Haven’t had time to book an Advent retreat? Now you can access my Advent retreat online, at a time that suits you!
Just set aside an hour and 45 minutes (you can spread it out however you wish) and prepare to experience God’s loving affirmation as you ponder Jesus from the start, Jesus in our darkness, and Jesus, God with us. Each session has not only teaching but time for prayer exercises, including guided times.
I hope you can join me and be refreshed by God during a busy season.
Comments from some participants:
“I was able to lose myself in my time with Jesus.”
“You helped me encounter God in a new way.”
“I’m very visual, and am learning that the Spirit really speaks to me through beautiful art… Leo’s lovely paintings really blessed me. The journal was beautifully presented.”
Today here in the UK I’ve learned that it’s National Poetry Day! This just so happened to coincide with me leading one of Coracle’s Space for God slots, where we coming together as a community to encounter God, and I led us in writing a pantoum, a kind of poem. (You are more than welcome to join the Tuesday and/or the Thursday cohort! Links for both on the Coracle website. If you would like to engage with this prayer practice through the Space for God video, it is here.)
I’ve been thinking about liminal space ever since Gabriel Dodd shared his excellent thoughts on the topic in his Space for God. I later that afternoon wrote a pantoum about my own encounters with liminal space—the already but not yet experience that we encounter so often in life as followers of Jesus.
Today I encouraged us to wrestle with and sink into a passage from Romans, which pulses with the already-but-not-yet:
22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23 Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? 25 But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.
26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God. (Romans 8:22–27, NIV)
It’s deceptively simple to craft a pantoum—if you can jot down six phrases or lines, you have got it! I invite you to join in with this special practice:
ponder with God what liminal space you’re in
pray through the Romans passage
go where the Spirit leads
remember that the Spirit intercedes on your behalf
How to create a pantoum:
write six lines or phrases
label them A through F
choose most important line as A
make the second most important F
order the lines in the following pattern:
A
B
C
D
B
E
D
F
E
C
F
A
I would love to hear from you if you engage in the practice, and if you meet God through it!
I welcome you to a pilgrimage/retreat in the Holy Land in February to encounter the living Christ. We’ll have a knowledgable local guide, and I’ll be there fostering the spiritual experience, as I lead prayer practices and times of encounter with God. We’re keen that as we walk where Jesus walked, we also have time and space to encounter Jesus who lives today.
You can find details on the McCabe Pilgrimages website – a full brochure along with the booking form. My first trip this year was an enriching and wonderful time. I’d love to see you there!
The wilderness where Jesus went for 40 days and 40 nights.So moving to visit the Western Wall.Glorious spices and food!One of the gates to the Old City of Jerusalem.The view from the hotel room in Tiberias.
I love this review of Transforming Love! I mean, 5 stars, what’s not to be grateful for? “A new richness” to the story of Mary, Martha and Lazarus.
I also have received a 3 star review on a book from this very same mag, and thus I try not to rue the painful ones or get overly proud of the 5 star ones. Easier said than done, of course.
It’s a delight to hear of the deep friendship that Liz and Norman had in their marriage. Perhaps her reflections will lead you to pray for a married couple today?
I never quite let my husband forget his statement that I was wearing a red track suit when we met. I have never owned such a garment! I was happier with the husky voice he described… but I did have a cold at the time. Although I confess that in the early days he sulked when I beat him at Scrabble, and gave a hearty laugh when someone asked him if I was going to join him in the church choir.
Sadly this February I lost Norman to Alzheimer’s disease after 31 years of marriage and 32 years of friendship. Yes, he really was my best friend.
His funeral was an amazing testament to friendship. I was overcome by the 100-strong congregation of family, church family and friends, the messages from far and wide. Not to mention the rousing hymns.
These months on, old friends remain faithful and I am full of gratitude for their love and caring support. New friendships are emerging as I settle into my new life across the city. God is good!
I’d like to share with you Norman’s eulogy:
So many people have been saying recently what a great encourager Norman was. Eight months after we met at Scargill House, a Christian community in the Yorkshire Dales, we began to exchange letters. It was a tough time in my life and Norman’s encouragement shone through his words, off the paper and into my heart. This man is definitely worth investigating further.
A meeting at Betty’s in York introduced me to the high life… cucumber sandwiches without the crusts. An evening service at St Michael Le Belfrey and a hug exchanging the peace sealed our fate, and the rest as they say is history.
Fast forward some years to the Christian Cursillo weekend Norman led at Wydale Hall near Scarborough. Both a tremendous feat and blessing for him. Each weekend is named after a saint and Norman chose St Barnabas, the encourager. How fitting.
I count myself so privileged and blessed to have had so many wonderful years with this man who never stopped encouraging me, supporting me, and just being there for me. God brought us together and blessed us in so many ways. Rest in peace, my lovely Norman.
Liz Pacey: former nurse, midwife, home visitor for visually impaired. Freelance writer. Giver of talks to anyone who will listen. Compulsive knitter and crocheter with a keen interest in craft and spirituality.
Explore friendship with Jesus in Transforming Love. Find it – including a free copy of the introduction and first chapter – here.
Continuing the theme of taking a friend for a walk, which we explored last week, here’s Helen with a thought-provoking glimpse at a slice of life. Might you too enjoy a walk with this friend?
I went for a walk with an old friend. He was pleased to hear from me, and accepted my invitation immediately. It was a gorgeous day, and he let me choose where to go, seeming happy just to be with me. I chatted about this and that; he didn’t say much at all so I felt as if I needed to fill the gaps in the conversation; if he found my monologue tiring, he didn’t let on. He’s a good listener.
After a while, it became clear that the route I’d chosen was more difficult than anticipated. A couple of times I felt the welcome reassurance of my friend’s hand on my elbow. I was soon too out of breath to talk but he didn’t seem to mind. Funnily enough, it was on the way down that I nearly fell. Feeling more confident, I strode off ahead and quickly stumbled, but he cannot have been far behind as he kept me from injury. After that rush of adrenalin I stayed closer to my sure-footed friend for a while, but I kept forgetting.
My eyes fixed downward on the path, I almost missed gorgeous baby rabbits in the clearing, but my friend gently stopped me and pointed. He suggested we slow down a little, so we began walking side by side. He showed me such wonders – the palette of greens in the canopy against the clear summer sky; a pair of darting dragonflies; the gnarled bark of an ancient oak. Slowly I began to notice things myself; each time I paused my friend seemed delighted in my discovery.
At length, we rested, and he surprised me with a cool bottle of water. He knew just what I needed! Slipping off my sandals to enjoy the soft grass, the sun on my face, I drank deeply and felt completely revived. It was a special moment – I wanted it to last forever…
…but time was moving on. It had been such a lovely afternoon that we agreed we must do it again soon. My friend seemed to have all the time in the world; it was I who was unable to find any free time in my diary. He seemed disappointed but I promised to get in touch as soon as I could. I left him leaning against a stile at the end of the path to the woods. When I turned to wave he smiled and lifted a hand, but his expression was unreadable. I put it out of my mind and hurried off to my prayer meeting.
Helen Murray lives in Derbyshire, UK, with her husband and two daughters. A prolific reader and journaller, she writes about life and faith and is has recently resumed work on her first novel.
Explore friendship with Jesus in Transforming Love. Find it – including a free copy of the introduction and first chapter – here.
I adore this post by Anne! How encouraging to think that we might accompany someone on a walk – through the Spirit, as she prays for and with us. Who might you take for a walk today?
One of my favourite ways to unwind is to walk the hills for a day; flask and sarnies in my rucksack and with my husband for company. There are periods in the walk, however, when I may invite others to join me; my three praying friends. Not literally I must add. We live hundreds of miles from each other! Rather, I picture them walking alongside me, first one then another, as if in conversation as I recall and respond to their needs and challenges, their hopes and celebrations. Mindful of God’s presence I then sense I am praying with them rather than for them; allowing space in my head and heart for the Holy Spirit to lead.
These praying friends are my Peter, James and John. They are with me, and I with them, to celebrate mountaintop experiences of God’s presence and provision. They are with me in my ‘Gardens of Gethsemane’; a stone’s throw away – just a click of our online prayer group – praying for me during life’s most awful moments, just as I pray through theirs. And they are with me in the life that lies between the highs and the lows. They are with me – in prayer – and I with them.
Our prayer friends may or may not be the same as our closest of friends, but all are equally cherished. Deborah Jenkins touched on this in her excellent blog in this series, saying, ‘We need different people to do different bits of life with’. Amy also refers to this in her book, Transforming Love, reminding us how Jesus enjoyed a deep bond with his disciples. But the nature of their friendship was different to that he shared with the Bethany siblings; a special place, Amy astutely observes, of intimate friendship. As for Peter, James and John, it was these three with whom Jesus shared divine revelation and affirmation on the Mount of Transfiguration. And it was these same three Jesus asked to stay close, to pray with Him through the ugliest darkness leading to His greatest act of all. Different friendships, but all of immense value.
Who might be your Peter, James and John? Thank God for them now. If you’ve yet to approach them to walk with you in prayer, how might you explore that?
Anne LeTissier is an author, speaker and encourager with a passion to relate faith to everyday life. She does this in her life-application bible teaching through books, bible-study notes, articles, blogs, and speaking engagements; writing regularly for the global ministry of Our Daily Bread among other publications. Connect with Anne on her Facebook page or find out more at her website.
Explore friendship with Jesus in Transforming Love. Find it – including a free copy of the introduction and first chapter – here.
“It won’t be taken away from her.” These words of Jesus seemed to jump off of the page as I led an imaginative prayer exercise on the story of Mary and Martha in Luke 10:38–42, and I welcomed them to sink deeply into my heart and mind.
I’ve often related to Martha in the kitchen in this gospel story, so I was surprised to resonate with Mary sitting at the feet of Jesus too. As the scene unfolded in my imagination, I saw Jesus protect me against the older sister who burst into the room with heated indignation: “Jesus! Tell her to help me! I’m here doing all this work on my own!” I realised Jesus was defending my desire to sit at His feet, to soak in His love, to learn from Him.
Sharing a love for Biddy and Oswald Chambers, Michelle and I feel a sense of camaraderie – our friendship exemplifies what Michelle writes about as she details the friendship of two women who have shaped the devotional experience of so many. I recommend both devotional classics highly. Which kindred spirit of yours could you encourage today?
Friendships take many forms and shapes but they usually are based on a shared experience.
Lettie Cowman and Biddy Chambers’ long-distance friendship was two-fold: devotion to their late husbands and also to their glorious Lord—about whom they wanted everyone to know. Their friendship began at an American camp meeting—but grew closer when they became widows.
After accompanying her husband to Japan and founding a mission, Lettie sought encouraging readings to soothe Charles’ long dying years. In 1924, she turned those words into the devotional, Streams in the Desert.
That same year (perhaps because Lettie sent a copy of Streams), Biddy began compiling My Utmost for His Highest to honor Jesus. She wanted her husband’s insights available, believing Oswald to be “one to whose teaching men will return.”
The two women corresponded over the years but left no letters. Twelve copies of Oswald Chambers’ books—all personally signed—sat in Lettie Cowman’s library. Her address book included not only Biddy’s address but also that of missionaries trained by Oswald and Biddy Chambers.
Don’t all friends like to share fellow kindred spirits?
In addition, Lettie liked to visit friends while traveling in foreign lands. She sailed to England a dozen times during her lifetime, and a stop for tea and conversation in north London with Biddy would be pure pleasure.
Their devotionals, of course, are very different—reflecting themes specific to them both. Biddy used her years of short-handing Oswald’s messages to craft a devotional focused on Christ in many forms: through an individual’s discipleship, surrender, guidance, prayer, intersessions, and faithfulness.
Lettie, in contrast, compiled messages of encouragement, grief, prayer, and consolation, turning to the Bible and Christ for answers.
They both wrote from personal wisdom based on their long years of Bible study and sacrifice to the God they loved.
Who better could understand the publishing and personal pressures of decision-making without a husband, but with the Master of the Universe as their guide?
They may not have visited often, but through letters and books, Lettie and Biddy’s friendship suited and blessed them both.
“Your flight has been canceled.” The notification popped up on my phone during team-building sessions. I tried to stay focused on the intense conversations about our personality styles while wondering what new travel plans I would need to embrace. Knowing that my driving nature can get things done but can also alienate others, I wanted to be present in the meeting. I breathed a prayer, asking Jesus to help me.
When we had a break, I looked for alternative flights home and saw that I’d have to stay another night. The delay settled like the proverbial final straw breaking the camel’s back; I felt pushed and prodded, exhausted from jetlag, deadlines, and the canker sores that appeared from a lack of sleep. I managed to hold my emotions together, but when a colleague expressed loving concern for me, I couldn’t suppress my tears any longer. As I tried to stifle my sobs, she took me to a private room, listened to me with grace, gave me the space to recollect myself, and reminded me where I could visit the ladies’ room to ensure the remnants of my tears didn’t pepper my face. In those harried moments she emulated Jesus’ friendship to me. I knew that she was part of His answer to my earlier arrow prayer.
