Rarely do I not have a song in my head. Regular church and chapel services over the last few years have helped cement hymns, spirituals and songs of praise in my brain. Events cause songs to spring to mind and my prayer life is rich with texts and music. The theme song at the Missions Seminar this year was
“Lord Jesus you shall be my song as I journey,” which is fitting for me, especially in these last few months.
“God is so good, God is so good”This song came to me again and again as I got on and off public transport over this summer. On almost every trip I found a friend. Sometimes it was an old friend from College. A few time it was a friend of a friend who was going my way. Once or twice it was a stranger who I smiled at and started conversation with. But on almost every leg of my journey these past two months, I was not alone. I had someone to help pull my many bags on and off trains, friends to sit and chat with, or just someone to empathise with when there were delays or strange occurrences. I would find myself humming “
God is so good” as I showed up yet again at a station or terminal and found that out of the crowd walked a friend.
“We will take what you offer, we will live by your word. We will love one another and be led by you Lord.”The passage in my devotional book this week has been Matthew 14:22-33, Jesus walking on water. This is a fitting text in several ways. This was the first passage I ever preached on. My first sermon was 7 years ago at a church in Melbourne where I was working as a pastoral intern. My supervising pastor from that church has been asked to come and preach at my induction service here in Canberra. My main point in my first sermon was that Jesus is already standing in the middle of the impossible, inviting us on. Before we are asked to swing our leg over the edge of our comfort zone, Jesus is already there in the midst of what we are called to. We are followers, invited beyond our fears.
“Don’t be afraid, my love is stronger. My love is stronger than your fear. Don’t be afraid, my love is stronger. And I have promised, promised to be always near.”
My journey has ended and has just begun. After 2 months of travel following graduation, I am in Canberra. A week ago my parents drove me and my stuff to my new home. I’m coming back to a place I’ve lived but I’ve changed and so has this place. Walking around this week I’ve been struck by how familiar things seem, yet I still get confused and miss what I have known for the last three years. I have points of joy and bewilderment at my own emotions and reactions to my new life.
“Lead me, guide me, along the way. For if you lead me I can not stray. Lord, let me walk, each day with thee. Lead me Oh Lord, lead me.”In that first sermon I preached, I noted Jesus’ need for prayer even though he was part of God. I have been reminded of my need for prayer and a grounding in something beyond myself as I started my first week of work here. Things feel so right and so overwhelming. I have had moments of pleasure realizing that I will be able to stay here for a few years and at the same time terror thinking “oh no, what have I done!” Yesterday afternoon I walked over to the Labyrinth at the local Christian Center. As I walked the circles in and out crying to God, I asked for guidance and found comfort in the fact that I am not alone. I don’t need to have things all figured out as I commit myself to this place and people, but I do need to remain strongly committed to a mysterious and creative God. This is a big task I am walking into but even though many of my friends are far away God is close.
“I bind my soul this day to the neighbor far away, and the stranger near at hand, in this town and in this land.
I bind myself to peace, to make strife and envy cease. God, knit thou sure the cord of my thralldom to my Lord.”
Sing with me God, in this new day.
