold in the 7s tournament as reported by NBC

http://www.nbcolympics.com/video/fiji-rugby-players-sing-after-winning-gold

They are singing :

We have overcome. We have overcome.                                                                                                                     By the blood of the Lamb and the Word of the Lord                                                                                                 We have overcome.

 

P.S. I find the timing of Father’s orchestration of this post interesting….

The one national prize I won at high school was as a player on our school’s (GHS) winning 7’s team in the Northern  Ireland Medallion 7s rugby championship!

Tomorrow we fly back to Northern Ireland. (We will be away for 7 weeks.)

We have invited some old friends to join us in hosting a FREEDOM! retreat (Overcomer training!) in the Loft (Upper Room) in Belfast on the weekend 7-9 /10 – during the ‘10 Days of Awe.’ It will be awesome to see what Father has in store for this time!

Please join our team in prayer.

 

I’ve found as a Dad I get a lot of abuse for my humor. But that’s OK………I know who I inherit it from : – )

At the end of my last blog I quipped that the YouTube recording could be the first in what I called the “Duct Tape Series”  (because that is what Stephen used to secure his iphone to make the recording.)

Well Father reminded me of another photo I took the other day, and whispered,

“It’s the second in your Duct Tape series  :- ))”

Our son Robin has become passionate about Permaculture. This is his ‘start up’ permaculture truck. This is one of the advantages of living in the US because it certainly would not pass the “MOT test” in Northern Ireland.

It reminds me of an Oswald Chambers quote, “God does not give us overcoming life. He gives us life as we overcome.”

In all seven letters to the churches in Revelation we read, “To him who overcomes I will give….” Not all believers are overcomers, The apostle Paul sought to be, “I press toward the mark for the prize……”

I’m enjoying my son ‘fathering’ me as he learns from his heavenly Father (whose name by the way is George…. from Gk.”georgos” = gardener Jn. 15.1) to do again what our forefather Adam was instructed to do in the garden at the beginning. My earthly father was called George, but I was too immature as a boy to learn all I could have from him about gardening at that time. Now I’ve grown down a bit, hopefully I’ll be a better learner!

“And Jehovah God taketh the man, and causeth him to rest in the garden of Eden, to serve it, and to keep it.” (Gen.2:15 Young’s Literal Translation)

As I journey with Robin back to Eden before the fall I am learning  about tending rather than toiling in the garden…..and engaging more in this ‘rest work’ in the whole of  life.

(A great documentary about this if you have some time is: http://www.backtoedenfilm.com/)

The basic material for this ‘rest work’ approach in tending the land is mulch….which Robin seems to think is like “gold-dust’! So when the other day a sympathetic neighbour arrived at the door with the offer of a load of wood chips, we jumped at the opportunity even though it came with the condition that it would have to be “all or nothing”

Well the ‘all’ certainly filled Ben’s driveway next door.

 

Robin’s second name is Paul, as is the case with grandson Ivan Paul pictured on top of the mulch mountain.

I quickly realized this mountain was not a problem but an opportunity to overcome !! ……a chance to listen and learn from Dad while having some fun with numbers and some of the 9 kids in our home as we redistribute the motherlode around the garden.

“Let’s shoot for 25 barrow-fuls.” I said. “It’s the number for Blessing.”

After emptying the 25th barrowful I asked,

“What about going for 26? It means the Power of the gospel….Anyone want some power?”

“Yes! I do” asserted Ivan Paul. The 26th was quickly filled!

The next morning at breakfast Ivan asked,

“Can you be stronger in your dream than in real life?”

“Why?” I asked.

“Because I had a dream last night that I wrestled a hawk!”  he said.

“Well” I said “You know a hawk can be a sign of blessing, (Heb. “nets’ = blossom) so you were wrestling for the blessing. Do you know there was someone in the bible who had to wrestle for a blessing? His name was Jacob (the schemer) and after years of using his own strength he wrestled with a winged creature too…an angel. It was a power struggle because he had to give up his power and acknowledge God’s power in order to receive the blessing. That’s why his name then got changed to Israel – which means ‘God Rules'”

This decisive encounter in Jacob’s life left him with a holy limp, as the one line he is afforded  in the Hebrews grandstand of faith describes him as “….bowing in worship over the head of his staff.” (Heb.11:21)

Or to put it in another Paul’s words,

“When I am weak……then I am strong.” (2 Cor.12:10) 

 

 

“Hey Roy, Ivan. Want to go to the woods and chop down some trees to make a fence? ”  I said.

“Of course!” Replied the boys in unison.

Axes and saws in hand we tramped along the trail on our adventure.

“Right or straight?” I asked.

“Straight” said Ivan immediately, never short of an opinion.

A full throated song bird overhead greeted us. A mother duck took to the water leading her 6 babies out of what looked like harm’s way. Myriads of tiny frogs scattered in green algae ripples. They were not running scared, just following nature’s instinct in a broken world.

 

“I think we’re on the right path.”  I said, stopping to examine what looked like an eagle feather.

“I told you we should go straight” said Ivan smiling smugly

As we emerged onto the railway track we discovered the prize –  two beautiful trees already felled lying on the bank.

“Ivan, What does a vulture do?” I said. Our encyclopedia of animal knowledge rattled off an answer

“Yes”, I said, “And every living thing including these two young trees, and you two young  boys, have been created by God for a purpose. It looks like someone cut these trees down…..but then just left them lying here. Today we are going to bless these trees! We’re going to use them to build a fence so that they will not have died in vain but will have fulfilled their purpose.”

 

So with reverence and gratitude we set about our business in front of the bridge where another young man I had met and talked to earlier who was searching for his purpose had expressed his artistry in this broken world that teaches nothing is sacred and everything is scary.

 

We hauled our treasure toward the car……now that had proved the main challenge…..finding a place to park…… with signs everywhere forbidding it for this reason and that.

As we emerged from the wood I realized we had just bridged two worlds.

The first world, well described in the book “Indian Boyhood” by Charles Eastman, is were we are walking sacred because all things and events are reverenced as originating from our beneolent Creator. Ours simply to recognize and receive with grateful trust all that comes our way as ‘sent’ from His loving hand.

The other world is were we are running scared. Forgetting that “From Him and through Him and to Him are all things” we have fallen for the illusion that we are in control and so we are driven by the fear that “We’ve got to look out for ourselves!” and so instead of delightfully receiving we find ourselves desperately seizing and then fiercely protecting our meagre pickings…..external rules and regulations replacing internal reverence.

 

I realized we had ended up parking ‘illegally’ in Killarney. Well no, not the original, but likely named by a fellow Irishman who had found a place to settle with a lake that reminded him of home.

Having taken possession the newcomers had to protect their property from others who might seek to do to them the same skulduggery that was done to the original custodians of this place!…..hence a highly controlled and fearfully regulated little cul de sac with just a handful of houses and no through traffic!!

 

As you can see from the photo we were forced to opt for the first world as ‘Renegade Injuns’ rather than the second world as ‘Law abiding Wasichu’ : – ) (Though Hilary said we weren’t parking – just loading : – )

Today we observe the world’s political, economic and religious pantomime that trades in these same fears because there is a scarcity of ‘clean’ fear. (Psalm 19:9) “The fear of the Lord ” motivates us from the heart to honor the Creator and as secure sons to ‘do justly, love mercy and walk humbly with our God’ (Micah 6:8)

And so we see the ship of humanity lurching in this current catastrophic storm, man looking anxiously to man (or woman : – ) for help – because the “sacred” rudder is broken.

Yet there is deep peace in the midst of the storm, for those who have heard the words of the angel,

“Fear not, for God has graciously given you the lives of all on board”

‘…….so keep up your courage men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as He told me.‘ (Acts 27:24,25)

 

I never know where I’ll ‘come ashore’ when I begin to write, but this reference to Paul’s shipwreck story in Acts 27 lends itself to my sharing a never recorded song with you. It captures the essence of why we don’t need to run scared!

This was recorded with the help of our son-in-law Stephen who with daughter Abby was recently visiting from Belfast. We did it literally in 3 minutes. Maybe it will be the first in “The Duct Tape Series” recorded at “One Take Studios”  : – ))

Please sing and share the truth!  (Go to YouTube for the lyrics)

With a houseful, Hilary and I have to schedule some ‘down time’. So each week in the summer we take a bike ride ending up in a favorite coffee shop. Last week as part of our ritual while munching a shared chocolate pistachio Danish we picked up the ‘real’ news paper to browse. Our hearts sank as we read the lead local story:

Nebraska crash kills Minneapolis family of five. Missionaries in training, they were rear-ended by a semi in construction zone.

Jamison and Kathryne Pals and their children, left to right: Ezra, Violet and Calvin. The vice president of a local nonprofit called the couple, “the most selfless people you would ever want to meet.”

Subsequently we discovered the couple were good friends of a number of our good friends.

As I pondered this event, Father began making some connections in my mind and imagination.

The image of the semi ramming the license plate of this families car as they were instantly ‘snatched away’ out of this life pointed me back to last weeks blog called “Learning Sign Language” (Before reading on you might want to review it.)

I had seen in our new license plate a message of how we are being prepared in this life to ‘cross over’. 1 Thess.4:17. talks about the ‘snatching away’ (Gk. harpazo) that we believe is immanent. Personally I do not believe this means ‘Christians’ will be ‘raptured’ out of a perishing world but rather a prepared company of believers dead and alive will be “raised” or “changed” in order to “rule and reign with Christ” in a Sabbath Millennium restoring the earth. (However the main message of this post holds true no matter what your end times eschatology)

My friend Eugene from Ireland responded to that blog with a question “Might there be something in the VXL to do with Roman numerals?”

I realized V is the number for 5. Then Father began piecing it together:

Although from an earthly perspective this crash was a tragedy, from a heavenly perspective I believe it contained a message of grace (the biblical meaning of 5). These 5 in preparation for crossing over (an earthly ocean) had sold their worldly possessions in order to engage with Joy (Their blog: For the Joy of Japan) on the other side. “The most selfless people you would ever want to meet” were 5 who had chosen “the more excellent way” (VXL) – the way of self donating love.

At our fellowship meeting last Friday I was lead to John 15 where Jesus at the end of a season of preparation  says to his disciples:

“I no longer call you my servants…..I have called you my friends.”

It was then that it dawned on me this family was called “Pals”..as in buddies!

The final piece of this revelation came when a friend said to me “They were both 29.…the biblical number for departure.”

Their time had come to depart – this life, as “Jesus’ friends” 

 

This morning I read another headline about another family of 5:

“Pennsylvania family of five dead in ‘murder-suicide”

This family was called Short.

Were their lives not cut tragically Short?’…… Is this one not a totally hopeless story?

I believe not.

In order to make sense of “This Life” book (whose ‘author and finisher’ is Jesus) we need to understand 3 things:

Firstly we need to know “The Whole Story” I believe that sadly most of us who profess to be Christians know little beyond our own ‘personal salvation’ story. But consider these two questions:

1. What does it mean that, “From Him and through Him and to Him are all things.” ? (Romans 11:36)

2. Does the “all” include the Short family?

At the end of The Story we read,  “Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them singing: ‘To Him who sits on the throne  and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power. for ever and ever.”‘ (Rev.5:13)

Secondly we need to know “The Timeline” I think it cannot be said of most of us as it was said of the Thessalonians, “Now, brothers about times and dates, we do not need to write to you.” (1 Thess.5:1). I know for most of my life I had a pathetic understanding of God’s “Secrets of Time” and of how God’s word has been and continues to be fulfilled in current events with absolute precision. Have we in assuming death the final deadline compromised the sovereignty of God to do all that He has said He will do?

“For as truly as I live all the earth will be filled with the glory of the Lord.”(Numbers 14:21)

Thirdly to make sense of “This Life” book we need to learn “The Language” of a living God who is constantly speaking to each of us sovereignly, simply and specifically.

As we allow our Father to expand our understanding of these 3 things we discover a “God of hope” who can “fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”  (Rm.14:13)…..Hope both for the Pals family and ultimately for the Short family, because I believe, that although one of them was ‘short’ of hope in this life our Father never ‘shorts’ anyone….for it was Jesus closest friend of all who said, 

“He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.” (1 John 2:2) 

P.S. This morning I noticed a 913 sticker on a bag in our bedroom. As I finished the blog I noticed the word count was also 913. I turned to Psalm 91:3, “Surely He will save you from the fowlers snare and from the deadly pestilence.“ I believe I received this message because I am being taught “The Language” so I can grasp “The Whole Story” and understanding “The Timeline” have hope for all.

“Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet . The last enemy to be destroyed is death…..When he has done this then the Son himself will be made subject to him who put everything under him, so that God may be all in all.” (1 Cor.15.24-29)