Sunday, April 19, 2020

Grumpy or grateful



[During this time of staying put due to the Covid 19 thing, I have not been able to take up some of the speaking engagements at a number of churches. However, I have written up a couple of things that I had already prepared and thought I'd share them here. This is one of them.]

Grumpy or grateful
Reading: Exodus 17:1-7
You probably know the story. God brought the people of Israel out of a horrible situation in Egypt where they had been slaves. They were free! But then they began to grumble. “We were better off in Egypt. There was good food there. Garlic and onions.” (Just the right ingredients to start off a good pumpkin soup!)
God provided daily food for them on the journey, but they thought it was boring. “Same old, same old… every day.’ And now there’s no water.  Just two pages earlier (in my Bible) God had provided sweet water for them. So, did they think, Well God has given us good things, so we’ll be fine. Nup. They grumbled and questioned “Is the Lord with us or not?’
Silly people.
So, what about us?
We all face personal challenges and now there is the tremendous challenge and uncertainty of Covid19. Will we grump and complain, or will we look to God in faith and gratitude?
There are still things to be grateful for. For friends and family, for the promise that with the Lord there is steadfast – unfailing, passionate, extravagant - love.
(Psalm 130:7)
Gratitude is recognised as good for mental health. All sorts of people make a practice of recording things to be glad about. It doesn’t deny that times are tough, but…

Habbakuk 3:17 -19 
Though the fig tree may not blossom,
Nor fruit be on the vines;
Though the labour of the olive may fail,
And the fields yield no food;
Though the flock may be cut off from the fold,
And there be no herd in the stalls
Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation. 
The Lord God is my strength;

So, when we ask the question Is God with us? the resounding answer is YESSS!!!

Glenys Badger March 2020

Friday, April 10, 2020

Knitted or Knotted

[During this time of staying put due to the Covid 19 thing, I have not been able to take up some of the speaking engagements at a number of churches. However, I have written up a couple of things that I had already prepared and thought I'd share them here. This is one of them.]


Knitted or knotted *      Reading Psalm 139: 1-5, 13-18

I’m a knitter.
            And yes, I natter – quite a lot!
            Some would even say I’m a nutter…

In the eighties a dear friend, Anna, now 91, taught me to make knitted lace; she did large tablecloths and I did small doyleys.
It involves very fine needles and cotton and intricate patterns.
It’s important to get the holes in all the right places and dropped stitches are a nightmare and mistake take ages to unpick.

Recently I decided to revive my skills after a number of years and knit a gift for my granddaughter Hannah’s engagement. It was a busy time just before Christmas and I was distracted by many concerns. It was quite a mess and had holes in some of the wrong places. So I gave it to a friend with the suggestion she put it on her table with a potplant on top of it to hide the mistakes.

And I made another one for Hannah…

 


Did you know God is a knitter?
Psalm 139:13b says ‘You knitted me together in my mother’s womb.’
And God has the pattern for each of us.



Recently I read the book ‘Knot One, Purl a Prayer, (available through the library system).
It was about using knitting as mediation. I was never good at sitting still and thinking or meditation but knitting intricate patterns helped me be quiet and focus.
Mostly, I now sit and colour but that’s talk for another day,  because you already know that God is great at colouring in.

The book included this prayer
Creator and Great Repairer
I count on you to mend
When I mess things up
Help make them whole
Undo my failures
Unravel my mistakes
Surprise me with your perfect stitches
May I once in a while find one in my work

That is, may we sometimes see the pattern forming.
Mistakes need unpulling. It can be painful as in knitting, but is necessary for the design.
And so they become part of the pattern.

So is this a bit fanciful? God as a knitter?
I went looking in the Bible and found other places where it talks about knitting.

Chronicles talks of king David saying, ‘My heart will be knitted to you’. In Judges it talks of the people knitted together as one. So, it’s about being as close as the yarn in a knitted item. It expresses unity and closeness and love.

Then I went looking again. I have always loved Julian of Norwich who lived during the time of the plague in Europe. She is famous for her writings including the phrase ‘all will be well, and all will be well’ – even during a time of death and plague. I knew the icon included a cat and I though I had read about her knitting as well in her time of seclusion (social isolation?)

Pin on My Faith


Then I found this
‘Julian uses the image of knitting to describe the distinctive relationship between God and humans. Humans are knitted by God in their making (Psalm 139) and God is knitted to humanity by becoming human.’

We are all knitted together in love.

God knits us into the pattern for the kingdom, God’s dream for the world.

We are loved. God is closer than we can imagine

We are never alone



Glenys Badger  April 2020

*In case you wondered about the 'knotted' bit. Just think about your knickers...