It’s incredible to think how much God has grown both me and Chatswood Church these last six years, and I’m just so grateful I can leave in a good space. I seriously don’t think I could leave feeling more loved and appreciated, and my surprise (but not ) farewell last weekend couldn’t have more meaningful. So yes, thank you God, to say the least. And thank you Chatswood Church . . .

“When I came to you, brothers and sisters, I did not come proclaiming the mystery of God to you in lofty words or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified. And I came to you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling. My speech and my proclamation were not with plausible words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might rest not on human wisdom but on the power of God.” (1 Corinthians 2:1-5) Stick with Him!

The twofold purpose of this first Submerge event was to help people go deeper with God and share faith with their friends. We wanted to help people take the next step in their journey, no matter how close to or far from God they were, and we wanted to help them share Jesus with their generation.

Maybe I shouldn’t be surprised that the feedback was so positive. All we did was provide a simple program with a simple agenda but I guess that’s all our generation needs. A safe place to be real. To ask questions. To share experiences. To be inspired. The presence of God.

When I was asked what I hoped would be the result of Submerge, my response was just as simple. All I hope is that we will reclaim what it means to be true disciples of Jesus and live as He lived. I’m over rationalising the likes of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount and explaining away His teachings about the Kingdom of God. I long to see us living out our faith in the way Micah 6:8 calls us to live it out.

Plans are now underway to recreate the Submerge website as a forum for blogging and resourcing spiritual growth. This is where you will find all future developments!

The last time I wrote I spoke about Joshua, a Bible character renowned for his faith, and how this man deeply inspires me as a leader. Someone who inspires me on another level however is Abraham, and tonight I simply want to share something I found while reading about Abraham’s calling in Patriarchs and Prophets (Ellen G White, p 125-131 ) that may encourage you.

“God leads His children by a way that they know not, but He does not forget or cast off those who put their trust in Him. He permitted affliction to come upon Job, but He did not forsake him. He allowed the beloved John to be exiled to lonely Patmos, but the Son of God met him there, and his vision was filled with scenes of immortal glory. God permits trials to assail His people, that by their constancy and obedience they themselves may be spiritually enriched, and that their example may be a source of strength to others. ‘I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope.’ Jeremiah 29:11. The very trials that task our faith most severly and make it seem that God has forsaken us, are to lead us closer to Christ, that we may lay all our burdens at His feet and experience the peace which He will give us in exchange.”

This is my prayer for all readers . . . That you will know Peace.

Maybe that’s why Casting Crowns’ song, Who am I? has just hit the spot for me. Mark Hall says that when he started writing this song, he was initially thinking he would write about being a conqueror or a new creation, but he says God started whispering that he was a vapor, here today and gone tomorrow, and he realised that before we can understand who we are in Jesus, we need to understand who we’re not. When we start getting a picture of who we’re not, it’s then that God’s love explodes and we get a bigger picture of who He is.

If you would like to listen to this song, see Who am I? If you would like to simply reflect on the words, see below . . . God be with you.

Who am I, that the Lord of all the earth
Would care to know my name
Would care to feel my hurt
Who am I, that the Bright and Morning Star
Would choose to light the way
For my ever wandering heart

Not because of who I am
But because of what You’ve done
Not because of what I’ve done
But because of who You are

I am a flower quickly fading
Here today and gone tomorrow
A wave tossed in the ocean
Vapor in the wind
Still You hear me when I’m calling
Lord, You catch me when I’m falling
And You’ve told me who I am I am Yours, I am Yours

Who am I, that the eyes that see my sin
Would look on me with love and watch me rise again
Who am I, that the voice that calmed the sea
Would call out through the rain
And calm the storm in me

Not because of who I am
But because of what You’ve done
Not because of what I’ve done
But because of who You are

I am a flower quickly fading
Here today and gone tomorrow
A wave tossed in the ocean
Vapor in the wind
Still You hear me when I’m calling
Lord, You catch me when I’m falling
And You’ve told me who I am I am Yours

Not because of who I am
But because of what You’ve done
Not because of what I’ve done
But because of who You are

I am a flower quickly fading
Here today and gone tomorrow
A wave tossed in the ocean
Vapor in the wind
Still You hear me when I’m calling
Lord, You catch me when I’m falling
And You’ve told me who I am Yours

I am Yours
Whom shall I fear
Whom shall I fear
‘Cause I am Yours
I am Yours

I’m back because I’m still walking and talking with God and I still believe this is where He wants me to be. My personal calling has not changed in the last five and a half years and over the next few months I will not only be working with the Leadership Team at my church on how we can actualise our idealised values, I will also be doing four Saturday afternoon workshops on how we come to know God. John 17:3 tells us that eternal life is knowing God, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom He sent, and these workshops will help us explore how to do just that.

Love to see you there! Saturdays, 2.30pm at Chatswood Seventh-day Adventist Church:
June 27 – How surrender fits into knowing God
July 4 – How we come to know God’s will
July 11 – The need for faith in order to know God
July 18 – The need for obedience in order to know God

Whatever the kind of fire, this little hen was found by forest rangers or a farmer or a Nigerian boy, and seeing the bird petrified in ashes or as a burned lump on the ground or a heap of charred feathers, the person who found this hen knocked the bird over with a stick or kicked her off the trail with his boot or bent down to pick her up with his hands, and to his surprise, out ran three or four or seven chirping baby chicks! Now do you recognise the story?

I have to say I was somewhat disappointed to learn this week that The Little Red Hen as I knew this story isn’t true. All these years I thought the Illustrated Gospel Series from 1945 were true but apparently not so! What is obviously true however, is the nature of a hen, for why else would stories about hens who use their wings to protect their young instead of flying to safety be told across cultures? Why else would hens be linked with losing their own life in order to save their chicks across the world?

When Jesus likened Himself to a mother hen, one can only presume the Creator of hens knew what He was doing. This reference is found in Luke 13:24 and reads, “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often I have desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing!”

In light of the fact that it is Mother’s Day today, we at Chatswood Church had a discussion about the passage of Scripture this verse comes from yesterday and some of the questions we discussed that you might also like to reflect on are:
- What does this verse tell us about Jesus’ love for the people of Jerusalem and in fact, everyone?
- What does the image of Jesus as a mother hen wanting to protect her chicks mean to you?
- How have you experienced this kind of love?
- Are you already under the protection of Jesus? If not, what would it take to let Him care of you?

“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)

Happy Mother’s Day mums! And again, thank you Jesus.

To read this story in full, check out John 18-20 at www.biblegateway.com. To learn more in person, come join us for our Easter Service – this Saturday on the corner of Johnson and Devonshire Sts, Chatswood. Happy Easter! — Sue

“Words of Light in the Dark” by Ty Gibson

Nightfall. Moon. Stars. Men walking. Eleven. Not twelve. Stopping. Garden. Four. Walking. Heavy. Wondering. “My soul!” Sorrow. Dying. “Pray!” Drowsiness. Slumber. One. Alone. Lonely.

Staggering. Burden. Invisible. Internal. Falling. Prostrate. Agony. Weeping. Sweating. Bleeding. Pleading. Cup? Cup? Trembling. Struggling. Weighing. “Me?” “Them?” “Resurrection?” Grappling. “Me?” “Them?” Choosing. “Them?” “Yes!” “Them!”

Dying. Angel. Comfort. Strength.

Mob. Torches. Betrayer. “Master!” Kiss. Betrayal. “Friend.” “Why?” Flash. Glory. Powerful. Falling. Confusion. Free. Arising. Composure. “Who?” “Jesus!” Submissive. Grabbing. Sword. Slash. Blood. Ear. Reproof. Touch. Healing. Fear. Self-preservation. Fleeing! Abandonment. Alone again. Surrounded. Alone. Heldfast. Alone still!

Midnight. Darkness. Trial. High Priest. Religion without God. Expediency. Pride. Witnesses. Witnesses? Liars! Question. “Christ?” Silence. Question. Swearing. Answer. Unacceptable. Indignation. Spitting. Striking. Anger. Threats. Accusation. “Blasphemy!” “Guilty!” Guilty? Innocent!

Fire. Watching. Listening. Identified. Question. Denial. Question. Denial. Question. Cursing. Denial. Rooster. Crowing. Recall. Glance. Disappointment. Compassion. Shame. Weeping. Fleeing.

Betrayer. Realisation. Conviction. Remorse. Shame. Silver. Value? None! Desperation. Confession. “Stop!” “Never!” Hardness. Coldness. Run. Rope. Neck. Suicide.

Blindfolded. Mockery. Punch. “Who?” “Prophesy!” Laughter.

Morning. Bound. Walking. Pilate. Judgement. Trial. Accusations. Standing. Examination. Question. Answer. Conviction. Discernment. “Innocent!” Galilee. Galilean? “Ah!” “Herod!” Sent. Questions. Silence. “Pilate!” Returned.

Compromise? Release? “One!” “Who?” “Barabbas!” The Innocent. The guilty. Choose? The Guilty!

Soldiers. Brutality. Stripped. Tied. Leather. Bone. Metal. Sharp. Handle. Arm. Scourging. Lifting. Falling. Whipping. Tearing. Whipping. Tearing. Whipping. Tearing. Hanging. Bleeding. Dignity. Silence. Clothed. Scarlet robe. Crown. Thorns. Scepter. Mockery. “Hail!” “King!” Spit. “Good enough?” “No!” “Innocent!” “No!” Manipulation. Pressure. Basin. Hands. Washed. “Crucify!”

Cross. “Walk!” Heavy. Dragging. Staggering. Falling. Rising. Falling. Rising. Falling. “You!” Relief. Hill. Climb. Fall. Climb.

Wood. Nails. Hammer. Grabbing. Pushing. Holding. (No need!) Submission. Silence. Pounding. Penetrating. Tearing. Twitching. Jerking. Quivering. Shaking. Bleeding. Loving. Still! Observers. “Why?” Confusion. Tears. Fear.

Lift. Balance. Hole. Thud. Rip. Gouge. Hanging. Breathless. Gasping. Eyes rounded. Writhing. Agony. Looking down. Eye contact. Looking out. Eye contact. Tears. Lifting. Wrenching. Dropping. Pausing. Lifting. Wrenching. Dropping. Weight. Hands. Feet. Holds. Gaping. Vinegar. Refusal.

Cross. Crosses. Right. Left. Words. Reviling. “Save self!” “Us!” Reproof. Discerning. Acknowledging. Asking. Paradise. “Remember me?” Acceptance. Promise. Gratitude. Peace. Mother. Alone. Concern. “Son!” Please. “Mother!” Earthquake.

Forsaken? “Father?” “Why?”

Sky. Sun. Eclipse. Moon. Darkness.

Soul. Pain. Eclipse. Love. Light.

Unrelenting. Holding. Selfless. Triumphant.

Demons. Trembling. Realising. Defeat.

Peace. Submission. Trust. Eyes shut.

Darkness. Darkness? No. Light!

This experience isn’t dissimilar to one I had a month or two back. Someone had called me on a Monday to ask if I could do a cremation committal the next day and having never even been to a cremation committal before I was rather nervous but said yes. Well the next morning, being the morning of the cremation, I started to panic because I didn’t know if what I had prepared was appropriate or not so I got on my knees and asked God to help me and I kid you not, at that moment which was 8.00 o’clock in the morning, a hospital chaplain called and told me he had been thinking about me and thought he needed to call and see how I was doing! Who calls at 8.00am?! And of all the people in the world, who knows more about cremation committals than hospital chaplains!

These are just two examples of God not only answering my prayers but continuing to provide for me personally which is something I’ve learnt He will always do whilever I am walking in His ways. Now I can’t know if these stories encourage or discourage you or otherwise, but I want to let Jesus speak to you about wherever you’re up to right now and I will be quoting from Luke 12:22-31,

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat, or about your body, what you will wear. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. Consider the ravens; they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds! And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life? If you are not able to do so small a thing as that, why do you worry about the rest? Consider the lilies, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin; yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you – you of little faith! And do not keep striving for what you are to eat and what you are to drink, and do not keep worrying. For it is the nations of the world that strive after all these things, and your Father knows that you need them. Instead, strive for his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.”

“When you believe that nothing significant can happen through you, you have said more about your belief in God than you have said about yourself. You have said that God is not capable of doing anything significant through you. The truth is, He is able to do anything He pleases with one ordinary person fully consecrated to Him.”

It’s true! Think on these things.

• Small Group – join or initiate a group that meets for Bible study each week
• Diving Deep Group – join or initiate a group that takes a paragraph of Scripture each week and observes, interprets and applies it to their lives
• Growth Group – join or initiate a group of 2-3 people of the same gender and meet with them each week for mutual encouragement
• Accountability Partner – find a buddy who wants to read what you’re reading or simply shares your commitment to reading the Bible and check in with them each week for mutual encouragement
• Bible Book Club – form or join a Bible Book Club that encourages consistent contact either in person or online
• Bible Reading Plan – find and commit to a plan that will ensure you don’t get stuck at trying to decide what to read and will see you reading a variety of Bible books in a given period of time

“Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God,
and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” (John 17:3)