Looking for inspiration

I keep writing posts and then deleting them, too overwhelmed by what I could write about and the rubbish ramblings I perceive pouring out from me. And the longer I leave it, the more isolated what I had to say seems. Then I’m too late to write about one thing and my attention drifts to the next thing. I think its the artist at the drawing board syndrome – that whenever my fingers hit the keys I lose perspective…

So instead I’m going to write about what is encouraging and sustaining me right now. Books, blogs and places to retreat to! A lot of what inspires me at the moment is the theory and practice of living in community and living alternatively for God’s glory, as you will see.

The most recent book I devoured was ‘The Irresistable Revolution’ by Shane Claibourne. Shane comes from a community called the Simple Way in Philadelphia, a group who are exploring living out the Gospel in every arena of life. Read this book. In fact, here’s a chapter to get you hooked. He talks about resisting the culture that is so ingrained in us to look out for number one and to achieve status, financial security, comfort and teaches of a different way, that makes us turn to God and reach out to our neighbour in love and change the world. Jesus gave two simple commands – Love God and love your neighbour as yourself and Shane demonstrates in a powerful, compassionate way how we might fulfil those two commands. Whilst a student, he and his friends spent nights on the streets with the homeless and eventually moved into an abandoned church with a group of homeless families who were sheltering there because the local authorities would not find accommodation for them. When they were threatened with eviction, Shane and his friends stood by them and campaigned on their behalf and saw the families’ lives transform. From there, the idea of intentional community and supporting the marginalised and neglected blossomed into new communities being created. Shane also went to Iraq during the war, not as a soldier but as a human being, to stand in solidarity and pray with those who are suffering. You might think all these are very noble acts to do but it is evident in the book that the person most transformed by these encounters with God and his people, are not those Shane chose to serve but Shane himself. And isn’t that our goal? To have our minds renewed and our lives revolutionised to be more like Christ?

The Livelightly Tour is a blog I’ve been checking avidly recently. I started out reading Sara’s blog Walk Slowly Live Wildly and heard about the adventure they planned to convert an RV to use veggie oil and to travel trhoughout the states to promote compact, sustainable, environmentally friendly living. On the way, Sara experimented with a raw food diet and is now offering coaching to people for achieving a 100% raw food diet as well as her fabulous photography skills as a means of keeping them in pocket whilst they travel. Theirs is an inspiring story of trusting God for his provision and reaching out to people in love. It gives me itchy feet to read each post and see all the wonderful places they’re going to and people they meet.

Last month I also went away for a retreat, full of intrepedation. As an blatant extrovert, my preconceptions of the experience led me to believe I’d be made to sit and suffer in silence. So you can imagine my surprise when I rolled up Nether Springs, the Northumbria Community’s house, walked in to the kitchen and found Bekah at the big AGA stove who prepared me a cup of hot water, chatted to me about all manner of things and then showed me round the grounds and house. The weekend I spent there was the most relaxing time I’ve had in a long while, with space to pray, good food to eat and company to chat to if I so desired. The rhythm of the day was based on four set prayer times – morning, noon, evening and compline. You could do tasks around the house and garden, you could spend time in the tiny chapels or poustinia (a desert fathers-esque space with no windows or distractions – just you and God). I came with an agenda with God for him to sort out but he got straight to business with what he wanted to deal with in me. I painted pictures, I pruned a bush in the garden and I read some great books. I came away inspired, rested and eager to see God in all things. If you can get the opportunity to go on retreat, I can highly recommend it. It is rare to take time out of our routine or avoid distractions to seek God but the benefits are enormous. God longs for us to do this, Jesus did it too! I want to make going on retreat an annual priority.

I’m incubating ideas at the moment of how we live in community and how to achieve a daily rhythm of prayer and alternative ways of living…. I’ll keep you all posted.