Three reflections
Focus on Jesus
Focus on the One thing
Focus on being restored
Talks given by Gillian Phillips to Ladies' Retreat for Holland Road Baptist Church, November 2019
Finding Focus - On Jesus
John 20:19-23
On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord. Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone's sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”
The simplicity of this account of a post resurrection appearance of Jesus. Can you imagine being there?
On a Sunday evening Jesus came to them. We should never lose the amazement that God so loved us that he came.
You could have missed out by:
- Not been there, present.
- Preoccupied in a corner
- Head full of your own problems to be able to hear
- Not enough light in the room to be able to see
- Too many protective layers to feel
This group of frail uncertain people were taken on a journey: from fear to joy and then on from joy to a purpose for living - send by Jesus with the Father’s blessing
- Jesus spoke : so listen and hear
- Jesus showed : so look
- Jesus breathed : so feel
What do these things mean in practice. Expect to receive Jesus when we are together. He wants to communicate with us, he wants to give us gifts, he wants to give a purpose and priority.
So how do I actually listen, see and feel in my faith?
- By making an intention to seek God in the Bible and spending long enough pondering what is there to be found. Practicing silence before God
- By recognising how he is working in others - listening to the stories, noticing the stars shining, the lights on lamp-stands (Phil 2:15; Matt 5:15).
- By allowing my whole being to be receptive to the wind of the Spirit
And Jesus came to give gifts
- Peace
- Truth of his saving death (showing his hands and sides)
- The Holy Spirit
And then he calls for forgiveness for themselves and for others.
So the call to us is to be together, watch and pray, and Jesus is there.
• Listen to what he is saying : hear carefully.
• Look at what he is showing us.
• Feel the wonder of his resurrection breath bringing the Spirit to dwell within.
Only then can fears turn to joy. Only then can there be a purpose and ministry given by God. We will receive great gifts from him. First peace. Then the assurance of the truth of his saving death and glorious resurrection. Finally, There is the joy of the Spirit. We are not left alone.
And central to the ministry given is the need for forgiveness - for oneself and for others and for earth not being heaven too.
Some things to ponder
We cower behind locked doors. Jesus understands this fear and no amount of locking of doors can keep him from being with us
- What are the things that are keeping the door locked?
- What are the things that hinder you focusing on Jesus who comes to us?
Fear
- What causes me to feel afraid.
- At a time of crisis and fear have you been aware of ‘God with us’ ? Sit with that memory.
Allow the word ‘peace’ to echo in your mind and heart. Know it as an awareness of Emmanuel - ‘God with us’.
- Bring before God the parts of my life that most need peace
- Do I need to make space to experience God’s forgiveness and gift of peace
- Who could I bring peace to
He breathed on them
- Can I ask God to breathe on my chaos?
- Can I ask for the gift of his Spirit to fill me with his peace and light?
Finding Focus on 'One Thing'
FOCUS ON THE ONE THING
Our hopes and dreams, our fears and failures can seem like heavy bags that we are carrying around with us all the time. Our shoulders ache and the bags get frayed. We can put them down and come into God’s presence just as we are (As the old song says, “just as I am, without one plea…”)
Bright Field by RS Thomas
I have seen the sun break through
to illuminate a small field
for a while, and gone my way
and forgotten it. But that was the
pearl of great price, the one field that had
treasure in it. I realise now
that I must give all that I have
to possess it. Life is not hurrying
on to a receding future, nor hankering after
an imagined past. It is the turning
aside like Moses to the miracle
of the lit bush, to a brightness
that seemed as transitory as your youth
once, but is the eternity that awaits you.
Readings
Psalm 27:4
One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple.
Luke 10:41
The Lord answered here, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted about many things; there is need of only one thing…”
The idea of one thing became something to ponder ater I had read a book by Gary Keller called 'The One Thing'. Some quotes from that book:
What we need to ponder is our priority and calling. What distracts us from One thing, the main thing, the priority, the key FOCUS?
We are expected to multi-task - but what are the ways to find focus? We need to know what season we’re in, which may change radically through the course of her life. We all have many gifts – can these be combined in some way to bring calling.
So what to do? God has the answer and it can be surprising.
Start giving, keep going, lean on God’s strength, approach him, trust in his insights, look to Jesus.
A search for the phrase 'One thing' in the Bible yeilds some surprising results. Here are some of the verses and something of what they are telling us.....
Psalm 27:4
One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple.
Movement doesn't matter. Approaching God does
Psalm 62:11-12 (Ps62:1; 11-12a)
One thing God has spoken, two things have I heard: that you, O God, are strong, and that you, O Lord, are loving. Surely you will reward each person according to what he has done.
Frailty doesn’t matter. God’s strength and love does
Luke 10:41-42 (Luke 10:38-42)
"Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her."
Worry doesn’t matter. Christ does
Mark 10:21 (Mark 10:17-31)
Jesus looked at him and loved him. "One thing you lack," he said. "Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."
Things don't matter. Giving does
John 9:25 (John 9)
He replied, "Whether he is a sinner or not, I don't know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!"
Doubt doesn’t matter. True insight does
Philippians 3:13 (Phil 3:7-14)
Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,
Regrets don’t matter. Keeping going does
Acts 24:21
Unless it was this one thing I shouted as I stood in their presence: 'It is concerning the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial before you today.' "
Death doesn’t matter. Resurrection does
2 Peter 3:8
But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.
Time doesn’t matter. Eternity does
So, what does'nt matter
Approaching God
Activity….
Which of these verses most resonates with you?
Read the verse slowly, and then look at the verse surrounding it
Take time to pray about what you are being challenged about
Be honest with yourself about what you are finding hard
Let God talk to you about what doesn’t matter and what does
Write out the verse on a card and then make your verse meaningful – maybe with patterns or picture or a prayer.
Think of times when you have managed to focus on the ‘One thing’ and it has brought you nearer God.
If you like images and pictures find an image that will help you remember what you have understood.
It may be that you can start to think about your focused calling in life for these days.
Start by writing down some ideas and find time to share these with someone today or when you get home
Our hopes and dreams, our fears and failures can seem like heavy bags that we are carrying around with us all the time. Our shoulders ache and the bags get frayed. We can put them down and come into God’s presence just as we are (As the old song says, “just as I am, without one plea…”)
Bright Field by RS Thomas
I have seen the sun break through
to illuminate a small field
for a while, and gone my way
and forgotten it. But that was the
pearl of great price, the one field that had
treasure in it. I realise now
that I must give all that I have
to possess it. Life is not hurrying
on to a receding future, nor hankering after
an imagined past. It is the turning
aside like Moses to the miracle
of the lit bush, to a brightness
that seemed as transitory as your youth
once, but is the eternity that awaits you.
Readings
Psalm 27:4
One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple.
Luke 10:41
The Lord answered here, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted about many things; there is need of only one thing…”
The idea of one thing became something to ponder ater I had read a book by Gary Keller called 'The One Thing'. Some quotes from that book:
- “What is the one thing I can do such that by doing it everything else will be easier or unnecessary?”
- “When one thing, the right thing, is set in motion, it can topple many things. And that’s not all.... So every day they line up their priorities anew, find the lead domino, and whack away at it until it falls.”
- “The things which are most important don’t always scream the loudest.”
- “I learned that success comes down to this: being appropriate in the moments of your life. If you can honestly say, “This is where I’m meant to be right now, doing exactly what I’m doing,” then all the amazing possibilities for your life become possible. Most of all, I learned that the ONE Thing is the surprisingly simple truth behind extraordinary results.”
What we need to ponder is our priority and calling. What distracts us from One thing, the main thing, the priority, the key FOCUS?
- Rushing about, busyness
- Frailty, feeling weak
- Worry, anxiety
- Things of life
- Doubts
- Regrets
We are expected to multi-task - but what are the ways to find focus? We need to know what season we’re in, which may change radically through the course of her life. We all have many gifts – can these be combined in some way to bring calling.
So what to do? God has the answer and it can be surprising.
Start giving, keep going, lean on God’s strength, approach him, trust in his insights, look to Jesus.
A search for the phrase 'One thing' in the Bible yeilds some surprising results. Here are some of the verses and something of what they are telling us.....
Psalm 27:4
One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple.
Movement doesn't matter. Approaching God does
Psalm 62:11-12 (Ps62:1; 11-12a)
One thing God has spoken, two things have I heard: that you, O God, are strong, and that you, O Lord, are loving. Surely you will reward each person according to what he has done.
Frailty doesn’t matter. God’s strength and love does
Luke 10:41-42 (Luke 10:38-42)
"Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her."
Worry doesn’t matter. Christ does
Mark 10:21 (Mark 10:17-31)
Jesus looked at him and loved him. "One thing you lack," he said. "Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."
Things don't matter. Giving does
John 9:25 (John 9)
He replied, "Whether he is a sinner or not, I don't know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!"
Doubt doesn’t matter. True insight does
Philippians 3:13 (Phil 3:7-14)
Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,
Regrets don’t matter. Keeping going does
Acts 24:21
Unless it was this one thing I shouted as I stood in their presence: 'It is concerning the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial before you today.' "
Death doesn’t matter. Resurrection does
2 Peter 3:8
But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.
Time doesn’t matter. Eternity does
So, what does'nt matter
- Movement
- Frailty
- Worry
- Things
- Doubt
- Regrets
- Death
- Time
Approaching God
- God’s strength and love
- Being with Jesus
- Giving
- True insight from God
- Keeping going
- Resurrection
- Eternity
Activity….
Which of these verses most resonates with you?
Read the verse slowly, and then look at the verse surrounding it
Take time to pray about what you are being challenged about
Be honest with yourself about what you are finding hard
Let God talk to you about what doesn’t matter and what does
Write out the verse on a card and then make your verse meaningful – maybe with patterns or picture or a prayer.
Think of times when you have managed to focus on the ‘One thing’ and it has brought you nearer God.
If you like images and pictures find an image that will help you remember what you have understood.
It may be that you can start to think about your focused calling in life for these days.
Start by writing down some ideas and find time to share these with someone today or when you get home
Finding Focus - Being Restored
FOCUS ON BEING RESTORED
Mark 8:22-25
They came to Bethsaida, and some people brought a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him. He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. When he had spit on the man's eyes and put his hands on him, Jesus asked, “Do you see anything?” He looked up and said, “I see people; they look like trees walking around.” Once more Jesus put his hands on the man's eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly.
Restoration - of sight
Jesus was in the business of restoration. In this wonderful gentle story from the gospels we learn how he restored sight to a blind man. Jesus is able to restore our sight too. So often our view of the world is distorted, partial and inadequate. We find ourselves stumbling around trying to feel the way forward and have no idea how to progress. Too often we think we know what we can see but it is ‘trees walking’. Jesus wants to take us ‘outside the village’ - to a quiet place - and gradually, gently, restore our sight and help us see clearly as he sees.
Restoring the painting
Think about a dirty damaged picture, hidden in the back of a junk shop. On the floor, the frame broken, and it’s not clear what it is. It looks as if it is out of focus and has lost its meaning and life.
Landscape by unknown artist - restored and unrestored
By the grace of God we are offered restoration : a new relationship with him.
The analogy of picture restoration can be a helpful way of thinking about this – a painting hidden, being discovered and someone seeing the potential, a glimmer of what could have been or could be, again. Why was the painting in this state? It was perhaps neglected, damaged, covered over, poorly renovated, expose to light, damp, harsh treatment.
Restoration of a painting is not an easy or quick process. It takes much time and skill to peel away the dirt, damage, unsympathetic changes made over the years. There may need to be a whole series of processes that have to take place over many months.
- Old discoloured varnish has to be removed : it will be very gradual and careful using special solvent.
- In a picture there may be cracks in the paint and some pieces missing. These have to be carefully replaced or repainted.
- In extreme cases a painting may be torn. Then work has to be done on the reverse side to bring the tear together, patch it and then repaint to match other surface.
- Finally the painting may need to be remounted onto a surface to make it more resilient in the future. And then a new frame has to be found to protect the painting and to show it in the best way, enhance it.
So what about us?
- Varnish removed: In our lives we can perhaps see how this has happened over the months: gradual realisation that we had to stuck in old ways of thinking that were not helpful, a slow process of removing the accretions and allowing some light to come in.
- Cracks and missing paint There may be parts of our life that are ‘missing’ which we need to have restored and integrated into who we are.
- Torn We can have some drastic ‘tears’ in our past - even these can be restored.
- Remounted and framed We are restored so that we can shine for Christ
The National Gallery conservators in London have just been through this process of restoration on a self portrait by a woman artist, depicting herself as St Catherine.
Self Portrait as Saint Catherine of Alexandria by Artemisia Gentileschi
This is what one of those involved said about it, from a video clip on the National Gallery website:
“In the process of restoration of the old painting, the dirt is removed. The overpainting reveals truth beneath. The fragile surface is then covered by something protective and it can be displayed and honoured and allowed to bring joy. By removing varnish and dirt you can see brush strokes. Values (tone, light and dark) are revealed, things that were muted before. Varnish which was a covering to protect can greatly change over time and become opaque, dull or discoloured. This then distorts the colour palate (especially pale colours and blue range). There may be a milky haze. Tonal variation goes and subtleties get lost. The detailed effects intended by the maker are lost.
You can’t turn back the clock but you can restore meaning, integrity, quality Restoration accepts the broken and neglected but then rebuilds, shows the truth And by implication forgives
Restoration helps us to understand the creative process. It leaves images that are natural and ‘bright’.”
An actual painting can’t do this, it has to wait to be discovered. However, we need to be ready to present ourselves to God to be ready to be restored. And we have to accept that restoration is conditional and has context. There is a need for
This is what one of those involved said about it, from a video clip on the National Gallery website:
“In the process of restoration of the old painting, the dirt is removed. The overpainting reveals truth beneath. The fragile surface is then covered by something protective and it can be displayed and honoured and allowed to bring joy. By removing varnish and dirt you can see brush strokes. Values (tone, light and dark) are revealed, things that were muted before. Varnish which was a covering to protect can greatly change over time and become opaque, dull or discoloured. This then distorts the colour palate (especially pale colours and blue range). There may be a milky haze. Tonal variation goes and subtleties get lost. The detailed effects intended by the maker are lost.
You can’t turn back the clock but you can restore meaning, integrity, quality Restoration accepts the broken and neglected but then rebuilds, shows the truth And by implication forgives
Restoration helps us to understand the creative process. It leaves images that are natural and ‘bright’.”
An actual painting can’t do this, it has to wait to be discovered. However, we need to be ready to present ourselves to God to be ready to be restored. And we have to accept that restoration is conditional and has context. There is a need for
- Obedience (Deut 30),
- Humility (Is57:18, Is 58),
- Repentance (Jer 15:19,31:18-19, 42:12)
The visitation by Pontormo - before and after restoration
Here is another picture that has recently been restored. It clearly illustrates what the conservator can do to bring a painting back to life. The colours sing again, the forms are no longer flat but have volume and weight. The story of the picture becomes more exciting and complex. Here are Mary and Elizabeth greeting one another and rejoicing in the children they are expecting : the account is in Luke 1:39-45. They are joined by others who are looking on and looking at us, so that as we look at the painting we become part of the dance. Now that this painting is restored we can Mary would sing her wonderful song of praise, which we know as the Magnificat (Luke 1:46-55) Let this beautiful restored picture lead you towards a prayer of praise too. Activity Spend time thinking and praying either
Think about particular areas of your life that you need to have more clarity. Again, it may be the idea of finding sight or being restored may be helpful. Write about this in your journal and then write a prayer asking God for his healing and restoring hand on your life. If you have time or if you would rather, look up some of the references to the restoring work of God in the Bible. There are many times that restoration is mentioned in the Bible. If you have time, you could pick one or two of these and think about what the account teaches you about the restoring work of God
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