NBC Pastoral Letter August 2011

How do we connect with God?

I guess for each of us, the answer is probably different, and is probably different throughout our lives.

For some, it will be through the disciplines of daily bible reading, or prayer, the traditional “quiet time”. For others, it will be through experience of God’s great creation. Sometimes it will be a mystical experience, or a vision, or a dream. Sometimes it will be during personal or public worship. Sometimes it will be an encounter experience – a special time or a special place for us to look back on.

I well remember my call to ministry at Spring Harvest in 1992, a special week which they called “High Risk”. (I should have known!) it is one of the rare occasions that I have heard God’s voice audibly, as he called me to follow him and serve in ministry. It was accompanied by a picture of Christ walking with his disciples, and an instruction to spend myself in discipling followers of Christ.

There are many calls on my time from family and church, but the times that work best, and when I feel my spirit sing, are when I’m engaged in that ministry of discipleship, whether it’s a big group, or one on one.

In the old movie, Chariots of Fire, the runner Eric Liddell says, “I believe God made me for a purpose, but he also made me fast. And when I run I feel His pleasure.”

God has made each one of us purpose, as we know from Ephesians 2.10 “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

Maybe that is coming alongside others, or giving practical support, or medicine, or teaching or playing football. Whatever it is, when we fulfil God’s purpose, we feel his pleasure. And our spirit will sing.

God bless,

Nik