| The Church of the South Pacific |
Glad you didn't take offence. I wondered about editing the post, but there we are...
I have a complicated history with my ASD diagnosis, it took me many years to accept it as part of the wonder of who I am, but it's left me very open in talking and asking, and hyper sensitive to potential indicators. Instead of seeing reds under the bed, I see 'aspies'! I always think doubt is a healthy part of faith, it's the part in which we have to grapple with the bits we don't know or understand, but the process serves to help us perceive something deeper about what we know.
Well, today is Shrove Tuesday and thus, once again, I ponder whether or not shrive - that is, give something up - this year. I've written at length about Lent before and shared those thoughts in this thread. I've also ignored any sense of call to Lenten observance beyond the devotional for many years. This year, something feels different. Whether it's the impending end-in-sight of my ordination discernment process (of a sort), the strange nature of the times in which we currently live, part of my desire to see this thread come alive again, or some combination of the above, I don't know. What I do know, however, is that I'm going to give something up this year.
What you give up for Lent should really meet two basic characteristics: it should be a sacrifice - something that will actually hurt you at least a little in the giving up - and it should leave room for something that brings you closer to God. Throughout this most recent Lockdown, I have been very aware of my tendency to stay up too late. I use the time once the rest of my family has done to bed to continue playing games, or watching films or TV. It is, in some respects, the absolute 'me time', when, during the day, I have to focus on supervising home learning, housework or just deferring to mutually agreeable forms of entertainment. Late at night, I can catch up on the stuff that only interests me. The downside of this is that I wake up later than I should and miss my Morning Prayer, as well as getting more tired during the day than I should, depriving my family of my best. I've been aware of both these issues, but have been reluctant to give up this time whilst it's still available. Who knows when this lockdown will end, after all? But it's that reluctance which means that this fulfills the first of my two requirements and the fact that it means I can spend more time on doing Morning Prayer right helps to fulfill the second. The message to me is clear: this is what I should give up. So, starting from tomorrow, Ash Wednesday, that is what I shall do. I'm also going to try and follow the Evening Prayer videos my vicar is sharing and may contribute some of my own, if appropriate. I'm also, also going to start reading my way through David Coles' book of Celtic Lent devotionals, about which I am tremendously excited. A little sad, that admission, perhaps, but exploring Celtic Christianity has been a big part of my journey recently and it has awakened in me something which I think I have partially suppressed most of my life - since coming to faith, indeed - a sense of transcendent mystery and the way in which words and ritual can tap into that. I'm really looking forward to what I might learn over the next six weeks. But enough about me. What might you be considering for Lent? Are you going to try giving something up this year? Perhaps you'd just like to know more of what Lent is about, or why millions of people like me bother putting themselves through such a time? Any comments and questions are welcome! Contrary to what the thread history might suggest, this is a discussion thread and I'd love to see it flowing with conversation! Founder of the Church of the South Pacific [Forum Thread] [Discord], a safe place to discuss spirituality for people of all faiths and none (currently looking for those interested in prayer and/or "home" groups);
And The Silicon Pens [Discord], a writer's group for the South Pacific and beyond! Yahweo usenneo ir varleo, ihraneo jurlaweo hraseu seu, ir jiweveo arladi. Salma 145:8
Well, I managed to head to bed at a sensible time, last night, despite being held up by writing the following thoughts and then not being able to post them. I thought I'd share something from my Celtic Lent devotional book which intrigued me. It told of an old Irish tale, a sort of embellishment of the creation story, in which Adam is made, not just from dust, but from earth, sea, sun, clouds, wind, stones and light. Each constituent element then reflects a part of who Adam becomes.
This is obviously not the canon of scripture, but to Celtic Christians, who saw themselves very much as part of the living world around them, it perhaps reveals something behind the original scripture. The Biblical Adam was created out of the dust of the earth and so in the same way was a part of the created world that came before him, just as we all are made up of the atoms of elements born in stars and built up into complex molecules through the ancient processes of life. The Biblical narrative then tells us that that connection was damaged through the advent of sin, the fall. By choosing to reject the creator and do our own thing, we also reject part of our connection to the creation and human history has been a long tale of steadily worsening relations with our natural surroundings. In the last thirty years or so, that has started to change and we now live on the cusp of ecological revolution, though there are many who say it is too little, too late. The Church has, as part of the mission of God, the role of stewarding and protecting creation, but we haven't often got it right. Indeed, some Christian voices have been amongst the loudest denying the climate crisis and ignoring offered 'green' solutions when they were presented. I think these voices are increasingly in the minority, but the Church still has a long way to go to catch up with a world that is trying to reforge its connection with creation without reference to its creator. I believe the Church can do better and perhaps that ancient Irish image of Adam made from the elements of nature can help inspire us to regain that connection we've lost with God's help. What do you think about the relationship between faith (any faith) and the environment? Do you think it can help or hinder our battle against the damage we've done and continue to do? Do you feel connected to creation in the way the Irish Adam must have? If not, after would help you to reforge that connection? Founder of the Church of the South Pacific [Forum Thread] [Discord], a safe place to discuss spirituality for people of all faiths and none (currently looking for those interested in prayer and/or "home" groups);
And The Silicon Pens [Discord], a writer's group for the South Pacific and beyond! Yahweo usenneo ir varleo, ihraneo jurlaweo hraseu seu, ir jiweveo arladi. Salma 145:8
Lent, as I alluded to a couple of nights ago, is partly about sacrifice. We give up things for Lent to help us understand this, to draw nearer to Christ, the ultimate sacrifice, through the experience of sacrificing a little piece of ourselves: our time, our pleasures, the routine of our daily lives.
But we don't often sacrifice much. My own sacrifice this Lent is merely denying myself the pleasures of staying up late to watch a film or progress further in a video game: denying myself privileges many cannot enjoy at the best of times. And the call of the Christian is not merely to give up a little at Lent (indeed, the Bible teaches us nothing about Lent as it's something the Church invented to aid in our preparations to remember the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ), but to give of ourselves constantly. Jesus said,“If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me", and he was clear that those wishing to follow him should consider the cost of doing so, because it would be costly. I wonder, sometimes, how costly my own faith has been. There are certainly moments when it has been hard and there have been times when being a Christian had made a target of sorts, and certainly, there are things that I have done - challenging things - that I would never have been strong enough, or brave enough to attempt had I not believed that Christ was with me, guiding me forwards. And yet, I have had it easy and I know that some of that, at least, is because I haven't risked enough for the gospel or to help others in need, sacrificed enough for the Kingdom of God or to give to those who have nothing, made myself vulnerable enough to let God in and change me or to take another's pain upon myself and bear it for their sake. I have done just a little of these things and sometimes I have allowed myself to think that that is enough. But we are called to sacrifice and we are called, not to take the easy path, but the road to Golgotha, the place of the skull, of execution and the death of our old, sinful selves. It is not an easy road, but as Christ had help to carry His cross, so He helps us bear ours. I have much to reflect on the things I do to make my life easier, rather than to serve God - the little corners I cut, the principles I maybe start to squeeze out of shape, the compromises I make - but what about you? Do you consider self-sacrifice in the name of faith to be ridiculous? Is sacrifice of that kind ever valuable? What principle or goal would you offer your treats, your basic comforts or your whole lifestyle for? If you've ever considered following Jesus, have you considered the cost? Do you think you could ask another to help you bear it? Could you ask Him? Founder of the Church of the South Pacific [Forum Thread] [Discord], a safe place to discuss spirituality for people of all faiths and none (currently looking for those interested in prayer and/or "home" groups);
And The Silicon Pens [Discord], a writer's group for the South Pacific and beyond! Yahweo usenneo ir varleo, ihraneo jurlaweo hraseu seu, ir jiweveo arladi. Salma 145:8
So, my reading tonight was about spiritual disciplines and how important it is to actually put the effort in - the sweat, as my reading put it - to ensure a healthy spiritual life, just as you might have to put the effort in at a health club to actually get any healthier. As the Apostle Paul said, the Christian life is like a race and Christians like athletes training hard to win. This was challenging, as I don't feel I'm very good at any kind of discipline, let alone the spiritual kind, but it is also something I've been working on - putting the effort in, as it were - I've the last few years and I feel I'm ready to push a little harder.
Right now, my spiritual discipline includes doing a short Bible reading with notes first thing, followed by the office of Morning Prayer, using the liturgy of the Celtic-style Northumbria Community, which I like because it isn't very long, but it does resonate deeply. In the evening, usually just before bed, I do Compline, or Night Prayer from the same source and during Advent and Lent usually try to read some kind of seasonal devotional material as I do now. Right now, I'm sorry writing these short reflections after Compline. During the day, I sometimes say Midday Prayer, but more often I just fall into an intermittent pattern of deep breathing accompanied by the Jesus prayer, in the Eastern Orthodox tradition. This helps to ground me emotionally, but also centres me on Christ and His mercy. The next step - what I'd like to try - is to learn more about hesychasm, or silent contemplative prayer and add in five minutes of it (to begin with) into my Morning Prayer routine. I think this would be a good discipline to get into as it really relies on listening to God, rather than just throwing stuff at Him, but it's also a challenging discipline in a busy modern world as it requires us to clear our minds somewhat more than we're used to. I don't know how well I'll do, but the point of discipline isn't to do only what is easy, but to work at the hard stuff, too. What spiritual disciplines do you have? If you're not a person of faith, what rituals or mental/well-being practices do you stock to regularly? How do they help you, day to day? If you could develop a way to meaningfully commune with God, but it required work and practice, would you use it? Founder of the Church of the South Pacific [Forum Thread] [Discord], a safe place to discuss spirituality for people of all faiths and none (currently looking for those interested in prayer and/or "home" groups);
And The Silicon Pens [Discord], a writer's group for the South Pacific and beyond! Yahweo usenneo ir varleo, ihraneo jurlaweo hraseu seu, ir jiweveo arladi. Salma 145:8
Tonight's devotional reading asked me to consider how I might appropriate the teachings and practices of past ages into my setting, in the way the Celtic church took the teachings of the Desert Fathers and made them their own in the soggy green lands of Western Europe. It's an interesting question to ask someone who is deliberately reading about Celtic Christianity on a tablet in the 21st century.
I've been learning a lot from ancient practices, actually. As well as my interest in the Celtic church, I've continued to read up on the Eastern Orthodox practice of hesychasm that I mentioned last night and I am genuinely interested to explore other veins of the rich heritage of Christian practice and belief throughout the centuries. I believe it's important to be flexible and to find practices and prayers that suit you and blend with your identity, but most of all which make it easier for you to reach God. This isn't about relativism, but rather an understanding that the diversity of Christian practice reflects the diversity of human nature and that in turn is part of the rich diversity of God's creation. That's something to be explored and celebrated and finding out what parts of Christian tradition fit best with you is part of that. So what is my setting? Well, right now it's here, on this forum, as part of a massive online community. How do I take the things I've learned from Christian tradition and apply them here? Well, I think that part of the answer is to be found in this very thread - in creating a space for discussion and the sharing of faith. But more than that, I've felt a calling to create a community within this community and the Desert Fathers and the Celtic church were all about such communities of faith that first may have stood alone but which ultimately built greater communities around them and fed into these communities through service and worship. I believe that there is the possibility for such within an online community, a kind of digital monasticism, if you like. I don't think creating such a community will necessarily be easy and I don't have any guarantees of success, but the call is to try and so try I will. What is your setting? What ancient practices, religious or secular, have you adopted into your modern life? Do you believe there's value in some ancient ways of life and work or do you think that we should put such things behind us along with the ideas of the past? What do you think you do now that will still have value to some future seeker after truth? Founder of the Church of the South Pacific [Forum Thread] [Discord], a safe place to discuss spirituality for people of all faiths and none (currently looking for those interested in prayer and/or "home" groups);
And The Silicon Pens [Discord], a writer's group for the South Pacific and beyond! Yahweo usenneo ir varleo, ihraneo jurlaweo hraseu seu, ir jiweveo arladi. Salma 145:8
As there is no devotional in my book to work from on the Sundays of Lent, they are going to be a little different, as I attempt a short reflection on the passages chosen by the Church of England's Lectionary for that day. So, for today, the First Sunday of Lent:
Mark 1:9-15 (NRSV) Wrote:The Baptism of Jesus 1 Peter 3:18-22 (NRSV) Wrote:18 For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, in order to bring you to God. He was put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit, 19 in which also he went and made a proclamation to the spirits in prison, 20 who in former times did not obey, when God waited patiently in the days of Noah, during the building of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were saved through water. 21 And baptism, which this prefigured, now saves you—not as a removal of dirt from the body, but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22 who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers made subject to him. I’ve kept the heading titles from the NRSV in the first reading (though not included in the original text) because they help to highlight the way in which Mark summarises the beginning of Jesus’ ministry: his baptism, his temptation in the wilderness (upon which the season of Lent is based) and his proclamation of the Good News in Galilee. It forms a kind of pattern for the Christian life, albeit a very simplistic one. Nevertheless, the Christian life begins with baptism, or at the very least with repentance and the acceptance of God’s forgiveness, of which baptism is a physical symbol; it endures through temptations; and it expresses itself through ministry. Every Christian is born by the spirit in this manner, struggles with the sins which they now recognise and is called to take part in the mission of God, proclaiming the Good News (the gospel) and serving others. The passage from Peter underlines the importance of baptism and how it connects us to Jesus’ ministry, which Peter states, was universal, though the acceptance of it, crucially, (no pun intended) is not. Just as only a few who consciously chose to obey God were saved in the story of Noah, so we must choose the baptism of Christ if we wish to be saved by it. It’s a hard teaching and one that I know is easily rejected by those who consider it unfair. I have struggled with it myself, for I fear for those who may be lost and wish everyone to be saved from the destructive power of sin. In Christian theology there are, broadly speaking, three positions on this: exclusivism, inclusivism and universalism. The latter, the belief that Christ’s death and resurrection save everyone whether they know of it or not is, as I’ve implied above, hard to find justification for in scripture, though some believe that they have. Exclusivists, on the other hand, believe that there is no hope for anyone outside of the Christian faith, and scripture would be mostly on their side in this. I consider myself an Inclusivist, like C. S. Lewis, who believed that God must reward the ignorant for their attempts to serve Him, so those who are faithful in other religions may find that they were serving God all along, and, perhaps too, those of no faith at all, who can truly claim to know nothing of the gospel, might also find salvation. If I’m honest, this is as hard to support from scripture as Universalism, but it fits with God’s mercy and some Old Testament accounts of religious figures outside of Israel. The truth, of course, is that none of us can know the state of another’s soul or their relationship with God. That’s part of the reason baptism is important, as it is a public declaration of faith, but even then, the truth lies between the creator and the creation and no one else. So when struggle with temptations, we would do well to merciful to those who might be lost to them and when we do go out to serve others, whoever they might be and whatever they might believe, we should do so as ones serving God, not as humans judging other humans, about whom we really know nothing. We have the same gospel to preach as Jesus’ did - “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news” - and we should do so with all the love and grace and mercy of the one who chooses to love and save those who have rebelled against Him, at great cost to Himself. “For by grace you have been saved, through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8) “Go and do likewise.” (Luke 10:37b) Founder of the Church of the South Pacific [Forum Thread] [Discord], a safe place to discuss spirituality for people of all faiths and none (currently looking for those interested in prayer and/or "home" groups);
And The Silicon Pens [Discord], a writer's group for the South Pacific and beyond! Yahweo usenneo ir varleo, ihraneo jurlaweo hraseu seu, ir jiweveo arladi. Salma 145:8
Today began with a difficulty. In the midst of supervising a return to home learning for my daughter and planned zoom meetings about vocation and spirituality for me, I received a report from the most difficult of my examining chaplain interviews. It was, on the whole, a reasonably fair report on the basis of the information the chaplain had been given and the conversation we had had, which made the words 'not recommended' towards the end of it sting just a bit more.
I was advised by my Director of Ordinands not to panic and, since we were due to meet anyway, we went through the report, discussed the ways it was accurate and the ways in which, by poor questioning and poor answers, it was, in fact, not doing the truth (or me) any justice. We came up with a plan. After the meeting, however, I took a moment to cry. I knew that we had a course of action, that there was hope still that this calling was a genuine one and one still to be pursued at this time. Nevertheless, I needed to let something out, to mourn something. Reflecting on that now, it was mourning the loss of part of who I was, a part I needed to cast off if I was to follow this path any further. You see, I'm not very good at selling my strengths and dwell, most often, on my weaknesses. I'm good at telling people what I'm not good at, but poor at stating so the things I can do. Reviewing my registration form this evening and reflecting on many discussions I've had over the last few years, this has been more than evident, unlike the strengths that many have yet seen and affirmed along this journey. I made a lot of changes to that form, cutting, editing, extending, rewording, but most of them came down to this: focusing on strengths and on lessons learned, rather than on the mistakes which taught them. Rejoicing in my talents and on the potential to develop and grow. What has all this to do with you, dear reader? Well, in my Church's night prayer, there was a video shared of Dr. Andrew Ollerton of the Bible Reading Fellowship, teaching very succinctly a message that Genesis chapter one contains: that we are made in the image of God and, as the rest of the Bible teaches, made because we are loved. I've known that as long as I've been a Christian, but only tonight, I think, has it sunk in that all my self-deprecation, self-criticism and self-doubt is, essentially, a rejection of that. Yes, there's plenty of room in a life of faith to reflect on our weaknesses and repent of our sins - the Bible is nothing if not a guide to facing our imperfections and relying on Good to overcome them - but to suggest that you are truly worthless and broken beyond repair, as I fear my own attitude has sometimes been, is to do God a terrible disservice. My devotion tonight talked about Hilda, the East Anglian Princess who became a Northumbrian nun. She had to reject one narrative about her life to truly except the one that God offered and in doing so stripped herself of worldly value to follow Him. I'm learning that I have to give up my delusions of wretchedness to see myself holistically as God does, a sinner made in the image of God and loved by Him. Only then can I start to become the person - and perhaps priest - that he wants me to be. What narrative that you tell yourself about your life might you have to reject to follow God's call on your life? Do you see yourself as God sees you? Are you able to believe that He does, indeed, love you? If not, why not? Do you find a story of affirmation in faith surprising or not? Why? Founder of the Church of the South Pacific [Forum Thread] [Discord], a safe place to discuss spirituality for people of all faiths and none (currently looking for those interested in prayer and/or "home" groups);
And The Silicon Pens [Discord], a writer's group for the South Pacific and beyond! Yahweo usenneo ir varleo, ihraneo jurlaweo hraseu seu, ir jiweveo arladi. Salma 145:8
Tonight's devotional reading was about Illtyd, a Welsh commander, who was so moved by the hermit Cadoc's response to the harassment from his soldiers - doing nothing to retaliate on the orders of his own commander in a spiritual war: Jesus - that he renounced his position and joined Cadoc as a hermit, eventually finding his own monastic centre and teaching many, including David, the patron saint of Wales. The commentary and Bible reading accompanying this account was all about how we tackle spiritual warfare, what weapons we use and it got me thinking.: Just how much do I think it my faith as warfare?
I think, a lot of the time, I don't and there are many who would see my progressive stance on a number of issues as capitulating to the enemy. It's certainly possible that I do sometimes try to fight with the enemy's weapons rather than those given to me by Christ and found most noticeably in the study of scripture and in prayer and there's much to be said for taking a step back and reviewing things like these spiritual disciplines and how they impact my daily life. There are also times when I know I should speak up more, let my faith be known in the more contentious moments, but not always so that I can pronounce judgement on some perceived sin, but so that I can wrestle with the issues publicly and let people see the fight that goes on all around us. Sometimes, I will inevitably make the wrong decisions when discerning what is good and right in the world, and for that may the Lord forgive me, but I believe it is right to spend time making that discernment, rather than leaping in with traditional judgements. There are also times when the spiritual right calls for action and righteous anger, when there are injustices that must be fought. Here too, I feel the call to step up more and arm myself with those spiritual weapons even as I face a very visible fight. I am too ready to start silent and must learn to be a prophetic voice. I'm not naturally a fighter and tend towards pacifism, but the Bible is clear that there is a fight and anything we do or say puts us on one side of the other. The Bible is also clear that there can only be one victor and that, though the result has yet to be worked out throughout time, that victory has already been won by Christ. When the fight comes to you and the cause is righteous (or, indeed, righteousness), then a decision not to fight is just a decision to fight for the enemy and so I must stand up for what I believe and serve the one I follow, even in the situations that make me uncomfortable. I can trust in Him to help me through. Do you ever see life as warfare? Perhaps you see the struggles of those around you as the stages of a battle or you find your politics or beliefs motivate you to mount an angry defense? What is worth fighting for and can any cause be considered righteous? Where do you personally draw the line between passivity and action? What do you think it might mean to have God on your side? Founder of the Church of the South Pacific [Forum Thread] [Discord], a safe place to discuss spirituality for people of all faiths and none (currently looking for those interested in prayer and/or "home" groups);
And The Silicon Pens [Discord], a writer's group for the South Pacific and beyond! Yahweo usenneo ir varleo, ihraneo jurlaweo hraseu seu, ir jiweveo arladi. Salma 145:8
As my Lent reading continued its theme of personal sacrifice through the lives of Celtic saints (tonight it was Cuthbert), it included this passage from Matthew:
Matthew 19:16–22 Wrote:Then someone came to [Jesus] and said, ‘Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?’ And he said to him, ‘Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.’ He said to him, ‘Which ones?’ And Jesus said, ‘You shall not murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; Honour your father and mother; also, You shall love your neighbour as yourself.’ The young man said to him, ‘I have kept all these; what do I still lack?’ Jesus said to him, ‘If you wish to be perfect, go, sell your possessions, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.’ When the young man heard this word, he went away grieving, for he had many possessions. I've always found this passage interesting, not because of what Jesus says, but because of what He leaves out. He lists 5 of the commandments given to Moses after the exodus, plus another given later, but, as most know, there are famously 10 (although when you get into translating the Hebrew the actual number is debatable and so is whether or not they should be called 'commandments', but that's for another time, maybe). The ones missing are, succinctly, 'Worship no other god than Yahweh (the LORD)', 'Do not create and worship idols', 'Do not misuse Yahweh's name' and 'Keep the Sabbath holy'. Jesus would have known these by heart, I'm sure, as, most likely, would the man he was speaking to, so it's interesting that Jesus offers an edited list when answering the man's question. One could take it to mean that Jesus values these commandments less than the ones he mentions, that somehow eternal life is earned through the others and not through these. But that doesn't fit the message of the rest of Matthew's gospel, let alone the rest of scripture, so what else is happening? The key, I think, lies in the second half of the passage, after the man has blithely claimed to have kept all the mentioned commandments. Jesus confronts the man with an impossibility. It might not be impossible for everyone to give everything up and hand it to the poor, but it seems it was for this man. As a result, he goes away sorrowful. We do not get a happy ending. But what if he had said yes? Would that truly have earned him eternal life? Well, the rest of scripture says that it would not, in and of itself. The Bible is quite clear that we cannot earn our salvation. No matter the good we try to do in this life, our sinful nature will always be too great to be reconciled with God's perfection. But if doing things doesn't save us, what, exactly, does? Relationship is the key: relationship with God. The Jews were taught to recite the Shema from memory: Deuteronomy 6:4-5 Wrote:4 Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. 5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might. And elsewhere in the gospels Jesus cites this as the greatest commandant, along with the bonus commandant he throws in with the list given to this man, 'love your neighbour as yourself'. The commandment contained within the Shema is crucial, because it is so impossible! We're always making idols in our hearts and prioritising things other than or relationship with God, even those of us answering His call on our lives. That's why Jesus became human in the first place. It's the reason for the crucifixion and the resurrection. It's our only way in. And the commandments Jesus leaves out are the ones that, like this, are the hardest to keep - the ones that very directly connect to our relationship with God. Through Jesus, that relationship can be restored and our inability not to look away to other things in the place of God can be overlooked, because God, ultimately, sees the perfect Christ - His Son - in our place. I think Jesus leaves those commandments out to help make that point - if not to the man, then to us! If the man had been willing to give up everything, to sacrifice the things he valued most, it wouldn't have earned him eternal life, but it would speak of a heart ready to accept Jesus, to follow Him and be saved through Him and thus to have his relationship with God restored. What do you value most in life? Would you ever be able to give that up for a relationship? What about that relationship, then? Could you give that up for some higher meaning? Where does the line get drawn? At what point have you truly given up your heart, soul, mind and strength? Could you give all that, unwaveringly... to God? Could you, at least, want to? Or want to want to? Founder of the Church of the South Pacific [Forum Thread] [Discord], a safe place to discuss spirituality for people of all faiths and none (currently looking for those interested in prayer and/or "home" groups);
And The Silicon Pens [Discord], a writer's group for the South Pacific and beyond! Yahweo usenneo ir varleo, ihraneo jurlaweo hraseu seu, ir jiweveo arladi. Salma 145:8
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