Amy Boucher Pye

Author: Amy Boucher Pye

  • Weekly devotional: Not exclusive (2 in Jesus’ miracles series)

    When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help. “Lord,” he said, “my servant lies at home paralyzed, suffering terribly.” Jesus said to him, “Shall I come and heal him? The centurion replied, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, “Go,” and he goes; and that one, “Come,” and he comes. I say to my servant, “Do this,” and he does it.” When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, “Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith…” Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go! Let it be done just as you believed it would.” And his servant was healed at that very hour. Matthew 8:5–10, 13 (abridged)

    Parish Church of St Michael, Mitcheltroy, Window Jesus and the Centurion whose faith cured his servant. Credit: Keith Moseley, flickr
    Parish Church of St Michael, Mitcheltroy, Window. Credit: Keith Moseley, flickr

    Following last week’s opener, Jesus continues to blow apart the people’s preconceptions as he exercises his authority, bringing healing to the Gentiles. When a Roman soldier asks for help, Jesus responds by asking if he should go to his house to heal the man. The soldier, however, wants to avoid Jesus becoming ceremonially unclean from entering a Gentile’s house. So the centurion applies the principles of faith and authority to the situation. As a man under authority who obeys the words of his superiors, and as one who has men serving under him, he believes that if Jesus just says the word, his servant will be healed.

    And so it was. This miracle signals that the new kingdom is not limited to Jewish people but is available to Gentiles as well. It is also a stark warning to those in Israel who may have grown complacent in their status as the chosen people. Never, said Jesus, has he found someone of such great faith. Those listening must have felt stunned by this remark.

    Do we take our faith for granted? How could you exercise faith this day? And how do you feel about being under authority?

    For reflection: “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile” (Romans 1:5).

  • Life-changing words – How God used a devotional during a crisis

    When people take the time to write to me about one of my Bible devotions, I read their letter with interest. More than once I’ve been called up over a suspect claim or a disputed point of theology. In fact, at one time I started to dread the letters coming through the door.

    Christchurch_Earthquake_220211But then I wrote a set of notes on the theme of pilgrimage, which seemed to strike a chord, especially with people who were transplanted from their homes. I still receive a lovely card at Thanksgiving from one of the readers, which I find moving.

    One letter in particular blows me away. This woman was writing about some notes I wrote for New Daylight on the miracles of Jesus, and the text was Matthew 8:23-27, where Jesus calms the storm.

    As I wrote in the notes:

    The storm was no ordinary storm. This is hinted at by the Greek word seismos, which usually means an earthquake, or literally, a “shaking” (RT France, Matthew, IVP, 1985, p. 161). A force from outside brought chaos; that is, a squall came upon the lake violently and suddenly. Jesus demonstrates his authority by calming it with a rebuke…. Jesus wants us to believe in his power to still the storms in our lives, whether created from outside or from within. Sometimes they appear suddenly, taking us by surprise and perhaps flattening our faith. As we turn to him in fear or faith, asking him to save us, he brings calm and peace, creating order from disorder.

    Here’s her letter (spellings intact):

    I am a Brit living in Christchurch, New Zealand. For many years I have used and appreciated the BRF New Daylight series & at the memorial service for the victims of the earthquake today [18 March 2011] we were urged by our bishop to tell our stories. I don’t expect you realise what you wrote on the day of the earthquake, I had been at a small prayer group in the morning & read out the passage for Tuesday 22nd Feb & we talked about it, & related it back to September 4th the day of the first quake.

    Fifty minutes after leaving the group we were once again hit by a terrible earthquake & as I took refuge under a rack of clothes in the shop I was passing through, I cried out to the Lord, in fear, to protect & save me & my family. I remembered what I had just read to the group & tried to trust Jesus. The past three weeks have been difficult, & nothing is the same, but all our family are well & this has brought us closer to the Lord.

    I was bowled over, to think that the words of the devotional, written probably a year previously, would be so used by God in a place far away.

    The power of words and the Word. What words will you speak or write this day, that might bring hope, comfort, or peace?

  • Life in the UK – Learning to Translate

    The goats cheese tapas. Bliss.
    The goat’s cheese tapas. Bliss.

    On my last night in Spain a week or so ago, we went out to dinner at the local restaurant and enjoyed a feast of tapas. The plates kept coming, one after another, and the one that stunned me the most was the piping hot goat’s cheese, battered and deep fried. Oh. My. Word. Was I in Spain, or transported to the Minnesota State Fair, where I’d just been parceled out some of their famous cheese curds by a sweaty teenager? I tried not to be too greedy. I did try.

    What hit me, however, was how at that dinner I was no longer the translator-in-a-foreign country, but the one needing help. When I ordered my drink, I asked for a Diet Coke, to which the waiter looked at me blankly. The Brit-married-to-a-South-African-living-in-Spain sitting across from me quickly explained to the waiter that I wanted a Coca-Cola Light.

    Ah, so often I play that role, when Americans come to visit and I count out their “play money” at the till (US: cash register) or warn them not to admire someone’s pants. Or tell my children that when we’re in America they use erasers on their pencils… So when in Spain, I was jolted into humility. We’re all foreigners somewhere.

    Foreigners and strangers, longing for home. Longing for a place where you don’t need to translate. Where you’re understood and known and accepted. Where you belong.

    Where is home for you?

  • Weekly devotional – The miracles of Jesus (1 in Jesus’ miracles series)

    Today we’re starting a new devotional series, looking at the miracles of Jesus, via Matthew’s gospel. He’s on a mission to reveal the authority of Jesus. First he demonstrates that Jesus is the Son of God through his Sermon of the Mount, which left the crowds amazed. Then he moves from Jesus’ words to his actions, detailing in quick-fire succession miracle after miracle after miracle. Through these mind-blowing acts, Jesus takes authority over nature, sickness, sin, and demons, while pouring out his love and compassion on his people whom he calls “sheep without a shepherd” (Matthew 9:36). If the people were amazed at his teaching, imagine their reaction after witnessing sight restored or a leper cured.

    Photo credit: Christ Healing the Sick, Washington Allston
    Photo credit: Christ Healing the Sick, Washington Allston

    Matthew’s account is concise; he leaves out details in the stories that other gospel writers fill in. With this brevity Matthew hammers home his message about the Son of God on earth who is ushering in God’s kingdom.

    Jesus’ miracles tend to fall into three categories: those controlling nature, those eradicating sickness (and even death), and those casting out demons. But contrary to the expectations of the disciples, the teachers of the law, or his Jewish readers, Jesus extends his healing grace to the disaffected and outcast – even to the Gentiles. He stuns them with his words and his works and makes them wonder, ‘Who is this man?’

    As I read through Matthew’s account of Jesus’ miracles, I was struck more than once by Jesus’ compassion. When he sees the suffering of the people, he immediately brings peace of body and soul. He then reinforces this with his call to peace, one he still issues: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).

    Yes, Jesus works miracles today. Physical healings are spectacular, but emotional healings can also be life-altering, bringing freedom, joy and fulfillment. Do we have the faith to believe that Jesus can and will work in our own hearts and lives? I pray we will encounter the stories of Jesus’ miracles with an attitude of expectancy, reverence and gratitude.

    Be Clean

    When Jesus came down from the mountainside, large crowds followed him. A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” Immediately he was cleansed of his leprosy. Then Jesus said to him, “See that you don’t tell anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.” Matthew 8:1–4

    The crowds were amazed by Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, and now as he comes down the mountain, they will be bowled over by his works. This first miracle that Matthew recounts brings restoration to one who suffered from leprosy or another skin disease. In Jewish law, those so afflicted would be called “unclean” and would be banished from others to prevent further spreading of the disease. But the leprosy would continue to spread within the sufferers’ bodies, affecting limbs that would eventually fall off, until finally they would die.

    So although the other miracles are called healings, this one is called a cleansing, for only Jesus could make the sufferer clean. Perhaps Matthew chose to recount this miracle first to show the Jewish people that Jesus is the fulfilment of the law (Mark and Luke first tell of Jesus driving out a demon in a man in Capernaum). After healing the man, Jesus tells him to show himself to the priest and offer the prescribed gift. By this he is signalling that one greater than Moses has come; he is ushering in a new order.

    We could push this healing aside as not affecting us, but the spread of leprosy in a body is similar to the spread of sin in our lives. If we do not present ourselves to Jesus for cleansing, our sin will spread, separating us from each other and from God. Only Jesus can bring the cleansing that releases us into wholeness and makes us clean.

    Prayer: Lord Jesus Christ, show me where sin may be lodging, that I may be cleansed by your healing hand.

  • Review – two novels of two clergy spouses

    As we head into summer, are you thinking about reading more novels? Here are two that I found satisfying. Both have protagonists who find their identity through staying within what they discerned were God’s boundary lines for their lives (see Psalm 16). Interestingly, both include women married to clergymen, though I hadn’t anticipated that…

    9781782640707I was grabbed by The Vicar’s Wife, which of course is hardly surprising as like the title of the book I’m a VW; like the protagonist I moved from the States to the UK for my English husband; like her I’ve experienced the sense of loss, homelessness, culture shock… and the ways God can use those challenges to shape and mold me. Some of the scenes I felt I had lived, such as feeling like an outsider at the school gate, or the way adjusting to a new culture can seemingly sap all of one’s energy. But you don’t have to be a foreigner or a VW to enjoy this gentle story of two women separated by several decades and how they came to terms with the dramatic changes in their lives. It’s an enjoyable read, and I only wished the role of God and faith hadn’t been quite so buried.

    All for a SongAll for a Song is mainly set in the Roaring Twenties, as remembered in the present day by an octogenarian trapped in her body after a stroke renders her speechless and mostly immobile. Dorothy Lynn Dunbar’s life as a young woman was set out for her – following her father’s untimely death, she would marry the young preacher who came to take his place. She loved Brent Logan, but she also yearned to see the world – and make her music. When she has the opportunity to sing for the groundbreaking evangelist Aimee Semple McPherson, she surprises everyone in her small rural town by following her dream. It’s a moving coming-of-age story, exploring how Dorothy Lynn finds her place in the world, and how she ultimately finds contentment and joy.

    What are you reading? 

    The Vicar’s Wife, Katharine Swartz (Lion, ISBN 978-1782640707)

    All for a Song, Allison Pittman (Tyndale, ISBN 978-1414366807)

  • How do we create?

    DSCN2915We, the creatures of a creative God, are poised for creation and collaboration (and sorry about all those c’s). I was so struck by this last week I was in sunny Spain with an animated, gifted group of women as I led the retreat portion of the retreat/holiday at El Palmeral. We were looking at our identity in Christ, with each session having a hands-on component of prayer and/or creation.

    DSCN2911One of the activities was to make a picture that represents different parts of our identity – what names does God call us? I laid out glitter glue, fabrics, beads, and colored papers, and said something like, “Off you go!” To which my friends seemed to look at me blankly, and one said she didn’t know where to start. I launched into a prayer asking God to release the works that were within us.

    DSCN2913He did. As we reflected later, we realized that one thought would pop into our head, and we’d go with that, which then would lead us to another, and another. Step by step we formed the pictures. We created together in a group yet in silence, with instrumental hymns in the background that also in some cases sparked memories and thoughts.

    DSCN2926I find the same experience happens when I write. I might come to the blank page with no idea what I’m going to say, but a hint of an idea will pop into my head, which I take and examine and knead and explore… leading to the next thought, and the next.

    God the Creator, who made us to create with him. An awe-inspiring thought.

    DSCN2912How about you? How do you find the creative process?

    (With thanks to the creators of these pictures for permission to include here. Each picture has layers of meaning that I found incredibly moving.)

  • Devotional of the week – The Indwelling Christ (7 in John 15-16 series)

    I did not tell you this at first because I was with you. John 16:4

    PyelotBoy, about the time he went to school for the first time...
    PyelotBoy, about the time he went to school for the first time…

    The first day I left PyelotBoy at nursery (UK; US: pre-school), I wondered how he would fare and if he would be lonely or afraid. My husband and I had tried to prepare him for the good things to come, such as new friends, engaging play, and increased independence. But I hadn’t prepared myself for the wrenching separation I felt as I realised that this was merely the start of a long journey of releasing my son. A few years on, we’re both back from a week away, and I try not to ply him with too many questions, so eager I am to hear all about his school trip.

    I wonder if Jesus felt any of this sadness as he prepared his disciples to be apart from him. He knows of the trials that are ahead – not only for him but for them – so he warns them of things to come. Indeed, shortly after this conversation Jesus is arrested and brought before the high priest. He will no longer be with them physically, but he will give them an amazing life-changing gift – his very presence living in them through the indwelling of his Holy Spirit.

    We never need to be far from Jesus, for he lives within us. his presence changes us, helping us to forgive the gossiping friend, to love the colleague we find difficult, to trust when we are feeling helpless and alone, to release our children into his care. In the words of the sixteenth-century monk, Brother Lawrence, we need only to pause and “practice the presence of God.” He is with us.

    Prayer: Lord Jesus, I thank you that through you I live and move and have my being. Transform me, I pray.

  • Devotional of the week – Our Commission (6 in John 15-16 series)

    And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning. John 15:27

    Photo: by Chris Yarzab, flickr
    Photo: by Chris Yarzab, flickr

    When I was an editor at HarperCollins I commissioned the memoirs of Canon Michael Green. Sharing the good news of the gospel seems to pour out of him naturally, with his winsome words accompanied by a bright smile. I, however, am not a natural evangelist like Michael. In fact, the thought of city-center evangelism sends chills down my spine.

    But Jesus tells his disciples here that they must testify. In the Greek, the “you” is emphatic, underscoring that we are not off the hook. Sharing our faith with friends, family or strangers may be out of our comfort zone, but God has entrusted his message to us. We may stammer or feel incompetent, but the Holy Spirit will strengthen us and give us just the right words to speak.

    We aren’t limited to the ways we can testify about Jesus. We might encourage a friend who finds it hard to trust God with examples of his faithfulness in our own life. We might extend a listening ear to an older neighbor who is lonely. Or indeed we might tell a friend about how Jesus died on the cross to take away our sins, that she might live in freedom. God’s ways of reaching out to his needy world are endless, and we have the privilege of being the conduits.

    Prayer: Lord Jesus, I’m amazed that you use me to share your love and grace. Work through me, I pray.

     

  • Review – memoir of life in Afghanistan

    408143_1_ftcI came across this gripping memoir through a review in the Woman Alive Book Club, and was grateful for the recommendation. In the Land of the Blue Burqas tells the stories of an American woman who spent five years in Afghanistan, working for an NGO with the goal of helping Afghan women. She recounts her experiences in a winsome manner; when reading I felt like she was sharing the stories over a cup of tea – even though she used a pseudonym to protect herself and her friends. I could sense her love and respect for the Afghan people she met.

    What struck me most was the hidden world of Afghanistan, namely the world of women. They live behind walls, closed in. In public they walk silently, not making eye contact with men. Nor would any man enter another family’s aouli (family compound) unannounced. If he visited, he would be served in an outer courtyard by a young girl or boy; the woman would have been given time to hide inside. But women move freely from one aouli to another, joining in with the lives of their women neighbours and forming a deep sense of community. The author experienced this strong friendship as she sipped their tea and ate the nuts and treats offered.

    Kate McCord found out that for women, the worst day of their life was when they married. Brides would be young – twelve or thirteen – and the marriages arranged. As one woman said, “My husband is a good man; he only hit me a little at first when we married.” But men said their best day was when they marred their first wife (many have more than one). The author learned more about women in Afghanistan than many men knew.

    I also appreciated how strongly she held to her Christian beliefs, sharing them graciously without forcing them on anyone. She learned the local language and sought to find out about Islam. When issues of faith came up, which was nearly every encounter, she sought a creative way of putting things, often by telling a Bible story that would lead to an unexpected ending. It would blow away the hearer’s preconceptions – if they allowed.

    When the security in her town disintegrated, she was forced to leave. She left her home, fruit trees, dog and the friends she had grown to love. But the stories of these beautiful people she will have as a gift forever.

    Jump into the rickshaw and enter this fascinating world.

    In the Land of the Blue Burqas, Kate McCord (Moody, ISBN 978-0802408143)

  • Devotional of the week – A Privileged Relationship (5 in John 15-16 series)

    When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me. John 15:26

    Photo: Creative Commons, James Burke
    Photo: Creative Commons, James Burke

    Inspired by dramatized courtroom dramas, I decided when at university that I wanted to be a lawyer. (I’m embarrassed to admit that one of them was the film Jagged Edge.) I got a job during the summers in a law office, and soon learned that the work was not all verbal sparring and dramatic closing statements. Nor, I realized, would I want one of the attorneys to represent me had I ever the need.

    Here the Holy Spirit is called a Counselor, which we can translate as “Advocate,” or in our modern-day parlance, Attorney or Barrister. For as Gary M. Burge says in The NIV Application Commentary, “It is a judicial title describing someone aiding a legal argument” (p. 421). The Holy Spirit will live and dwell in the disciples; through them he will bear witness as an advocate of Jesus.

    It’s mind-boggling to think that we have the world’s best attorney on our case. And to know that although we may be living through a terrible trial, where there seems no righting of wrongs, we can be confident that God as Judge will eventually bring complete justice. As the Apostle Paul wrote to the Romans: “Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says the Lord” (Romans 12:19). All of that – and no astronomical legal fees.

    Prayer: Triune God, you are Judge and yet Counselor. Bring forth your truth in and through me this day.