I'm off for a week conference, though will be a sort of retreat too before the busyness of work and college, from today till Friday. I leave in half an hour and am all ready packed and sorted. Hopefully I will get time to put some of the highlights in when I get back!
Here is a thought before I go - I have been reading my way through the gospels and it amazes me how many times when Jesus heals someone he tells them not to tell anyone and yet when there are healing services in churches we are always told to bring our friends and to tell everyone about what goes on. I wonder why this is.
To me we seem to use healings as a sort of testimony that Jesus/God has power and can heal and this is the big thing. Whereas Jesus said the greatest commandments, which is meaning the main things we are to do, is to love God with everything we have and love others as ourselves.
I wonder if at times we like miracles because then we don't have to do the lifestyle? This is why I love the reconciliation group that I will be with for the next 5 days because it is all about lifestyle, loving the unlovable, which is usually the person that winds us up the most, but also many others, of building bridges and seeing God's glory come in healing hearts as well as limbs and for lifestyles of those who are being reached out to and those doing the reaching.
Again for me I see so many things that are not something that can be quantifiable as a leg growing or sight being restored but that actually goes a lot deeper and empowers people, produces a love and acceptance so that all can reach their God given potential.
I am not saying physical healings are wrong because they must be right because Jesus did them but I am saying that they are like the icing on the cake and really we are to love God and love others and our lifestyle must reflect this.
Funny how Jesus seemed to also not look for the limelight but it followed him anyway and the church can sometimes be so busy trying to establish a space in the marketplace that like you said they are not really concentrating on what God wants us to really do. Something to ponder on I think for me.
ReplyDeleteHave a great time!
Good thoughts here, Diane. I guess part of the problem is that as humans we always look for the eyecatching stuff as proof of God whereas Jesus did it out of compassion for the person rather than to prove a point. Hmm. Different attitudes, methinks. Much to ponder!
ReplyDeleteHave a good time away and come back refreshed.
Look forward to hearing what you thought!
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