I've been thinking a lot about 'surrender' recently,
since I led a retreat on that theme for the local Franciscans. And on this Pentecost weekend, I am reminded
of a poem that I wrote several years ago when I led a retreat for the lovely
folks of Twydall. You can read it on my
poetry page here. What an amazing,
empowering experience Pentecost must have been for all those early disciples,
to have power coming upon them and flowing through them in such visible,
obvious ways.
It's not always so easy for us to harness the power of God, is it. And sometimes it flows in gentler, less obvious ways. But notice how others are blessed by the small things you say and do; be aware of those times when you feel given the right words for the conversation you're in; or recognise with thankfulness unexpected moments of peace that indwell you, in spite of the turbulence of your life. In all those, and a myriad other ways, the Spirit still lives through us today.
One of my prayers, day by day, is that I won't frustrate the
work of the Holy Spirit. I'm sure that I
do, countless times, but I'm trying to surrender more and more and to say,
"not my will, but yours be done".
One of the ways that helps me to develop that attitude of
surrender is to immerse myself in stillness. And when I'm drawn into busyness, into seasons
when I feel there just aren't enough hours in the day, or chaotic times when a
sense of overwhelm threatens to engulf me; it's exactly then, when I feel there
is no time for stillness, that I need to prioritise silence and to ring fence
it. And then I seem to be able to free up the channel
for the Spirit to flow.
So I make no apologies for the silence on this web page
in recent months. It's been a season of
challenges and I have needed the space.
Sorry if you've missed me.
I'm delighted to announce though, that one of the fruits
of that time has been the bringing to completion of the first CD in my new
Pathways to Healing series. That CD will
soon be available through this website, and hopefully other outlets too. It brings
together prayers, narrative poetry and imaginative contemplation; all very much
in the style of my retreat leading and all enhanced by the beautiful music of
Sally Hosken. I hope it will be a
valuable resource for anyone seeking to know the healing Jesus in a deeper,
personal way.
Thank you to you all for your amazing support, both prayerful and financial; that too, is the work of the Spirit.
