Outer Simplicity

More simple stuff from Mr Foster.....
"The outer expression of simplicity must flow from the inner resources...There is an inwardness that is central to our task; without it all is lost...

We delude outselves, however, if we think we can possess the inner reality of simplicity without its having a profound effect upon the way we live; the tension must be maintained." (Freedom of Simplicity, pg10)

From Buy Nothing Christmas

Inner Simplicity

In his book A Testament of Devotion, Thomas R. Kelly writes:

Deep within us all there is an amazing inner sanctuary of the soul, a holy place, a divine center, a speaking voice, to which we may continuously return. Eternity is in our hearts, pressing upon our time-torn lives. . . . Life is meant to be lived from a center, a divine center. Our real problem, in failing to center down, is not a lack of time; it is, I fear, in too many of us, lack of joyful, enthusiastic delight toward God at every hour of the day and night.

Distracting inner junk departs from our minds when we choose to focus on, and be driven by, this divine center. A method the great vintage saints used for doing this is called "Centering Prayer"..... You may want to give it a crack.....

• Choose a sacred word as the symbol of your intention to consent to God's presence and action within. EG, Creator, Holy, Love, Abba, Jesus. Choose a word for you... you can be creative.
• Sitting comfortably and with eyes closed, settle briefly and silently introduce the sacred word as the symbol of your consent to God's presence and action within.
• When you become aware of thoughts, return ever-so-gently to the sacred word.
• At the end of the prayer period, remain in silence with eyes closed for a couple of minutes.

Inner Simplicity

I have this cool little oriental ice bucket that sits on my shelf, I got it for a couple of bucks from an op shop. It contains my bits and bobs. . . it is bursting with ribbons, pens, coins, paper, scissors, rocks, broken gadgets, mostly stuff that should be in the bin.
Since sitting on my shelf it hasn’t ever held any ice.

I stuff my life with junk and jumble just like that.

How about taking a minute and reflecting on your own unnecessary bits and bobs?

Ask yourself….
“What is my inner clutter?”
“What things are distracting me from focusing on God?”
“What things get in the way of my simple wait for advent?”

Today God wants to say “Keep it simple in here!”

Inner Simplicity

Richard Foster is a man who grasps well the depth of simplicity Jesus can bring to our lives. In one of Jesus' awesomest themes, Richard advocates for clutterless living, inside and out.

“The Inner self is not so unimportant that we must fill our lives with action. When will we have time to make the long slow journey across the desert as did the magi? For each one of us there is a desert to travel, a star to discover and a being within ourselves to bring to life.”
Richard Foster quoted in “Living Simply" Murray Sheard, available from Tearfund for $5!

This Sunday we light a cyber symbolic candle and remember the meaning of Advent (the visit of Jesus).
We wait and we marinate in:
The remembrance of Israel’s yearning for the coming Messiah, to save, forgive and restore them.
Our hope for the second coming of Jesus where everything will be restored.
The realisation of our own need for Gods grace, through Jesus.

God,
Stir in our hearts excitement about the visit of your Son.
Give us patience to wait.
Give us eyes to see you.
Give us an understanding of the simplicity you bring, through Jesus.
Amine

waiting... waiting...

Waiting is not a very popular attitude.

Waiting is not something that people think about with great sympathy.

In fact, most people consider waiting a waste of time.

Perhaps this is because the culture in which we live is basically saying, “Get going! Do something! Show you are able to make a difference! Don’t just sit there and wait!”

For many people, waiting is an awful desert between where they are and where they want to go. And people do not like such a place. They want to get out of it by doing something.

But there is none of this passivity in scripture. Those who are waiting are waiting very actively.
They know that what they are waiting for is growing from the ground on which they are standing. That’s the secret. The secret of waiting is the faith that the seed [the promise] has been planted, that something has begun.

Active waiting means to be present fully to the moment, in the conviction that something is happening where you are and that you want to be present to it. A waiting person is someone who is present to the moment, who believes that this moment is the moment.

But Zechariah, Elizabeth, and Mary were not filled with [their] wishes. They were filled with hope. Hope is something very different. Hope is trusting that something will be fulfilled, but fulfilled according to the promises and not just according to our wishes. Therefore, hope is always open-ended.

Henri J.M. Nouwen ‘Daily Meditation’

We will begin this journey of marinating on December 2nd. Please engage in the waiting....the preparing....the anticipation..... of Christmas...

Picture from Ben Bell.