All posts by john1v1
Glorious Nature
I am definitely slowing down – having reached 80 two months ago and starting walking with a stick – and benefitting from
seeing more on my daily walks.
This lovely bush, with delicate spiders webs on top and view over our local Torrington countryside, really fascinated me with it’s
wonderful colour. delicate bud-type leaves +.
How much for us to see and enjoy in our lovely though fragile world.I love some words from St. Paul about this way of seeing and have used the Biblical reference in my email address <ph.4v4to8:gmail.com)
‘And now, my friends, all that is true,all that is noble,all that is just and pure, all that is lovable and gracious, whatever is excellent and admirable – fill all your thoughts with these things (Philippians 4 verse 8)
Joy in doing God’s Will
Hebrews 12:2
What an unusual way of looking at this ‘beautiful quality’ yet it so fits in with what Billy Graham entitled ‘the beautiful attitudes’ (or Beatitudes–
The Beatitudes are a series of blessings pronounced by Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew (5:3-12). Here is a list of the Beatitudes:
- Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
- Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
- Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
- Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
- Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
- Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
- Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
- Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven..
These teachings that highlight the qualities valued in the Kingdom of Heaven and serve as a guide for Christian living.
Visually I found it so good to see the ‘happiness’ shown in The Chosen when Jesus was able to help others –examples are in these You Tube clips:
Water into Wine at Wedding in Can (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPD3fY35968)
Miraculous Catch of fish (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gxV9BK_LQgw)
Feeding of the 5000 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZLiBG8lG3w)
Knowing God
A lovely walk this morning having just listened to Daily Calm (Tamara Levitt today) about Awareness through our senses
So to the verse on my heart at the moment (Be still and know that I am God-Ps.46:10) -At the end of this Psalm speaking about our home in God.
In the meditative walk
seeing the beauty in the plants/trees ++
hearing the birdsong/wind ++
smelling the freshness/grass ++
tasting the air/blackberries ++
feeling the breeze/textures of the nettles ++
And thanking God for all these evidences of His/Her Grace/Caring/Complexity/simplicity
Bloom where you are planted was on a poster I saw sometime ago
No wonder St Paul can remind us that the first revelation of God is through and in His/Her creation (Romans 1:20)
GOD IS LOVE
The Bible constantly talks about this very nature of God -so we might explore through some helpful websites which lead us to explore and experience what St. Paul calls
That Most Excellent Gift of Love (1 Corinthians chapter 13)
https://www.compassionuk.org/blogs/god-is-love/
In my parish ministry I think I have conducted over 300 weddings and invariably would start with a verse such as
God is Love and those who live in Love live in God and God lives in them (1 John 4:10)
Our regular wedding reunions – 4 I think whilst I was vicar of Tawstock (1984-2010) – with many couples no longer together, showed how difficult ‘loving‘ is.
So how much do we need God’s grace, strength and perseverance in our lives ?
Our Golden Wedding is on 23rd August and I ( and I’m sure Ruth too) can make a heartfelt reply
We need it constantly or in the words of a short chorus I often used in Church -for myself (and all of His /Her children)
May the streams of God’s wondrous love come flowing through me(us)
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Weekly Reflections
Our daughter , Rachel, has come over for a 3 month visit from Japan and on a walk recently, sat me down to ask
‘Have you any pearls of wisdom , Dad, to share.
‘Godliness with Contentment is Great Gain’ was ‘off the cuff’ response
I had just passed my 80th birthday and our son , Tim, had given me such an interesting present of ‘My Life in a Book’ (https://mylifeinabook.com)
52 weekly questions culminating in a book when all completed.
So I’m starting a 52 week ‘reflections’ blog-with a thought each week based on a favourite Bible verse.
First will be next week !!
Breathing Under Water-a CAC course-my final ‘forum post’
I have so enjoyed the course and challenges of thinking through/reflecting on/trying to articulate my responses
To these questions here it seemed right to look back on God’s Presence/Guidance in my life over the years to be able to begin a reflective answer
1. In 1974 God called me out of a career as a Chartered Accountant (12 years) to explore ministry within the Church of England. I had been a believer since before could remember -looking back , with a current understanding of Christian Baptism of God’s work in my life since my parents asked Him for this when they took me for Baptism
To love and worship Him seemed natural and I was involved in several different Christian groups/churches up until 1974 (Presbyterian/Baptist/CofE) but then the Church of England became the focus.
2. From 1974 to 2010 ministry (worship, service( caring. teaching) and learning ) was within urban parish of Chelsea, RAF chaplaincy & rural parishes in Devon).
3. Since retirement in 2010 I have been still been active within various Christian Churches (CofE, Methodist and Baptist) and expect to do so until He calls me closer to Himself through death.
4. About 4 years ago I felt Him impressing on me ‘John , now is the time to Be more than to Do’ and so when I could I started attending Quaker worship, learning more about stillness and contemplation and enjoying these CAC courses. (I will have completed 5 of the 6 online courses at the end of BOW and am starting the last-Wisdom School- on the 14th)
5. So a ‘Contemplative Mind’ is becoming a joyful & vital part of my journey.
6. On thinking more about Jesus’ own wonderful relationship with the Father through the fullness (in Him) of God’s Spirit and the centrality of a this Contemplative Way I am truly beginning to see things in a deeper and more expansive way.
7. Two of my favourite Bible verses are
‘In His Presence is fulness of Joy’ (Ps.16v11)
‘Christ in You the Hope of Glory’ (Colossians 1v27)
Nakedness
I have just finished an Idler Academy course (The Idler Guide to Paradise Lost by Anna Beer). It was , for me, a real ‘awakening’ in many ways–intellectual , moral and spiritual)
Anna Beer was , for me , such a helpful guide especially as she combined her encyclopaedic knowledge of John Milton -she wrote a great biography over 10 years ago -with an enthusiastic and engaging style of teaching.
One of the new, yet somehow already known, insights for me was around this part of the Biblical dialogue between Adam and God in Genesis chapter 3 about ‘Nakedness’
Adam:’I was afraid because I was naked’
God: ‘Who told you that you were naked’
The new , yet old, thought that was around this ‘fear’ and why we are afraid for God (and others) to see our nakedness
The Delphic oracle is reputed to have the words ‘Know Thyself’ at it’s entrance and it seems to me that knowing our sinfulness (falling short of the mark of the perfection with which we were originally endowed by God) -our self-knowledge- is just the beginning of the transformation back into that original Godly nature.
Jesus came to show us this way of transformation -and model it Himself (John 14:6 and 6 other I am sayings in John’s Gospel)
Alcoholics Anonymous has it so right, does’nt it, by emphasising that it’s 12 steps must begin with self-knowledge and then seeking help from our ‘higher power’
I am a recovering ???? seems to me to be a great starting and continuing
point for regaining Paradise.
Serendipity
What an interesting/helpful word/concept this word encapsulates.
Jesus spoke to Nicodemus about it, I believe, when speaking of the
what this ‘new life-indwelt and guided by the Spirit’ was/could be.
For me ,as the new area in my website (www.trgow.net) tries to express under this heading it brings so many new and daily experiences into the framework of this , new life’
It’s challenging, sometimes quite painful but mostly joyful too.
Last Sunday someone complimented me during the cuppa’ after the Sunday service: I do love your sermons as they are so quirky
Prepared (in bullet points-yes. usually) but ‘changeable’ because 3 way dialogue between hearers , me and what the Spirit says to each
within the 7-10 minutes.
My longing prayer is
‘Make me a channel of your peace
What a ‘serendipitous’ person St Francis was
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Reflections on first 13 years of retirement
What an enjoyable experience ‘retirement’ is , or can be .
It’s just over 13 years since Ruth and I left Tawstock , in rural North Devon, where I was Vicar both of Tawstock and within a team of 11 parishes .
We had been in Devon since 1982 (when I came down to finish off my short service commission as an RAF Padre at RAF Chivenor) moving into the Rectory at Tawstock in 1984.
It was from there that we retired to nearby Torrington in 2010 . We felt quite ‘Devonian’ by then and having made a lot of friends in those 28 years it felt prayerfully right to stay where we had been so happy (with challenging and sad times too, of course)
When we retired ( I say we because Ruth was such an important part of my ‘ministry’ and very much loved and appreciated in the parishes) I was encouraged , both by the parishioners and the Diocese, to write a few ‘memories’. Countryfolk are quite ‘laid back’ when it comes to getting things done-sometimes- and we had imbibed this relaxing way of living too.
Hence the ‘memories’ did not get written for some time and, by the time I had started putting pen to paper, a good friend who helped in our literacy projects for our charity (www.bookreliefuk.org) and had built our website suggested a ‘memories’ website.
It was such fun working with Nigel Wright to build a website about rural ministry and especially Tawstock. So to the title encapsulating two . for me , very central parts of our spiritual and Christian walk with God.
Trivial Round , Glory on the Way (www.trgow.net) , our ‘memories’ website, tried to capture some of the feel of rural ministry-which , of course, is centred around the community and Jesus’ Way (John 14:6) of following Him in the ways of loving service both to God and that community (Matt.22:36-40)
Summarising the benefits of these last 13 years
- Spaciousness –not being tied to a long list of things to do, people to visit ,meetings to attend ++ and so having extra time to spend in just ‘being’ Favourite Bible verse summing this up for me
In His Presence is Fullness of Joy (Ps. 16:11)
- Enjoyment of study , especially now ‘online’ .Our daughter asked me on my 75th birthday if I could share any wise words
‘Yes, Rachel, be a lifelong learner’
I have since , with Nigel’s help, added a new area to trgow
with title of ‘My curious life’
- Appreciating others –perhaps more, perhaps just having more time
before rushing off to the next job, appointment etc
This, for me , has started with being able to be with Ruth so much more
and percolated through to immediate family and now such a lovely variety of people I meet
(formally and informally)
- Involvement with Quakers-this started very occasionally when there was a free Sunday by attending a local MfW and has now been able to become regular most Sundays.
(still ‘helping out’ churches though where needed)
About 5 years ago God impressed upon me
‘John, now is the time to learn a little more about Being’
hence being an attender at our local Friends Meeting (Bideford)
- Learning about Quakers—several enjoyable courses at Woodbrooke(Quaker Study Centre in Birmingham)
Involvement with the Quaker Universalist Group as committee member and publications distributor.
- Various other ‘involvements’
A small literacy charity of which I was chairman
for many years (Home (bookreliefuk.org)
Director of small Arts Company (Wolf and Water)
Committee member of The Lifestyle Movement
(The Life Style Movement – Sustainable Living – Live simply so all may simply live)
I hope this gives a flavour of what, for me has been such a happy 13 years
and the new way of being that it has brought with it.
I have found many spiritual teachers to help me in this. One of them ,Richard Rohr talks a lot about this , in his book ‘FallingUpwards’ (A Spirituality for the Second Half of Life)
______
John Carvosso -July 2023
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