Resources

SPIRITUAL ENCOURAGEMENT

God runs to us

God is like a father and a mother to us, say DAVID GAMBLE and JOHN YOUNG. In an extract from their current Lent course, they look at growing closer to our Creator.

It is breathtaking to claim that a human being can have a relationship with God, the Creator and Sustainer of all. Yet this assertion is at the heart of a Christian understanding of faith.

Jesus encouraged his disciples to think of God as 'your heavenly Father'. He used the Aramaic word 'Abba' (Mark 14: 36) which is an intimate form of address. Our nearest translation is 'Daddy'. Yet some people with abusive fathers may find it hard to think of God in this way.

Some modern liturgies remind us that there are feminine images of God in the Bible. The Methodist Worship Book opens a prayer with:

God our Father and Mother

We give you thanks and praise ...

Perhaps predictably, this prayer caused controversy. Why should this be? Hosea 11 and Isaiah 66:13 liken God's love to the care shown by a mother. So does Jesus (Luke 13: 34). This image echoes down the centuries. Anselm, Archbishop of Canterbury from 1093-1109, wrote: “Jesus, as a mother you gather your people to you; you are gentle with us as a mother with her children.”

Learning from human relationships

Different people develop their relationship with God in different ways. It is also true that many people, even the greatest saints, find that God sometimes seems distant. In the psalms this is a recurring theme. On the cross, Jesus quoted Psalm 22:1: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? ”

How can we cope with these barren times? It is usually wise to confide in a friend and ask for their prayers. The testimony of many is that even if they give up on God, God does not give up on them.

God as Three in One

The doctrine of the Trinity is a key to the great mystery of God and how he relates to us. Viewed in one way this doctrine suggests that God is great, holy and beyond our understanding. Viewed in another way, the notion of God as Trinity shows exactly the reverse.

The seeds of this doctrine are there in the New Testament. It was not devised by learned men in book-lined libraries. It came about as a result of the amazing experiences of the early disciples. They were Jews - monotheists - who believed that 'the Lord our God, the Lord is One'. Then they met Jesus. They knew that he was a real human being who got tired, hungry and thirsty. Yet after his resurrection they were forced to acknowledge him as 'my Lord and my God.' (John 20: 28)

Then came Pentecost. They were aware of a new power and energy within them. This surely was the promised Spirit of God? Yet they did not become polytheists who believed in three Gods. They continued to believe in One God - Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Their experiences tell us that the doctrine of the Trinity is practical and life-giving. It assures us that the God revealed in the Bible is:

* The God who runs to us. When the waiting Father saw his prodigal son on the horizon, Jesus tells us that 'he ran' (Luke 15:20). Property-owning fathers in Jesus' day did not run. They were concerned to appear dignified. This father threw all caution to the wind. In his delight he ran to meet his returning son. So with us. We have only to take one step towards God and he takes ten towards us. He longs for that deep, intimate parent-child relationship.

* The God who died for us. What is God like? This is no longer a huge, unanswerable, philosophical question. God in his grace has given a practical answer. Look at Jesus. Listen to Jesus. When we do so, we find that God is tough on us - tough on indifference, tough on exploitation, tough on hypocrisy. We find, too, that God is infinitely gentle. He will not break the bruised reed, nor snuff out the smoking flax. He perseveres with us. He is the God who comes to save 'with healing in his wings.' That healing comes, not only from Jesus' teaching and example, but from his death on Calvary - and his resurrection from the dead.

* The God who renews us. We need forgiveness when we fail. And we need strength to get on with our lives as disciples of Jesus Christ. That strength comes to us from the Spirit of Jesus himself. God's Holy Spirit pours love and joy into our lives. These great gifts are not our private possessions. God wants them to overflow into our bruised and hurting world.

* The Rev David Gamble was Family and Personal Relationships Secretary of the Methodist Church from 1996-2003. Canon John Young is co-founder of York Courses and author of a dozen books including The Case Against Christ and Teach Yourself Christianity (Hodder Paperbacks).

QUESTIONS FOR GROUPS

Suggested Bible reading: Psalm 139: 1-18

1 Raise any points from this article (or the Course booklet) with which you strongly agree or disagree.

2 Flick through the pages of a hymn book and identify some of the words used to describe our relationship with God. What ideas do you find most helpful when describing your relationship with God? Why?

3 List a few of the points about human relationships you have discussed in previous sessions. How do these insights help as we consider our relationship with God?

4 A young mother starts attending your church. She wants to grow in faith and asks how your relationship with God started and how it has developed and deepened over the years. How would you answer?

5 She perseveres. How would you respond when she asks:

a) whether you are always aware of the presence of God?

b) how you cope during times when God seems far away?

c) what things you find most difficult about your Christian faith and discipleship?

d) what aspects give you most joy?

6 At your annual church meeting a longstanding member objects to 'those new hymns and prayers which refer to God as Mother’. “Our Lord taught us to say: ‘Our Father in heaven’, and that is good enough for me,” adds someone else. Describe the discussion which follows and give your own views.

7 Members of the group preparing for church membership are given the task of asking church members about their faith. How would you respond to a teenager who asks:

a) how you envisage God when you pray?

b) how you address God in prayer?

c) what advice you would give to someone who wants to learn how to pray?

8 Search in St John's Gospel for six titles used for Jesus. Take two of them and explain how they help you in your daily life.

9 Read James 2: 14-19. On the tape/CD, John Bell asserts that the opposite of faith is not doubt but apathy. How might this challenge apply to you, your group and your church?

MORE INFO

There is a booklet and audio tape or CD to accompany these notes.

The cassette/CD consists of five 15-minute sessions featuring John Bell of Iona, Nicky Gumbel of Alpha, Jane Williams of Lambeth Palace and the Abbot of Ampleforth.

Booklet: £3.50 (£2.25 each for orders of five or more). Audio tape: £8.95 (£6.95 each for five or more); CD: £10.95 (£8.95 for five or more). Visa or MasterCard accepted.

Cheques to: 'York Courses', PO Box 343, York, YO19 5YB. Tel/Fax 01904-481677. Further details: www.yorkcourses.co.uk, e-mail: info@yorkcourses.co.uk

© Christian Family Network
is run by CPO, supported by
Care for the Family, Marriage Resource, Positive Parenting,
Care, Women Alive, Christian Herald and many others.


		SPIRITUAL ENCOURAGEMENT God runs to us God is like a father and a mother to us, say DAVID GAMBLE and JOHN YOUNG. In an extract from their current Lent course, they look at growing closer to our Creator. It is breathtaking to claim that a human being can have a relationship with God, the Creator and Sustainer of all. Yet this assertion is at the heart of a Christian understanding of faith. Jesus encouraged his disciples to think of God as 'your heavenly Father'. He used the Aramaic word 'Abba' (Mark 14: 36) which is an intimate form of address. Our nearest translation is 'Daddy'. Yet some people with abusive fathers may find it hard to think of God in this way. Some modern liturgies remind us that there are feminine images of God in the Bible. The Methodist Worship Book opens a prayer with: God our Father and Mother We give you thanks and praise ... Perhaps predictably, this prayer caused controversy. Why should this be? Hosea 11 and Isaiah 66:13 liken God's love to the care shown by a mother. So does Jesus (Luke 13: 34). This image echoes down the centuries. Anselm, Archbishop of Canterbury from 1093-1109, wrote: “Jesus, as a mother you gather your people to you; you are gentle with us as a mother with her children.” Learning from human relationships Different people develop their relationship with God in different ways. It is also true that many people, even the greatest saints, find that God sometimes seems distant. In the psalms this is a recurring theme. On the cross, Jesus quoted Psalm 22:1: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? ” How can we cope with these barren times? It is usually wise to confide in a friend and ask for their prayers. The testimony of many is that even if they give up on God, God does not give up on them. God as Three in One The doctrine of the Trinity is a key to the great mystery of God and how he relates to us. Viewed in one way this doctrine suggests that God is great, holy and beyond our understanding. Viewed in another way, the notion of God as Trinity shows exactly the reverse. The seeds of this doctrine are there in the New Testament. It was not devised by learned men in book-lined libraries. It came about as a result of the amazing experiences of the early disciples. They were Jews - monotheists - who believed that 'the Lord our God, the Lord is One'. Then they met Jesus. They knew that he was a real human being who got tired, hungry and thirsty. Yet after his resurrection they were forced to acknowledge him as 'my Lord and my God.' (John 20: 28) Then came Pentecost. They were aware of a new power and energy within them. This surely was the promised Spirit of God? Yet they did not become polytheists who believed in three Gods. They continued to believe in One God - Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Their experiences tell us that the doctrine of the Trinity is practical and life-giving. It assures us that the God revealed in the Bible is: * The God who runs to us. When the waiting Father saw his prodigal son on the horizon, Jesus tells us that 'he ran' (Luke 15:20). Property-owning fathers in Jesus' day did not run. They were concerned to appear dignified. This father threw all caution to the wind. In his delight he ran to meet his returning son. So with us. We have only to take one step towards God and he takes ten towards us. He longs for that deep, intimate parent-child relationship. * The God who died for us. What is God like? This is no longer a huge, unanswerable, philosophical question. God in his grace has given a practical answer. Look at Jesus. Listen to Jesus. When we do so, we find that God is tough on us - tough on indifference, tough on exploitation, tough on hypocrisy. We find, too, that God is infinitely gentle. He will not break the bruised reed, nor snuff out the smoking flax. He perseveres with us. He is the God who comes to save 'with healing in his wings.' That healing comes, not only from Jesus' teaching and example, but from his death on Calvary - and his resurrection from the dead. * The God who renews us. We need forgiveness when we fail. And we need strength to get on with our lives as disciples of Jesus Christ. That strength comes to us from the Spirit of Jesus himself. God's Holy Spirit pours love and joy into our lives. These great gifts are not our private possessions. God wants them to overflow into our bruised and hurting world. * The Rev David Gamble was Family and Personal Relationships Secretary of the Methodist Church from 1996-2003. Canon John Young is co-founder of York Courses and author of a dozen books including The Case Against Christ and Teach Yourself Christianity (Hodder Paperbacks). QUESTIONS FOR GROUPS Suggested Bible reading: Psalm 139: 1-18 1 Raise any points from this article (or the Course booklet) with which you strongly agree or disagree. 2 Flick through the pages of a hymn book and identify some of the words used to describe our relationship with God. What ideas do you find most helpful when describing your relationship with God? Why? 3 List a few of the points about human relationships you have discussed in previous sessions. How do these insights help as we consider our relationship with God? 4 A young mother starts attending your church. She wants to grow in faith and asks how your relationship with God started and how it has developed and deepened over the years. How would you answer? 5 She perseveres. How would you respond when she asks: a) whether you are always aware of the presence of God? b) how you cope during times when God seems far away? c) what things you find most difficult about your Christian faith and discipleship? d) what aspects give you most joy? 6 At your annual church meeting a longstanding member objects to 'those new hymns and prayers which refer to God as Mother’. “Our Lord taught us to say: ‘Our Father in heaven’, and that is good enough for me,” adds someone else. Describe the discussion which follows and give your own views. 7 Members of the group preparing for church membership are given the task of asking church members about their faith. How would you respond to a teenager who asks: a) how you envisage God when you pray? b) how you address God in prayer? c) what advice you would give to someone who wants to learn how to pray? 8 Search in St John's Gospel for six titles used for Jesus. Take two of them and explain how they help you in your daily life. 9 Read James 2: 14-19. On the tape/CD, John Bell asserts that the opposite of faith is not doubt but apathy. How might this challenge apply to you, your group and your church? MORE INFO There is a booklet and audio tape or CD to accompany these notes. The cassette/CD consists of five 15-minute sessions featuring John Bell of Iona, Nicky Gumbel of Alpha, Jane Williams of Lambeth Palace and the Abbot of Ampleforth. Booklet: £3.50 (£2.25 each for orders of five or more). Audio tape: £8.95 (£6.95 each for five or more); CD: £10.95 (£8.95 for five or more). Visa or MasterCard accepted. Cheques to: 'York Courses', PO Box 343, York, YO19 5YB. Tel/Fax 01904-481677. Further details: www.yorkcourses.co.uk, e-mail: info@yorkcourses.co.uk © Christian Family Network is run by CPO, supported by Care for the Family, Marriage Resource, Positive Parenting, Care, Women Alive, Christian Herald and many others.