Who is Greatest

Posted on September 23, 2024 by Hilda Vaughan

These verses reflect the disciples measuring up against each other, considering which one of them is greater than all the others combined.  I wonder what criteria they were using.

Jesus asked “What were you arguing about on the road?” But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest… He said. “Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.” Mark 9:33-35

  1. Our faith is our practiced way of life.
  2. All things come from God. All are God’s.
  3. Nothing is greater than another, everything functions as God designed it. Three thoughts that we must always bear in mind if we are walking in the footsteps of Jesus.

I always say that we shouldn’t compare ourselves with others, because they are areas in which we are the experts r no one around us has that same skill level, and so there will be few persons who know as much as we do.  Then there are other areas, where we have to follow the advice of others as they in that area or instance   are more skilled than us. 

Secondly I encourage persons to be their best selves that is, the person God has called us to be.  Mark here causes me to question if being our best self and greatness is the same thing.   If that is so, it seems I could be understood as suggesting you should want to be great, that you should strive for greatness.   I do not believe greatness as the disciples used it is necessarily how we understand greatness today. Nothing is wrong with being great but it should not be at the expense of others

Jesus defines achieving greatness as being not 1st or at the top of your game, like Usain Bolt or the American gymnast Simone Byles. It is more like the ability to do well while being at the bottom of the pile. Being unnoticed, a nobody, yet your skills are top notch and you execute whatever you are doing well. 

a person helping another

Jesus says we need more than being great to live a full and satisfactory life.  In some ways it is egotistic as it says I am better than the rest of you. This I believe is how we usually understand greatness.

Jesus says greatness is being of value to others. It is being at the bottom of the pile and unnoticed, yet doing your best is being great. He calls it Servanthood. In that space you are working for God and others.  You have yielded to humility.  It’s opening yourself to the possibilities that lies before you, looking from God’s point of view rather than looking on situations through past experiences, your biases and seeing yourself through the eyes of others.

So many of us find ourselves in this position and become frustrated and depressed, and/or unhappy as no one notices us. We do not feel appreciated. We believe we are not enough. We have not accomplished enough. Wanting to be great I then understand to be wanting to matter to others, for others to recognize our value and worth. 

Walking in the Jesus way, changes the questions we ask ourselves.  We no longer choose to ask: Am I successful enough? Have I reached my full potential, or have I failed to work hard enough, smart enough to get there? We ask instead – is my work glorifying God and neighbour.  Can others see Christ reflected in me? When we are at this level of spiritual maturity, we would be enough for God, for ourselves and for others. We are then exhibiting greatness. 

Remembering that the greatness we aspire to, is not as others perceive it, Let us allow the strength of God to pilots us. The power of God to preserves us. the wisdom of God to instructs us. the hand of God to protects us. the way of God to directs us. the shield of God to defend us. May the host of God guard us against the snares of evil and the temptations of the world. Where God is all is well all will be well all manner of things will be well.

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God’s Grace is Indeed Sufficient

Posted on September 17, 2024 by Hilda Vaughan

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. 2Corinthians 12:9

This morning I woke up to thinking God’s grace is sufficient. I awoke last night and could not go back to bed. Fiddling with my phone I saw a WhatsApp message from a niece “Aunty you awake?”. It seems I was waiting for this call.  We had a lo-ong talk.  As we exchanged thoughts and I helped her to see God in what was happening, the words did not come but thinking back if I were to summarize our conversation it would be God’s grace is sufficient Everything since waking aligns to God’s grace being sufficient.  Grace we very often say is God’s undeserved favour.  I consider grace much more than that. It is the inner strength that constantly and continuously allows us to do and to be more than we first thought possible. It is the power of God to make a change in our lives and in the lives of others.  God gives us grace to respond to God in humility and lovingkindness. We in turn should have grace enough to respond to others in humility and lovingkindness. In Romans 1:5 Paul says we got grace to call others into obedience.

God’s grace is sufficient to get us through the dark times, when we cannot see where to put our foot, or when we have to decide which stone will provide better support as we climb a hill.  God’s grace is also sustaining as we do well, as we see clearly the path that God has laid out for us. 

Grace is a gift from God that allows us to care for others.  We care whether or not the person deserves it.  Grace is placing others on the same footing as yourself.   We care because God cared for us and we understand that as God’s image bearer we too must care as unreservedly as we are able.  I qualify this, because there are times when we genuinely want to help but are not able. If we are persons who examine our behaviour we maybe feel badly. But we should not feel bad in those situations, but be gracious to ourselves and forgive ourselves for not doing better.

There are so many bible passages about God’s grace and how it extends far and wide.  There is a movement called Gracism which focuses on the inclusion of others. It provides strength and guidance in America where racism is rife.  We here in Jamaica may not suffer because of our colour, but there are so many other ways that people exclude us, or in which we feel excluded. God’s grace is enough to carry us through, when we feel deserted, excluded and alone.  The psalmist says God is ever present.  May we be mindful of this. Understanding that Christ is with us, Christ is before us, Christ is in us, Christ is over us. Christ is all around  and where God is all is well. All will be well. All manner of things will be well.

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Second Chances: Nurture and Redemption

Posted on September 16, 2024 by Hilda Vaughan

After some days Paul said to Barnabas, “Come, let us return to every city where we proclaimed the word of the Lord and see how they are doing.” Barnabas wanted to take with them John called Mark. But Paul decided not to take one who had deserted them and had not accompanied them in the work. The disagreement became so sharp that they parted company; Barnabas took Mark with him and Paul chose Silas. Acts 15:36-40

I smiled as I read Acts 15: 36-16:5 the second reading of today’s Daily Office.  Sharp seems like an understatement. If these 2 who had worked so well before, were now willing to part company because of who is on the team, the argument sounded more like a verbal fight, leaving each person with bruised36-40 egos.   

Paul was a great leader. We do not doubt that Paul was inspired by God.  Could it be that Paul held a grudge? It seems to me he was not willing to risk Mark doing the same thing on this second trip and so he refused to take him.  Paul was not willing to nurture the young Mark in patience and stick-to-itiveness. He wanted a more mature ready-to-go worker. Sometimes we have to ‘make’ persons into who we want them to be as fellow workers. We have to nurture and encourage them.

Yet Paul, years later, calls him a “fellow worker” (Philemon 1:24). Not only that when Paul was in his last days in  prison in Rome  he sends for Mark.  “Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is helpful to me in my ministry” (2 Timothy 4:11).  John Mark had matured to become a faithful servant of the Lord and Paul was willing to acknowledge that he was valuable to the ministry. 

How often do we behave like Paul? Not willing to give a second chance? We rationalize our decision.  Paul I believe had decided that Mark did not have the makeup necessary for planting new congregations. Missionary work requires dedication, resolve, patience  and stick-to-itiveness. Like Mark many of us do not have enough of the 4 characteristics. Like Paul we want success in what we do, we are not willing to take a chance with persons in whom we have lost confidence. 

Maybe our attitude should be like Barnabas. We should choose to encourage the person who lacks confidence, or patience or some other skill which they need to be their best self.  He chose to give Mark a second chance, to build him up. Mark’s contribution was so great it could not go unnoticed by Paul. 

Sometimes the person who needs building is ourselves.  Each of us should consider what we need to do to be our best selves, what we need to do God’s work and work on achieving this better person.  It isn’t something that is easy to do by ourselves.  We need an accountability partner.  Barnabas was Mark’s accountability partner and Mark turned out just fine.  He wrote the first gospel. Using Paul’s own words, he was “helpful to him in ministry”.  Each of us is called to the mission field. It is a mission field where, who we portray in what we think do and say is the most important factors in bringing persons to Christ.  As the saying attributed to Francis of Assisi says “proclaim the gospel and if necessary use words.   

Let us seek to be more like Barnabas in situations where we are disappointed but choose to be nurturing.  Let us also be like Paul acknowledging and commending the achievement of others.  May God give us grace to choose which to do at the appropriate time, as the strength of God pilots us. The power of God preserves us. the wisdom of God instructs us. The hand of God protects us. the way of God directs us. The shield of God defend us. May the host of God guard us against the snares of evil and the temptations of the world.  Where God is all is well all will be well all manner of things will be well.

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Embracing life’s beauty: Living with Purpose

Posted on September 11, 2024 by Hilda Vaughan

Beautiful thoughts fill my mind as I speak these lines for the king. These words come from my tongue as from the pen of a skilled writer. Psalm 45:1-2

I don’t know that my reflection is a commentary on the the psalm quoted. What I do know is that more and more I recognize the importance of enjoying the beauty that life offers, be it it a place, a point in time or an occasion. How often do we stop from our busyness and reflect on the goodness of God? How often do we focus on the things, the times and people that has filled our life with beauty?
We hear many stories of persons saving for retirement. They work hard but when retirement comes the joy that they expect just does not come. What comes is the frustrations of ill health, which makes them miserable as they are disappointed in not being able to live out their dreams. Bronnie Ware a nurse who cared for persons sent home to die gives the following as the main regrets of these persons.

  1. I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.
  2. I wish I had not worked so hard.
  3. I wish I’d had the courage to express my feelings.
  4. I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.
  5. I wish I had let myself be happier.
    They realized the secret to true happiness late.
  6. These verses of Psalm 45 remind us to show appreciation for the good things. Beautiful thoughts can’t come if you have closed your mind. One version says My heart overflows with a pleasing theme; I address my verses to the king; my tongue is like the pen of a ready scribe. The writer of Hebrews says this psalm is an ode to Jesus. And isn’t Jesus the person who came to show us the way to live a balanced life, taking everything in stride, looking at the beauty that surrounds us even in the midst of busyness and to be thankful for the opportunity of experiencing the beauty.
    Jesus never missed an opportunity to celebrate God and to be thankful along with his friends. He was at all the dinner parties, carousing with the most unlikely persons as far as his society was concerned. But he definitely lived a full life, telling all he met about God and demonstrating the goodness of God. This is to be us too. Steve Jobs has 2 quotes which I love. He says Remembering that you are going to die is the best way to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart. He also said that every morning he looked in the mirror and asked himself: ‘If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?’ If you were to ask yourself that same question, what would be your answer. Would your answer be a resolve to do differently to live differently, paying attention to the things that really matter –loving God, family friends and the stranger and finding Joy in doing so. Friends we need to time to see the beauty around us and to enjoy it.
    We do so as the strength of God pilots us. The power of God preserves us. the wisdom of God instructs us. the hand of God protects us. the way of God directs us. the shield of God defend us. May the host of God guard us against the snares of evil and the temptations of the world.
    Where God is all is well all will be well all manner of things will be well.

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Be True to Your Rule of Life

Posted on September 6, 2024 by Hilda Vaughan

If any think they are religious and do not bridle their tongues but deceive their hearts, their religion is worthless. Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself unstained by the world. James 1:26-27

Being true to the Rule of life. 

The word Religion simply put is a rule of Life – Principles we live by.  Defined by the Dictionary it is “a specific fundamental set of beliefs and practices agreed upon by a number of persons.” James says for Christians irrespective of what else we do and say, caring for the less fortunate and ensuring that the world does not influence our behaviour is important.  We must be in the world and not of the world.  We live in the world in such a way that we do not get caught up in the ills surrounding us.  Rudyard Kipling puts it nicely in the poem If  

If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs and blaming it on you,… If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue, or walk with Kings—nor lose the common touch, If you can fill the unforgiving minute with sixty seconds’ worth of distance run, yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it, And—which is more—you’ll be a Man, my son!”

If you can be true to your Christian rule of life you are a disciple of Christ.

Remembering that James speaks to a scattered group of Christians suffering from persecution, what they say is important. They cannot say anything that will cause harm to others. They should not lie to protect themselves or family.  These early Christians are finding it difficult to practice what they believe as they are treated with skepticism in the culture they now find themselves.  They were afraid as Paul and others put them in jail for practicing their belief. As humans we do what is easiest, what is most convenient. They did whatever was necessary to survive. James says they must stay true to their beliefs and not do what is expedient. This is so with us too.

We want to belong, to fit in with the rest of society, we don’t like standing out so we join in with what others are doing, without realizing that we are hurting ourselves and our belief system. Very soon our lines become blurred and we lose our sense of identity. 

In the Jewish society of James there was no provision for the widow or orphan. There was no safety net, no social security programmes, no food stamps, no ‘Programme of Advancement Through Health and Education’ (PATH). These persons were at the mercy of  unless someone cared for them.  James says as Christians walking with Jesus and in his footsteps, we are compassionate, we look out for the less fortunate by providing for them. It is not just humans, we also seek to protect sustain and renew all of creation. We challenge violence of every kind and pursue peace and reconciliation where and when we are able.  

We seek to live your authentic lives no matter what is happening, no matter who is with us or where you are. Our principles remain the same and we strive to show care and compassion at all times. We do so as the strength of God pilots us. The power of God preserves us. the wisdom of God instructs us. the hand of God protects us. the way of God directs us. the shield of God defend us. May the host of God guard us against the snares of evil and the temptations of the world. Where God is all is well. All will be well. All manner of things will be well.

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Do Not Deceive Yourself

Posted on September 5, 2024 by Hilda Vaughan

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do. James 1:22-25


The Easy To Read version puts it this way “Do what God’s teaching says; don’t just listen and do nothing. When you only sit and listen, you are fooling yourselves. Hearing God’s teaching and doing nothing is like looking at your face in the mirror, and doing nothing about what you saw. You go away and immediately forget how bad you looked. But when you look into God’s perfect law that sets people free, pay attention to it. If you do what it says, you will have God’s blessing. Never just listen to his teaching and forget what you heard.”

We must listen more, and speak less. Being slow to anger, we reflect, observe and then act. We must pay attention. Paying attention is noticing the obvious as well as the less than obvious movements around you. I have found myself many times, being in the same place as others. They are able to describe things that they saw that missed me. We were together all the time, how come? The opposite has happened too. To truly act on God’s teaching we first have to pay attention to what it is saying. If you are going through the motions you will miss the instructions.

The deception comes with not knowing why you are doing what you are doing. Deception comes from just following the crowd without understanding the background that has led you to this point of action. – the hitherto If we do not reflect then we could be doing the wrong thing or even acting for the wrong reasons. In acting for God and on behalf of God we must observe reflect and then act with conviction and confidence that this is the instruction. It is as if we look in the mirror to ensure that what we present reflects the best us.

We look in the mirror to make ourselves presentable before others? If we see our dress hems down or our shirts buttoned badly and still go out, that way we are fooling ourselves that we our clothes is in an acceptable condition. Similarly if we know we have faults or things that keep us from experiencing God to the fullest yet do nothing to address them, we are fooling ourselves. This fullness comes from experiencing the perfection of the law, which makes you free. We cannot feel free or confident if we are always second guessing ourselves. When we rid ourselves of the things holding us back we then live in the full abandonment of God, experiencing abiding in God without reservations.

Friends we are challenged to take a leap of faith despite the adversities we face daily, to pay attention to what God is saying, to look in the mirror and fix the faults in such a way that we can live free faithful lives resting in God’s love.

We lean on God to help us as the strength of God pilots us. The power of God preserves us. the wisdom of God instructs us. the hand of God protects us. the way of God directs us. the shield of God defend us. May the host of God guard us against the snares of evil and the temptations of the world. Where God is all is well. All will be well. All manner of things will be well.
Where God is all is well all will be well all manner of things will be well.

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Be Slow to Anger

Posted on September 3, 2024 by Hilda Vaughan

Be slow to anger for human anger does not produce God’s righteousness.  Therefore rid yourselves of all sordidness and rank growth of wickedness, and welcome with meekness the implanted word that has the power to save your souls. James 1: 19-21

James says be slow to anger for your anger does not produce God’s righteousness. So you might as well not be angry. It does not become us.  We  must separate ourselves from people and situations that will make us angry.  At the same time we must cultivate an attitude where the word of god is implanted in our hearts. 

The word here I understand in 2 ways. One is what the bible teaches that we should make a part of our daily routine.  And secondly this must be qualified by what the Word made flesh taught us about navigating life.   Feasting on the common word of the scriptures and Capital Word which is Jesus, James says will save us.  We will learn a meekness that will, I believe, help us to do and be better.

Matthew 15:17 and Mark 7:20 reminds us that evil comes from our heart.  It is in our innermost being that sin and therefore anger starts. in our thoughts which we then put into action.  It is in the heart that evil jealousy and malice are laid and hatched. So we have to protect our heart from impure thoughts and toxic persons and situations.  Our motives must be pure. We should not do anything with an objective to hurt others. We must be sincere at all times.   

It is not about going through the motions.  Isaiah 29:13 says we pay lip service to God and this keeps us from changing to become Jesus shaped people. Isaiah says we get caught up in rituals, not realizing that the rituals are not an end in and of themselves. They point us to God.  And everything we do should be for the glory of God and point others to the glory of God. 

As Christians we are challenged to main good relationships with all, to not cause offence, make mischief nor to mislead others by what we say or do. We must be slow to anger, slow to react in a manner that bears no good.  May, we continue to challenge ourselves to be better persons We do so as the strength of God pilots us. The power of God preserves us. the wisdom of God instructs us. the hand of God protects us. the way of God directs us. the shield of God defend us, the host of God guard us against the snares of evil and the temptations of the world. Where God is all is well all will be well all manner of things will be well.  

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Right living: Our character counts

Posted on September 2, 2024 by Hilda Vaughan

You must understand this, my beloved brothers and sisters: let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak. If any think they are religious and do not bridle their tongues but deceive their hearts, their religion is worthless. James 1:19 & 26

One of readings this past Sunday was from the letter of James. James has a firm grip on how he thinks we should behave as persons living Jesus shaped lives. Over the next few days we will explore some 7 or 8 of James principles. James says, our Character counts. Our true religion is seen not in the things we do, but in the inner transformation of our hearts. James, says that we should live a life of authenticity – being true to who you are as Jesus shaped people. Our behaviour must be consistent. It does not matter whom you are with, where you are or the situation. One must be consistent.

James says quick to listen, and slow to speak. Communication is a major issue in all our relationships. We are driven by our egos, who we are and so we do not approach our communication with openness. When we are called to listen we must put aside personalities and just pay attention to what the person is saying. When we listen, all our biases and prejudices listen with us. We are judgmental. When persons speak, we react based on who we think they are. Many of us do not even realize that we are biased, because others have the same bias and it becomes normal to be biased in a particular manner.

James says “If any think they are religious, and do not bridle their tongues but deceive their hearts, their religion is worthless. The thing is, slowness to speak is important, but generally we would rather not say anything because we do not want to offend. James says you are fooling yourselves. We are not only deceiving ourselves, we are deceiving others too as they can only know what you think by what you say. We cannot live authenticity if we are keeping back something in our hearts that is going to defile us in the long run. We should say what it is and move on. We must learn that life is not about us and our feelings. When persons speak they are seeking to resolve a situation not necessarily to defy us or put us down. We must be open to speaking our truths and listening to the truths of others while ignoring any offence that may seem to be there.

The only thing that should guide how we behave is the principles by which we live. Who we are to be in Jesus is what we are seeking to portray. Therefore we must do what Christ did and what Christ leads us to do. We have to listen to others and hear the voice of Jesus speaking through to us as they speak. We do so as the strength of God pilots us, The power of God preserves us. the wisdom of God instructs us. the hand of God protects us, the way of God directs us, the shield of God defend us, the host of God guard us against the snares of evil and the temptations of the world. Where God is all is well all will be well all manner of things will be well.

https://youtu.be/16lyqlfL8Zg


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Unveiling, unmasking, knowing yet not knowing?

Posted on August 28, 2024 by Hilda Vaughan

But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image. 2 Corinthians 3:16-18

Unveiling oneself also means understanding that there is more of what we don’t know about God than what we know. Unveiling oneself is acknowledging that there is more to God than meets the eye, that there is the possibility of having a deeper and closer relationship with God than you presently have.
There are things we know, basic things on which we stand. But there are some things we do not know and some things we do not understand. Hence knowing yet not knowing. We cannot take what we know as the sum total of the knowledge of God and there is nothing more to know or learn. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 13:11-12 using the living translation version “When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things. Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.” There are stages and more stages and still more stages of knowing and understanding God.
There are basic truths about God on which we all stand. God sent God’s son to save the world. God made each of us with a distinct plan for us. God is love and God loves all humans. We must love God with all our hearts souls and mind and we must love our neighbours as we love ourselves. Those truths help us navigate life.
We must give ourselves permission to express God in our lives as God leads, to question if what we are hearing and what we are seeing is truly God. Is God really present with and in us? Are we present? We come to God differently and therefore we can do different things in God’s name and to God’s glory. A good example of our differences yet similarity or commonality is death. Even while we know each member in a family must feel the loss they express their grief differently. Many times because they, don’t cry and roll on the floor or howl and hold our bellies, others say they are unfeeling. Yet they maybe take longer to process exactly what has happened. So it is with each of us that has come to God, remembering that it is in coming to God we are truly unmasked we become as it were naked, so we can be clothed by God. We all process the experience of God differently.
Another point is that God’s plan is different for all of us. Ephesians chapter 4:11-12 says, Christ (God) gifted us differently so that that God’s work on earth can be done and the body of Christ can be built up.
If God’s work and glory was a wheel turned by gears, each of us could be regarded as a gear helping to turn that wheel. But we only understand that when we open ourselves to God. Seeing and listening to what God is saying to us. And we view these through the lens of Jesus Christ who showed us the way to live. We come for God to teach us, to help us to know God and we open ourselves as God undergirds us with God’s strength, power and wisdom. We know God’s promise of a hand to protect us as walk in The way God directs us We have the assurance that the shield of God will defend us and God’s host will guard us against the snares of evil and the temptations of the world. Where God is, all is well. All will be well, all manner of things will be well. Amen. .

This is 3rd in a series of devotions based on 2 Corinthians 3:16-18

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Unveiling oneself

Posted on August 27, 2024 by Hilda Vaughan

But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image. 2 Corinthians 3:16-18

Yesterday I spoke about removing the veil from our faces, but I do not believe I explained fully what was laid on my heart.  There is so much to unpack when we think of lifting the veil.

More and more I believe we have missed the mark in understanding who we are to be in God and what it means to be Jesus like.  That when we accept Jesus as Lord and Saviour a veil is lifted from us, the spirit that we now acknowledge is within us shows us and reveals God’s glory to us and in us.

God made us to be our best selves. So I am to be the best me and you are to be your best you. Each of us striving to be the best human living in harmony with each other and for what is best as a community.  Thus unveiling oneself means we must understand who we are and whose we are.  I have a long list of who we are not, which can be summed up by saying we are not clones of anybody else, but unique persons as our hand prints tell us.  Thus because we are on the path of righteousness and our foundation is sure, it does not give us permission to be unkind, to be egotistical, or to believe that we are the only ones who know what is right. 

We are disciples of Christ following in his footsteps.  Jesus was unique. He was a Jew, but he thought about his Jewishness differently from others.  I suppose you will say that is why he died, because he behaved differently, and you don’t want to be singled out. but that is for another discussion. Jesus drew persons to him, who had different personalities, strong personalities like Peter, like Matthew – it could not have been easy living in a community where most persons did not like or respect you.  There was also John the beloved who wrote a gospel that was very different from the others.  Even the gospels, it is one Gospel, one good news, one story of Jesus walk on this earth, yet they are not all the same, they do not emphazise the same things. There are similarities, there are commonalities, but each has a uniqueness to it, as it seeks to tell the good news in a way that each writer understood it and in a way that each community of new believers could and would understand how best to walk in the ways of Jesus.

This something we too must grapple with. What is our story and how are we going to express our uniqueness so that God can be glorified.  A difficult task as it is easy to follow and not think for ourselves.  It is easier to be liked to not upset the applecart, and to stand up for what we know is the right thing.   On the other hand unveiling yourself is not about being a goody two shoes, or being so heavenly minded that you are no earthly good. 

In coming to a place where you are able to unveil yourself, you recognize that you don’t come to God with the fruit of the Spirit already in your heart and mind, but you come to God knowing that living with God as guide and companion, you will grow in the ways of the Holy Spirit.  We don’t come to God already in the full knowledge of God.  Unveiling ourselves allows us to see what God is offering in a way that makes life more meaningful, more livable. Unveiling ourselves is giving ourselves permission to fully participate in all of life to the fullest. Knowing that the strength of God pilots us, the power of God preserves us the wisdom of God instructs us. The hand of God protects us, The way of God directs us. The shield of God defends us and the host of God guard us against the snares of evil and the temptations of the world. Where God is, all is well. All will be well, all manner of things will be well.  Amen.  

Part 2 of a meditation on 2 Corinthians 3:16-18

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