Is there going to be story about Jesus?

Yesterday I was listening to a podcast, in which two women were discussing books they had read recently. One was talking about a book that had chronicled a woman's journey with IVF, and all the complicated emotions that brought. The reviewer commented that it was a pretty raw account, including a lot of the doubt that is often not found in books like these: the feelings of wanting to focus on her career instead, and the guilt that came with that.

The podcaster's colleague asked if the woman ended up having a baby, and said that she sort of hoped she didn't. Because her experience was that often in situations where you kind of decide that everything will be fixed if I can just ... rarely worked out well. It often, in her experience, ended in depression. 

A little later in the morning, I was at church, taking the kids to another room to tell them a story. One of them said: 'Is there going to be a story about Jesus?'

Re-read that line. Read it with the same tone you'd find in 'did you really buy me a shiny new car for my birthday?' The session proceeded in the same way: here was a kid who was so hungry for Jesus. He just wanted more. In the end, I told the story I'd brought, then another one, and then read some more bible to him. He has a pretty difficult life in some ways, and had, at the age of 10, identified that he needed Jesus in his life. 

Later as I was reflecting on my day, filtered through the lens of various social media... it occurred to me. When I was about 20, there was a strong message within Christianity, that if you were discontent, if you had a deep longing for something, it was actually probably God who was the only thing that could fill that emptiness. 

But I don't hear that so much anymore. I hear that we can basically do all the things we want in order to meet the needs that we think God put in us. Feel like you are not the biological sex you were born? Fine! Feel like you are same-sex attracted? Fine! I'm sure there are others. And we now have the technology, and the political power to be whoever we want to be. And recreate God in our image.

What happened to the knowledge that our deepest desires were met in Jesus?

Why are we Christians not even telling ourselves that?

Why does it take an atheist book reviewer to remind me of that?

Is there going to be a story about Jesus?

Draw near to God

I had a very chatty 17 kids in my group this morning. I reckon all of them wanted to share their life story with me, all at the same time. It was a fairly loud start to the morning. Oh, and four of them were choosing to be not in the group. While still wanting to engage. I haven't quite figured those out yet. Maybe that's a blog post for another day. 

On the one hand, it could have become extremely frustrating. I had Things I Wanted To Do. But I had to try to create a group first, and not 19 individuals competing for the right to speak. 

So, I started with a listening exercise: everyone has to talk to their partner for one minute, without stopping. It's really hard. Impossible, actually. Your brain wants to hear the other person, and actually stops you talking. 

I think they got it... but they still had a million things to say. 

So we played Telephone, you might know it by another name. I whisper something to the person next to me, and it gets passed around the circle until it is completely unrecognisable by the end. Hilarity ensued. 

And then the noise started again. 

I worked hard, and we got to tell the story. Which was fun. And chatty.

I had two options for prayer: and one was silent. Yeah, no. The other one is an empty chair activity. See this circle on the ground? Imagine God is there: what are we going to say to him? What things can we say to God, to tell him how awesome he is? 

I started, one or two joined in, everyone else followed. It was loud. I'm sure that some of it was not even relevant. But a lot was. Definitely the majority. 

As the praying slowed to almost quiet, I reached in with my hand toward the circle, so my fingertips were just touching it, and started to pray 'Father God...'

And suddenly, there were hands all round the circle, just touching it, just like mine. 

It was the most beautiful thing. And there was quiet for a moment, while I prayed. 

While we all drew near to God.