The Three Words

simplicity // 39
the Three Words


“Love never fails.”


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“Oh MY God.” Alison

“Food for thought.” Wendy

“Still, deep, clear.” David

“Seeing things differently.” Jonathan

“Stop. Look. Listen.” John

“Receive, forgive, love.” Esther

“Connecting old dots” Andy

“3 words? Man you’re tough...

‘Inspired, focussed, challenged.’” Jemma

“Trust patiently, openly.” Paula

“Practice his presence.” Norma

“Trust love’s delay.” Julian

“Giving, receiving, living.” Sue

“God in everything.” Lisi

'Simply slowing down!' Pete

“Keep it simple!” Chris

“Vegetarian; heartfelt; fundamental” Mark

“Truly humbling. Amen.” Tim

“Practising the presence.” Howard

“Together. Unravel. Beyond.” Sandra

“Jesus My Awl.” Mark

“Revealing, thought-provoking and frustrating!” Andree

“’Breathing ... Encountering ... Reflecting...’ (And you should have seen me at the start. There’s been a big improvement!)” Kate

“Stop, soak, resonate.” Stuart

“Food, companionship, discovery.” Wendy

“Seeing God barefoot.” Neil

“Glad, infused, alive.” Belinda


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rsvp:

“Thanks for guiding the journey of these days and sowing many seeds; it has been refining and refreshing, not least accepting that every day has been different.” David

“I walk into the room and Jesus is on the floor, on his knees with a bowl of water and a towel. The murmur goes around that he's WASHING FEET! I think about arguing but I see the look on his face and so I sit down and slip my feet into the water. Oh it feels so good to feel the water on my poor hot aching feet. Jesus starts to wash the dust off and I watch the look of pleasure on his face, and find that I am smiling too. And then he looks up and transfixes me with a look of pure love that I will never forget. He gently dries my feet and I get up, grateful, clean, and changed.” Andree

“My memoir is simply slowing down: Simply because it has been about choosing to live more simply, giving up the complications and trappings of religion and living and just enjoying being closer to Jesus. Slowing because I spend far too much of my life rushing and cramming and trying to do more for my family, my work and myself. Down, because in truth it is not upwards that I find God, but down here beside me and close by me - yes even washing my feet!” Pete

“I wanted to respond about 'the Bread' - I'm an artisan baker - but was too busy, up to my eyeballs in Hot Cross Buns and so on. But oh my goodness, bread is as much/ more of a metaphor than wine. How yeast (not the bought stuff, but the 'wild') is already there as the grain grows in the field, survives through milling so that with wet and warmth, it springs to life giving life to the dough. I could go on and on and on - how when there is enough yeast multiplied, it needs new flour to feed off/ make risen otherwise it dies in the extremes of the environment it creates... how in order to be bread, the yeast has to die... And that's before we get on to eating, sharing, flavour, texture, making with hands and on and on again! I have loved Lent 40; I will miss my journey mates and shall look forward to Lent 2012.” Jemma

“Sent while sitting in the grounds of Waverley Abbey - it is so beautiful here this morning, the dew is still fresh, the birds are singing, the sun is warm. Easier to imagine the Lord walking here, and I’m able to glimpse him washing my feet as I’ve wandered barefoot through the grass.” Belinda

“The wine and bread of the last two days have signified for me a sharing which should take place much more often. I am away on holiday with my nuclear family. Extended family are also close by and we have spent much time with them too; indeed today I am awaiting their arrival so we can visit the Tate Cornwall gallery. Back to the bread and wine though. We have shared all meals - something as a busy family, we rarely do at home, other than on a Sunday. My husband and I have shared wine in the evenings with our meals and not just to say thank goodness for the end of another hard week, which is how we often find ourselves thinking when enjoying a glass at the weekends. This time the bread has been eaten slowly, each of us accompanying it with different bits and pieces of our own choice, yet sharing the same loaf, the same conversation and the same love. Sometimes we have eaten on a picnic or outside the bungalow, sometimes inside at the table, but always together and always unrushed.” Paula

“A thought came to me in the afternoon of Maundy Thursday, when I was surprised to see very fine rain after several weeks of none. It was little more than a sprinkle, but with it and in a strengthening breeze, came tree blossom blowing everywhere. It caused me to think of manna - another form of bread, and the hymn verse which seems so appropriate for this day, ‘Dear Lord and Father of Mankind, forgive our foolish ways.’ This classic also has the line, ‘as fell thy manner down’. All through this Lent, despite struggles, I have somehow felt God's presence stronger, have wanted to sing hymns of praise to him more often (even during the mundane tasks of an average day), perhaps a sign of him working in me even when I didn't outwardly perceive it. And like several others on this group, perhaps God has gently reminded me that even Peter was not perfect - on this night of all nights he betrayed Jesus. Perhaps I've been helped to be less perfectionist, and yet more excited about discipleship. That has been Lent 2011 for me.” Mark

“Gift number one is to see the space; gift number two is to know what to fill it with; gift number three is to have the skill/tools required for the task; gift number four is to have the courage to begin; gift number five is to have the passion to work; gift number six is to have the determination to finish and gift number seven is to believe beyond all of these. I can summarise that in seven words: vision, knowledge, ability, courage, passion, determination and faith. We're nearly there! Perhaps like climbing a mountain, as we round the last corner, ready to celebrate the finish mark, so we see that this is not the highest summit at all - there before us is the next and even higher peak.” Sandra

“I’ve really focused on ‘practising the presence’ during Lent - expecting God to turn up every minute of every day, seeing Him sitting with us in an 'empty' chair in the lounge, consciously bringing Him into thoughts and conversations. I've felt like a beginner again on the journey of faith and it’s exciting. God has turned up: to amuse me (the woodpeckers in Ampfield Woods) and challenge me - how about this from Michael Frost's book 'Exiles'? ‘Let's face it : the Gospels aren't bedtime stories at all. Far from sending us off to a carefree sleep, they trouble us, forcing us to reassess the deals we have done with the spirit of this age.’ I'm currently reassessing the deals that I've done... and that will keep me journeying for a few more months! The one disadvantage of online reflections is not seeing, and knowing more fully, the other people who've been part of this Lent group ... but, to all, thank you for your contributions, and Happy Easter!” Howard


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May you know love, today.
Go well!

Brian