May 2007 - Vol. 8 Back Issues '06-07

• God Loves Faithfulness, by Bruce Yocum, Belfast, Northern Ireland • Building a Christian Society - Part I, by Steve Clark

• Topical Bible Study, by Jeanne Kun, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA • Reading Scripture With the Early Church Fathers, by Don Schwager, London, UK

• Walk on Water: the European Kairos Weekend, by Sean David O'Neill, Glasgow • Christ has Changed my Life: by Mike D'Amato, Saint Paul, Minnesotta

• The Work of Christ Community, by Jerry Munk,Lansing, Michigan, USA • Celebrating Life's Blessings, by Beth Melchor, Manila, Philippines

• Painting with "Eyes of Faith": an Irish artist envisions biblical salvation history and the spread of the Gospel in Ireland, art work by Gerard Kavanagh, Dublin, Ireland

Living Bulwark is committed to fostering renewal of the whole Christian people: Catholic, Protestant, and Orthodox. We especially want to give witness to the charismatic, ecumenical, evangelistic, and community dimensions of that renewal. Living Bulwark seeks to equip Christians to grow in holiness, to apply Christian teaching to their lives, and to respond with faith and generosity to the working of the Holy Spirit in our day.

Living Bulwark (c) copyright 2007 publishing address: Park Royal Business Centre, 9-17 Park Royal Road, Suite 108, London NW10 7LQ, United Kingdom

email: editor@swordofthespirit.net

May 2007 - Vol. 8

God Loves Faithfulness

Here’s a spiritual principle we can stand on.

by Bruce Yocum

Illustration by Pablo Muttini

Seeing the fruits of faithfulness A while ago I had dinner with thirty men and women who spoke simply but eloquently about faithfulness and the fruits of faithfulness.

These men and women belong to the committed core of a community that has served God and God’s people in Germany for thirty-seven years. Each year more than 10,000 people are deeply touched by them through retreats and teaching seminars. They have close relationships with many church leaders and pastors as well as with many lay people throughout their home country. They are widely recognized as a source of life and strength for the Christian people. Through them many small, committed groups have sprung up which continue to receive support and direction from them.

But this group of men and women is neither large nor spectacular. As this handful of people shared with me over dinner, they told me in their own words how God had worked through them to bring them to that point of fruitfulness.

Seeing the fruits of faithfulness Over and over again they spoke to me, each from his or her own experience, about faithfulness. Simple faithfulness to God through difficult times. Faithfulness to one another in maintaining loving, brotherly relationships even when those relationships were greatly tested by disagreement. Faithfulness in believing God’s word was true when they tried to raise their children according to his word and had to deal with opposition and, at times, the rebellion of their own sons and daughters.

Now they are seeing the fruits of faithfulness. Their outreach work is effective and widespread—far beyond what they could have expected from their numbers, talents, or gifts. Their own children are becoming adults, and are choosing to follow the Lord faithfully and to hold fast to the way of life that they were taught

God loves faithfulness. Faithfulness to him in righteous behavior and obedience to his commandments. Faithfulness to him in daily prayer. Faithfulness to one another in marriage commitments and family life. Faithfulness to our brothers and sisters in Christ even through times of serious disagreement. “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands” (Exodus 34:6-7). It is God’s own nature to be faithful.

Our faithfulness will be tested As we attempt to follow the Lord in our daily lives, our faithfulness is tested in many ways. Our faithfulness to God’s word and to his law is tested by the many temptations and trials presented to us by a world hostile to God, by a world offering us immediate and convincing pleasures and satisfactions in exchange for our disobedience to God. Our faithfulness is tested by a society that no longer values or supports faithfulness to our marriage partner, to our parents, or to our children. It is tested by the failures we sometimes see even in our own leaders in the church.

But God remains faithful. He loves and rewards faithfulness. A simple inventory can help us to see those places where we need to be faithful and where our faithfulness is tested. Take some time to consider those relationships and those situations in which you have commitments to God, to your family, to brothers and sisters in Christ. List those commitments, and consider how well you are keeping them and how they are being tested. Then ask for God’s strength to remain faithful to the commitments he has given you. He promises to bless and give grace to those who seek to be faithful to him and call upon him for help (see Psalm 31:23; 101:6).

Faithfulness is effective Why am I so concerned with faithfulness? Mainly because God is concerned with faithfulness. But also because, in these days, faithfulness is critical for the Christian people.

Faithfulness to God and to one another makes us effective in our service for the Lord. That little group of people in Germany with whom I spoke have seen for themselves the effectiveness of faithfulness in their daily lives and commitments. They have seen the fruit it has borne.

Jesus himself, who had worked mighty miracles, worked no miracle at the crucial time when he was arrested in the garden. He simply remained faithful to God’s will for his life. He trusted himself to God, who is also faithful to us. Jesus’ faithfulness to his Father brought about our salvation and the salvation of the whole world, Faithfulness is effective.

Faithfulness in the last days Further, faithfulness is the virtue of the Christian people in the last days. Read and meditate on Matthew, chapter 24, and Mark, chapter 13. In these chapters Jesus spoke of times of distress and described difficulties to come. He especially encouraged his followers then—and us now—to watchfulness and stressed the need for faithfulness in obedience to his call and in service to him "Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his master has set over his household, to give them their food at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes.” Matthew 24:45-46

In the last days when there is spiritual warfare, when trials and temptations are far beyond what we ourselves can handle or respond to, faithfulness brings victory. And our faithfulness will be rewarded (see Revelations 2:10). In those days, in the last days, in these days, God responds with faithfulness and deliverance to the faithful obedience of his people.

[Bruce Yocum is President of Christ the King Association and a member of the International Executive Council of The Sword of the Spirit. This article was originally published in New Covenant Magazine, June 1990.]

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May 2007 - Vol. 8

Building a Christian Society — Part I

God’s purpose in Jesus was to create a new humanity in which the image of God is restored and through which God is served

by Steve Clark

God's purpose is to form a new community - the human race God created the human race to be united in such a way that it could act as a single person. This person, this human, was to be his son, formed in his image and likeness, created to serve as his representative over his visible creation. Men and women alike were to be fully a part of the human race and of the divine sonship. Both were to share the image and likeness of God and both were to share in ruling over creation corporately on God’s behalf. They were created male and female so that the human race, the human community, could increase and fill the earth.

When God sent his Son Jesus to repair the damage from the fall, his intent was to restore the human race to its original purpose by forming a new human race, a new creation, that could live as God’s son, the body of Christ on earth. God’s purpose in Jesus was to create a new humanity in which the image of God is restored and through which God is served. This new humanity consists of men and women who are united in Jesus. God’s purpose is to form a new community—the human race.

The new community has its own way of life which originates in the nature and character of God himself. In particular this way of life involves a special quality of relationship. The New Testament teaching on personal relations does not have an incidental place in the Scripture. It is the very center of God’s purpose in giving the new covenant, in writing his law on human hearts. “Make love your aim” (1 Corinthians 14:1). If the Christian people today are to live as the new community, the new human race, they must begin with the restoration of Christian relationships. Christians must learn how to have loving, committed personal relationships as brothers and sisters in the Lord and how to pattern these relationships so that all the needs for personal support, child rearing, and care of the older members of the body are met effectively.

A network of relationships The restoration of Christian relationships implies as well a restoration of relational groupings like those found in traditional societies. The social fabric of traditional society consisted almost exclusively of a pattern of interconnected relational groupings: the conjugal family, the extended kin network, the village, the neighborhood, the guild, and other groupings formed on the basis of profession and class. These groupings combined a consideration for personal life with a concern for productive labor and task accomplishment. The special needs of the young, the poor, the infirm, and the elderly were ordinarily cared for within such groupings rather than in large institutions. The early church and, in fact, the Christian people throughout much of its history followed a similar pattern. Evangelism, religious instruction, and charitable service were all integrally tied to the household, the basic communal grouping.

Relationships in modem technological society follow a very different principle. The relational groupings found in traditional society have been greatly weakened and often destroyed. In their place has arisen a pattern of relationships which involves on the one hand functional, limited, contractual, “impersonal” relationships, and on the other informal, non-purposeful, unstable, emotionally based “personal” relationships. The advancing functionalization of social relationships and social groupings leaves many human needs unsatisfied. The old, the young, the sick—all who are not fully competent or capable by the standards of technological society—are left to the care of functionally organized institutions which are largely unable to meet their needs effectively. The functional and emotionally based relationships that characterize a technological society also fail to meet the need for stable community and committed love felt by even the strongest members of society.

The functionalization of society has deeply affected many of the Christian churches. Many modern churches have lost their communal life and have become instead religious organizations. The relationships among members within a particular church often lack commitment and stability. This is not to say that the social life of the Christian people in the twenty-first century should ideally be identical to that of Christians in past centuries. But a functional approach to social life should not govern the overall life of the body of Christ.

Beyond the legal minimum The New Testament teaching on men’s and women’s roles and authority and subordination presupposes a certain set of relationships between men and women both in the family and the community. It is not enough to merely try to establish the husband as head of the family or to insist that children obey their parents. The entire Christian family relationship must be re-established. There needs to be a restoration of relationships of brotherhood and sisterhood, of a network of families committed together to support and care for one another, of a whole life style based on relational groupings and able to meet the various human needs of individuals within the body.

Christians cannot obey the few clear scriptural directives about order in personal relationships while living in every other respect according to the functional relationships of the modern world and still expect to experience the scriptural directives as an unqualified blessing. In fact, bare submission to legal commands may not even be genuine obedience if it does not also understand and respond to the intention of the command—in this case, to establish order

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in a particular set of loving committed relationships.

The main focus of the social teaching of the New Testament is on love, not on authority and subordination. Teaching on authority clearly exists. The New Testament Christian community is a community drawn up “in subordination,” and the Christian church followed the same pattern in the first centuries of its existence. Nonetheless the main focus of the New Testament and early church teaching on relationships is not on subordination but on love—on the service of one another modeled on the example of Christ as he laid down his life on the cross. The focus is on creating a body of people who care for and serve one another, who put away resentment and hostility and self-seeking, who are firmly committed to one another. It is this body of people who can effectively appropriate the Christian teaching on order and obedience.

Social roles and functional roles Social roles are the fundamental elements of the structure of relational groupings. They are the main patterns of stable behavior in these groupings. Though many people in modern society raise various objections to social roles, it is nonetheless true that effective social roles are responsible for much of the strength, depth, and durability of genuine personal relationships.

The term “social role” has several different meanings. Here it refers only to those stable roles which structure personal relationships in relational groupings. They are considerably different from functional roles. A functional role defines a set of activities or tasks that an individual regularly performs within a functional grouping. A functional role can be formulated in terms of a job description, as in the position of assembly line foreman.

But the main purpose of a social role is not to structure a set of activities, but to provide a stable order for relationships involving a broad-ranging personal commitment. For example, the role of father in a family is not defined adequately by the specific tasks he performs— working forty hours per week, paying for needed commodities, driving the family car, coaching a little league baseball team. The tasks that a father performs are expressions of his role as a man in relationship to a wife and a group of children; the tasks do not define the father’s role. The tasks may vary, but the role remains the same.

Almost all functional roles are achieved roles, that is, positions that an individual can assume because he has displayed some ability or accomplished some goal. For example, the position of corporation executive is normally an achieved role because the executive obtains the position by demonstrating his or her competence. On the other hand, most important social roles are ascribed roles, positions that are given and not earned. For example, family roles are normally ascribed; a son is a son regardless of what he has done to obtain the position. Roles associated with age and sex are also ascribed rather than achieved.

The human realities involved in family, reproduction, child rearing, and personal (rather than technical) formation cannot be structured successfully according to achieved functional roles. Age and sex are central concerns in these human realities; any social structure that provides for these realities adequately must rely at least partially on ascribed social roles. A failure to develop effective ascribed social roles causes the breakdown of genuine community and weakens family life.

What makes social roles effective? To be effective, social roles must have several characteristics. First, they must be stable. Social roles provide the kind of enduring consistency of expectation and relationship that gives an underlying peace and strength to people’s lives. Constant role change reduces the solidity and vitality of communal life. Secondly, social roles must be clear. They must be defined clearly enough so that each individual can understand them and know in various situations what is expected of him or her. An ambiguous social role can be more difficult than no social role at all.

Thirdly, effective social roles must be uniform through a particular culture or communal grouping. To be strong, social roles need the support of a whole cultural grouping. Social roles also supply the larger grouping with a basis on which it can relate together without learning a new way of life. Just as clear parts that all can learn allow the spontaneous performance of a communal dance or song, so a uniform set of social roles provides a group with a way to come together for communal events without the need for lengthy practice sessions.

Fourthly, effective social roles must be flexible. They should be able to accommodate the normal range of human relationships and thus should have a built-in ability to make exceptions or adapt as needed.

Living tradition Social roles are primarily ideals for personal relationships; they are not merely collections of laws, rules, or instructions. Some imperatives are connected with social roles. Children must obey their parents. Parents must care for and teach their children. But the role of father or mother cannot be reduced to a set of rules or instructions. In fact, social roles are taught more by example than by rules. Knowing five good fathers and watching them relate to their families is more helpful than reading five good books on the principles of fathering. A social role is a way of being in a relationship, a way of being for other people. A social role is more of an ideal of how to relate to others than a set of rules or a set of specifications.

Social roles are ideals, but they are also usually embodied in teaching which the communal grouping regards as authoritative. For Christians, authoritative teaching on social structure is to be found in the Bible, the writings which represent the highest revelation of God’s plan for human life. To downplay these teachings or to dismiss this source of authority not only causes spiritual damage to God’s people, it also severely limits their ability to live out a successful Christian social structure.

These characteristics of effective social roles illustrate the fact that social roles depend upon a living social tradition. A community passes on its way of life, and it is only when a way of life is passed on as “our way of life” that it has the authority to provide the basis for a successful communal life. Of course, a community can start a tradition and it can change its tradition. But a community does not have a way of life until its basic patterns are accepted as “our way” or “the way the Lord gave us” and are passed on with this type of authority. Social roles do not yet exist if one must go to class to learn about them. They should be experienced by people and transmitted by living together. Only then do social roles have the stability, clarity, uniformity and flexibility needed to give peace and solidity to social relationships

[Steve Clark is President of The Sword of the Spirit. This article is adapted and abridged from his book Man and Woman in Christ, copyright © 1980 by Stephen B. Clark and published by Tabor House Books. The article will be continued next month.]

(c) copyright 2007 The Sword of the Spirit publishing address: Park Royal Business Centre, 9-17 Park Royal Road, Suite 108, London NW10 7LQ, United Kingdom

email: editor@swordofthespirit.net.

May 2007 - Vol. 8

Topical Bible Study

It’s an especially rewarding way to read the Bible.

by Jeanne Kun

Why do a topical Bible study? At various stages of my life I have made it a regular practice to include some topical study in my daily pattern of' prayer and Scripture reading. Often the easiest and most helpful way of doing this has been to choose a particular theme or topic and read what the Bible says about it.

A simple topical approach can be used in a variety of ways and for many purposes. At times I have armed myself through study, using the word of God to defend myself against temptation, to combat sin in my life, or to overcome some weakness or difficulty that plagues me. Actively and consciously taking hold of God’s word by familiarizing myself with what is written in Scripture on a specific theme has been a tremendous aid to countering and conquering problems in my life such as anxiety, ingratitude, self-concern, and resentment.

To give one example, reflecting on passages about thanksgiving has prevented me from falling into feelings of ingratitude, discontent, and dissatisfaction with my life and circumstances. When I have been prone to focusing on what I don't have, rather than recalling all the good that God has blessed me with, or when I have simply taken God and his providence for granted, rather than acknowledging him with appreciation and gratitude, some straightforward, direct verses have refocused my attention on thanksgiving: “O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever! Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he has redeemed from trouble” (Psalm 107:1-2).

Study on thanksgiving Through my topical study on thanksgiving, my awareness of all I have to be thankful for not only affected my times of prayer, but my gratitude began to overflow more into my daily thoughts and speech.

Other verses I read along this theme provided me with a greater understanding of how to give thanks:

● “I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart” (Psalm 111:1).

● “Let me sing the praises of Yahweh’s goodness and of his marvelous deeds, in return for all that he has done for us and for the great kindness he has shown us in his mercy and in his boundless goodness” (Isaiah 63:7).

And when to give thanks:

● “Always and everywhere giving thanks in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God the Father” (Ephesians 5:20).

● “Rejoice always, pray constantly, give thanks in all circumstances” (1 Thessalonians 5:16).

And, perhaps most important of all, why to give thanks:

● “I will sing to the Lord, because he has dealt bountifully with me” (Psalm 13:6).● “My vows to you I must perform, O God; I will render thank offerings to you. For you have delivered my

soul from death, yea, my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of life” (Psalm 56:12-13).

The reasons to thank God are endless: Because it is God’s due (see Psalm 116:12); for deliverance (see Romans 7:24; Psalm 31:8, 21); in return for all God has done (see Isaiah 63:7); because God exhorts us to do so (see Ephesians 5:4; 1 Thessalonians 5:16); for what God has revealed to us (see Matthew 11:25).

Models of thanksgiving Furthermore, I gained some additional insight into thanksgiving by noting the people in the Bible who expressed thanks to God and by noticing the sorts of occasions when they did so. Jesus provides a continual model for us:

● “At that time Jesus declared, ‘I thank thee, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to babes; yea Father, for such was your gracious will’” (Matthew 11:25-26).

● “Father, I thank you that you have heard me” (John 11:41).● “[Jesus] took the seven loaves and the fish, and having given thanks he broke them and gave them to the

disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds” (Matthew 15:36).

Others who rendered thanks to God were the shepherds on hearing of the birth of the Savior from the host of angels (see Luke 2:29); Anna as she encountered Mary and Joseph bringing Jesus to the temple (see Luke 2:38); the lame man healed by Peter (see Acts 3:8); and, from among the ten healed of leprosy, the one who returned to give thanks to Jesus (see Luke 17:15).

In doing topical studies, we can also learn much about God’s own character and his call to us to imitate him by choosing such themes as faithfulness, zeal, mercy, compassion, and steadfast love. Other possible themes concern instruction in Christian living: intercession, forgiveness, obedience, discipleship, and right speech, to suggest only a few.

A few basic steps Topical study can be quickly mastered and easily made use of by following a few basic steps:

1. Choose a theme and begin to search the Scripture along those lines. I usually choose my theme with prayer, asking the Holy Spirit to bring to my attention a topic of interest or concern. It may, for example, be a particular sin such as uncontrolled anger or self-pity, an area for growth such as generosity or hospitality, an aspect of God’s nature and character I want to learn more about. Then I start my search by reading a familiar passage on the topic,

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and proceed to follow up the cross-references listed in the margins and footnotes that most study Bibles offer. I have also found it helpful to use a concordance to make a list of passages related to the chosen topic and to read them.

Cross-references or chain-references are worth pursuing, as they often lead to passages that, though related in meaning to the theme, do not include the same main word drawn from the concordance.

Additional aids at this stage of reading and study may be a topical Bible, a dictionary, and a thesaurus. A topical Bible is a text supplement to Scripture arranged by topic, grouping all the verses on a theme by section together under the particular theme heading. While this can be convenient for easily summarizing verses, I usually find it more beneficial to actually do the search through the Bible myself, because it impresses the passages on me more clearly and relates them to their whole context in the Bible.

A dictionary provides the common definition or meaning of the topic and may add shades of nuances of understanding. Similarly, a thesaurus offers synonyms that expand on the meaning. Often there are synonyms or related words that will give added insight. For example, “faithful” readily brings to mind “trustworthy,” “reliable,” and “constant.” Looking up the opposite, or antonym, can also be of value. Delving into a contrasting word sheds light on the meaning of the original: “fearful” versus “bold,” or “pride” in contrast to “humility.”

I have found the secular English definitions at times to be very much in accord with the use of the word in Scripture, and on other occasions I have seen how removed the current meaning has become from the Christian meaning. An instance of this discrepancy is clear in regard to “joy.” The dictionary defines it as “a glad feeling,” but this is much shallower than the Christian understanding and experience of joy as a mark of our relationship with the Lord, a movement of the will (not just emotion!) in response to the truths of salvation, a fruit of the Holy Spirit, and the result, as Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta often said, “of burning love for Jesus.”

2. Supplement your reading by writing down the most significant verses in a notebook. Though this takes some time and discipline, my own experience is that copying down the verses serves to write them on my mind and heart and also leaves me with a handy reference in the future. Often at moments of difficulty in my life I have reread those passages related to the particular concern I have had. These notes can quickly refresh my memory on a specific topic. Besides writing out the key verses on the theme I add personal insights, reflections, resolutions, and questions. Resolutions may arise from seeing how I fall short of God’s standard and recognizing a heed for personal conversion and growth in an area. My questions may be: “What does this mean for my life today? Have I been faithful in this area? What will I do about it?”

3. Conclude your study with a short summary or resume of what you have learned. For example, as God was teaching me about gratitude and thankfulness through my study, I had much to meditate on in my prayer time. I summarized God’s word to me as, “Replace fear and discontent with gratitude.” I realized that I learned not only that it is proper to give thanks, but how and when and why I am to be thankful.

4. Apply your resolutions to your daily life. A study of God’s word falls short if our own attitudes, thoughts, and behavior remain unaffected by it. One should truly be able to say along with the psalmist, “I have laid up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you” (Psalm 119:11).

[Jeanne Kun is a noted author and a senior woman leader in the Word of Life Community, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA. A lengthier version of this article was originally published in God’s Word Today, May 1985. Adapted and reprinted with permission of the author.]

May 2007 - Vol. 8

Reading Scripture with

the Early Church Fathers

by Don Schwager

Icon of Christ Pancrator (Christ Ruler of All) 6th century, Monastery of Saint Catherine, Mount Sinai, Egypt

What can the early church fathers teach us about Scripture? Why read the early church fathers and what can they teach us about the scriptures? It is easy to underestimate the contributions of the past and to exaggerate the wisdom of the present. Can we trust the Christian teachers of the early church period? Did they read the scriptures well? Did their own cultural and religious blind spots prevent them from understanding the heart of the gospel? Today there is renewed interest in the writings of the early church fathers among Protestants, Catholics, and Orthodox. Many are rediscovering the rich treasure of wisdom and insight of the early church scholars, pastors, and teachers who devoted their lives to the study of the scriptures. The early fathers had a tremendous zeal for God and the Scriptures. What we see from a distance of some 2000 years, they saw close-up because of their access to the teachings of the apostles and the disciples of the apostles who also passed on their wisdom and insight.

Who are the early church fathers? The age of the church fathers begins with the apostles and the first disciples who had the privilege of personal contact with the Lord Jesus. They are the hearers of the Incarnate Word who kept and handed on the words of the Word. The age of the apostles ends with the death of John the Evangelist at the close of the first century.

The patristic period began with some of the fathers who remembered the apostles John or Peter personally. They did not see Jesus in the flesh, but they had a personal share in the transmission of the apostles' testimony.

The golden period of the fathers runs from the fourth to the sixth century. Most date the end of the age of the Fathers of the West with the death of Isidore of Seville in 636, and the age of the Fathers of the East with the death

of John Damascene in 749.

What characterizes a father of the church? What qualified someone to be recognized as a "father of the church"? There are four key characteristics. First, their antiquity. The first church father is Clement of Rome, who wrote his letter around the year 96 AD. The early fathers lived and breathed the scriptures and the teachings of the apostles. They were the disciples of—and the disciples of the disciples of—the apostles. They demonstrate how Christ is present in all the Scriptures, from Genesis through Revelations. [See quotes from the Early Fathers in the box below.]

A second characteristic of the church fathers is their holiness of life. They studied, meditated, and lived as faithful witnesses of the gospel. And they exhibited a tremendous zeal for God and the Scriptures. They have much to teach us about reverence for God's word and for study and meditation upon it.

A third characteristic is their orthodox doctrine. Their teaching is recognized as sound within the bounds of Scripture and church tradition. They affirm the central truths of the faith, such as belief in the triune God, that Christ was fully divine and fully human, the redemptive efficacy of Christ's death on the cross, the absolute authority and infallibility of Scripture, the fallen condition of humanity, the significance of baptism, the vital importance of prayer and of the disciplined spiritual life. They were not just theologians, but pastors of the church. Most of the early fathers were bishops. As shepherds of the church they spoke to the hearts and needs of those in their care.

The fourth characteristic is ecclesiastical approval. They were affirmed as such by the church itself. Within the broader classification of "Church Fathers" eight are designated as "Doctors of the Church": Ambrose, Jerome, Augustine and Gregory the Great in the West; Basil the Great, Gregory of Nazianzus, Athanasius and John Chrysostom in the East. They are eminent among the fathers for the depth of their learning.

Reading Scripture is a spiritual activity How did the early church fathers approach the reading of the Bible? They show us that it's not just an intellectual activity, but more importantly a spiritual one. In fact we need to prepare our hearts and minds for the fruitful study and meditation of the Scriptures. Listen to what the early fathers say about reading the Scriptures:

Origen, who lived between 185-254 AD, wrote: "The Word of God is in your heart. The Word digs in this soil so that the spring may gush out."

Jerome, who lived between 342-419 AD, wrote: "You are reading? No.Your betrothed is talking to you. It is your betrothed, that is, Christ, who is united with you. He tears you away from the solitude of the desert and brings you into his home, saying to you, 'Enter into the joy of your Master.'"

John Chrysostom, who lived between 347-407 AD, wrote: "Listen carefully to me..Procure books [of the Bible] that will be medicines for the soul. At least get a copy of the New Testament, the Apostle's epistles, the Acts, the Gospels, for your constant teachers. If you encounter grief, dive into them as into a chest of medicines; take from them comfort for your trouble, whether it be loss, or death, or bereavement over the loss of relations. Don't simply dive into them. Swim in them. Keep them constantly in your mind. The cause of all evils is the failure to know the Scriptures well."

The reading of the Bible should impact daily living. The Scriptures must be put into practice and translated into daily experience. We must be living testimonies of the Word of God. Reading the church fathers can be very rewarding, but it requires some serious effort. We have to transcend our modern culture and way of looking at things in order to understand the mind and culture of the early church and its way of thinking. If we are willing to hunt and dig a little

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in our study, then we will find a rich treasure of wisdom and inspiration from the writings of early fathers on the Scriptures.

The Scriptures are one book in Christ

Irenaeus writes from the 2nd century: "If one carefully reads the Scriptures, he will find there the word on the subject of Christ and the prefiguration of the new calling. He is indeed the hidden treasure in the field — the field in fact is the world — but in truth, the hidden treasure in the Scriptures is Christ. Because he is designed by types and words that humanly are not possible to understand before the accomplishment of all things, that is, Christ's second coming."

Origen writes from the 3rd century: "[Christ's words] are not only those which he spoke when he became a man and tabernacled in the flesh; for before that time, Christ, the Word of God, was in Moses and the prophets. ...[their words] were filled with the Spirit of Christ."

Hilary of Poitiers writes from the 4th century: "Every part of Holy Writ announces through words the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, reveals it through facts and establishes it through examples. ..For it is our Lord who during all the present age, through true and manifest foreshadowings, generates, cleanses, sanctified, chooses, separates, or redeems the Church in the Patriarchs, through Adam's slumber, Noah's flood, Melchizedek's blessing, Abraham's justification, Isaac's birth, and Jacob's bondage."

Augustine of Hippo writes from the 5th century: “You recall that one and the same Word of God extends throughout Scripture, that it is one and the same Utterance that resounds in the mouths of all the sacred writers, since he who was in the beginning God with God has no need of separate syllables; for he is not subject to time." "The Scriptures are in fact, in any passage you care to choose, singing of Christ, provided we have ears that are capable of picking out the tune. The Lord opened the minds of the Apostles so that they understood the Scriptures. That he will open our minds too is our prayer.”

[Don Schwager is a member of The Servants of the Word and the author of the Daily Scripture Reading and Meditation website.]

(c) copyright 2007 The Sword of the Spirit publishing address: Park Royal Business Centre, 9-17 Park Royal Road, Suite 108, London NW10 7LQ, United Kingdom

email: editor@swordofthespirit.net.

May 2007 - Vol. 8

Walk on Water - all photos for this article were taken in Belfast by Voyteck

Walk on Water

a student reflects on the European Kairos Weekend in Belfast

by Sean David O'Neill

It was a dark and stormy night as the European region’s Kairos Weekend began in a draughty upper room in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The room, filled with more than 100 young people from communities and outreaches in Europe and the Middle East, was imbued with a palpable buzz - a positive energy that defied the miserable weather. Expectation for weekends of this sort is always high: the worship, the fellowship, the friendship. Expectation, as always, was to be fulfilled.

The call to step out in faith After the necessary introductions and some fascinating ice-breakers, Paul Jordan leapt on stage to present the theme of the weekend: “Walking on Water” (Matthew 14). The call, he said, was to step out in faith, and he explained the passage with admirable clarity, and Glaswegian Eileen Rafferty, arriving directly from the airport, followed up Paul’s words by challenging participants to recognise their fears. What, she asked, stopped us from stepping out in faith?

With the theme firmly fixed in their minds, participants retired for the evening: native Belfasters to their homes, and visitors from foreign lands to a cosy hostel in a pleasant area of Belfast close to the weekend’s main venues. In the morning, there was animated conversation at the breakfast tables. Many of the European and Middle East region’s youth appear to be morning people.

An impassioned call to "slay our giants" and to realism in the Christian life Back in the hall, master of oratio recta (straight talking) Dave “Q” Quintana, Servant of the Word, delved into the story of Caleb and Joshua, unearthing an exhortation to “slay our giants” – the personal obstacles that stand in the way of our following Christ with faith and courage. Explaining what these giants might be, he rallied those present with an impassioned call to battle. The undercurrent of the weekend’s message began to show as he encouraged us to get on with the life of faith even if our emotions aren’t quite there: “Do it scared”, he urged.

Martin Steinbereithner, the regional mission director, and Elaine Roub of Belfast then talked on the nature of

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intergenerational community, taking as their example the story of Elijah passing on his mantle to Elisha. The driving challenge thus far in the weekend was the call to realism, to acceptance of the torch of Christian life, to take up the individual cross that we all must bear.

"Siloam" inter-unity prayer event in Belfast In the evening, after Lord’s Day meals at the homes of the generous Charis Community members, Sword of the Spirit participants joined many other Christian groups in a prayer event called “Siloam” (after the healing pool in Jerusalem). Over 300 people, including the Kairos participants, gathered together to worship and to intercede for unity amongst Christians – a key theme for Belfast life. The event was lead with admirable aplomb and grace by brother and sister John and Claire Robinson from Belfast.

The next morning, after church, Dominic Perrem of Antioch (née Dublin) expounded upon the ubiquitous problem: applying the fruits of a retreat to one’s normal life. In a short time Dominic dispelled ambiguity and outlined how best to proceed – move with faith in every area of life and work. Be led by the Holy Spirit, feet firmly in reality. Despite time-constraints, he managed to give a thoroughly decent and practical talk.

The retreat ended with a time of prayer, especially for individual needs, which many participants said was deeply moving and powerful.

Taking up the banner of Christ The European Kairos Weekend was groundbreaking and exceedingly inspirational. This, more than any other retreat I had previously attended, seemed to grab the key issue: the realism that a Christian must possess. The redemptive

suffering that awaits us is an essential part of the call to discipleship and to community. Rather than focusing on the merely uplifting, enjoyable, exciting parts of Christian life, the speakers also explained the sacrifices and challenges that such a life must entail. To see so many young people actively embracing a realistic call to lay down their lives was nothing short of beautiful. For it is a beautiful journey, after all, and the true disciple takes up the cross in full knowledge that it means pain and suffering, yet ultimately redemption. Let no-one be discouraged by the dark times we live in, for as long as these true disciples come forward to take up the banner, we will remain the salt of the earth, and a light to the world.

[Sean David O'Neill is a student at the University of Glasgow. He is actively involved in Kairos and its local outreach to university students in Glasgow, and with the Community of the Risen Christ in Glasgow, Scotland.]

(c) copyright 2007 The Sword of the Spirit publishing address: Park Royal Business Centre, 9-17 Park Royal Road, Suite 108, London NW10 7LQ, United Kingdom

email: editor@swordofthespirit.net.

May 2007 - Vol. 8

Christ has changed my life!

an 18 year old missionary shares his experience of conversion and evangelism

by Michael D'Amato

Illustration by Jamie Treadwell

My life has been changed! I am an 18 year old missionary for Saint Paul’s Outreach (SPO) in Minnesota and my life has definitely been changed by the Lord. Let me tell you a little bit about my background. I grew up in a family of eight siblings in New Jersey. I first came in contact with Saint Paul's Outreach on a service trip put on by the People of Hope Community in New Jersey. I was in St. Paul for about a week and briefly saw the great things which happened in Saint Paul's Outreach and how God was changing people's lives.

Brief as the trip was I did know that I wished to return for a more extended period of time so I could more fully dive into the day to day life as a missionary trainee. I did return months later and stayed for about 5 weeks. It was during this time that I decided to commit to a GAP year in Saint Paul's Outreach, starting the following August, 2006.

It has been this time of training in SPO that has changed my life. My faith has come alive and prayer life has grown, and my understanding of God's Word and what it means to be a disciple of Christ has increased. I have also learned how to witness God's love and bring the message of the gospel to others in our evangelistic outreach program at the University of Saint Thomas. I also have the opportunity to regularly share my faith with other young people by

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leading a youth group run by the Community of Christ the Redeemer in Saint Paul. My physical body was born in 1988 but my spiritual life and faith in Christ has come alive this year. My life as a disciple of Christ has truly started with SPO.

Conversion of a young man One of the most amazing things I have seen in my work to this point is the conversion of a young man. I befriended him in September and could see he longed for a deeper relationship with the Lord. He had problems with alcohol and drugs, and he was not satisfied with his life. He knew he was missing something but he couldn’t quite put his finger on what it was. He saw how people in SPO had something that he did not have—something that he longed for—a personal awareness of Christ's love and presence in his life, and the love and support of brothers and sisters who can share their faith with one another and with others, and the power of the Holy Spirit who can set us free from sinful patterns and addictions and change us to be more like Christ himself.

I invited him to our annual Fan into Flame retreat. He came on the retreat but more importantly he came with an open heart. He had been struggling with issues about school and money. He tried to make all of these decisions on his own, without the help of anyone. On Saturday night we all got together into small groups to pray. I watched him give up his pains and overrated pleasures and put them at the feet of Jesus. He let the Holy Spirit into his life for the first time and the changes that followed were dramatic—new personal faith in Christ and understanding of Christ's love for him, new freedom to give his whole life to Christ and follow him, and to serve with others who were on fire for Christ. He put his complete trust in Jesus Christ that night. My friend is grateful for what the Lord has done for him and for his new brothers and sisters in Saint Paul's Outreach.

(c) copyright 2007 The Sword of the Spirit publishing address: Park Royal Business Centre, 9-17 Park Royal Road, Suite 108, London NW10 7LQ, United Kingdom

email: editor@swordofthespirit.net.

May 2007 - Vol. 8

The Work of Christ Community gathers regularly for charismatic praise and worship, sharing, and teaching

The Work of Christ Community

called by the Lord to be his work and to do his work

by Jerry Munk

.The Work of Christ Community, located in Lansing, Michigan, USA, traces its origins to the beginning of the charismatic renewal and covenant community movement in the late 1960s. Jerry Munk, a coordinator of the Work of Christ and one of the early members, recounts the history of this pioneer community. The Work of Christ Community today is a service center for the North American region of The Sword of the Spirit communities located in the United States and Canada.

Early roots The Work of Christ Community traces its beginnings to the late 1960’s when a movement known as the charismatic renewal began to sweep through Catholic, Protestant, and Orthodox churches in the United States.

Our Sword of the Spirit president, Steve Clark, along with Ralph Martin, were working for the East Lansing Newman Center at Michigan State University (MSU) in 1967. They started a weekly charismatic prayer meeting at their place, attended by a growing number of Christians, many of them students at Michigan State University.

The chaplain of the Catholic Newman Center at MSU was not pleased to find a charismatic group led by two of his pastoral staff, so he fired Steve and Ralph—unceremoniously. They then moved on to Ann Arbor, Michigan, at the invitation of the Newman Center chaplain at the University of Michigan, where they teamed up with Gerry Rauch and Jim Cavnar, both recent graduates from Notre Dame University— but that is the story of the founding of another Christian community.

Fun, rowdy, and full of the Holy Spirit—it must be summer-camp week.The Work of Christ Summer Camp is a powerful element of community life for children and adults.

Called together by the Lord Those left behind in East Lansing continued to meet and pray together every week. On Pentecost Sunday, in June of 1974, the first group of 87 members, made an initial covenant commitment with one another and with the Lord: the Work of Christ Community was born.

The name, Work of Christ, was given to the community prophetically when the Lord told the leadership team that this community was being called to be his work and to do his work.

Ecumenical from the start From its beginnings the Work of Christ has been an ecumenical Christian community. A majority of the members are Roman Catholic, but there are a large number of Protestants (primarily Lutherans and Evangelicals), many Eastern Orthodox Christians, and, for good measure, a few Melkite Catholics. The ecumenical nature of the community is reflected in the community leadership: of the six coordinators, three are Roman Catholic, two are Protestant, and one is Greek Orthodox.

The Festival of Tables is an important event for the women in the Work of Christ. Every February sisters set and decorate one of 26 tables around a theme of their own choosing. After an hour of viewing the tables, guests enjoy a nice luncheon. Proceeds from the event are given to charity.

Growth and expansion Today the community consists of 270 adult members. The main community is located in Lansing, Michigan, and there are branches in two other nearby Michigan cities—Saginaw and Grand Rapids. The Lansing branch of the Work of Christ is organized into three districts: the Red Cedar and Grand River Districts (named for local rivers), which serve the general community population, and the Wellspring District, which serves younger people in their twenties and thirties—both singles and families. The community has two University Christian Outreach (UCO) chapters: one in East Lansing and one in Grand Rapids.

Middle school boys and staff about to set out on a backpacking expedition. One year the Ultimate trip is for boys, the next year it is for girls. Both push participants to their limits.

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Work with children and young adults Much of the community’s energy is focused on its children. Elementary-aged children meet every month for a children’s gathering: an opportunity for the children to have their own charismatic prayer meeting. (In the Work of Christ, we pray with our children to be baptized in the Spirit at a relatively early age. This allows the children to participate fully in the life and worship of the community.) Elementary children also participate in a week-long camp each summer. Summer camp is a lot of work, but it is a wonderful experience of Christian community, both for the children who attend and for the adults who serve.

During the middle-school years, the young teens meet every other week for prayer and sharing. They also participate in a two-week, high-adventure program called the Ultimate Trip. Whether the Ultimate Trip involves a wilderness trek, climbing mountains, or canoeing the boundary waters of Minnesota, the children develop new skills, deepen friendships, and grow in their relationship with the Lord.

The youth program continues in high school. Teens meet every other week for a large prayer meeting and on alternate weeks for small-group sharing. A high percentage of the teens make a commitment each year to an ideal that includes daily personal prayer, reading the Bible, honoring their parents, attending the youth group, and relating as brothers and sisters in the Lord. As one young man put it, “Making that small commitment prepared me to make the larger commitment to the community when I grew up.” Members of the high school group regularly attend the youth retreats and conferences of The Sword of the Spirit’s North American Region.

The Work of Christ holds a men’s and women’s conference each year. The events take place over a weekend at a college or retreat facility where there will be few distractions. About a third of those who attend are invited guests.

Regional service for communities in North America The Work of Christ is home to the North America Kairos office, which organizes university and youth conferences, mission trips, and the regional GAP program for The Sword of the Spirit communities in the United States and Canada. It also houses the region’s administrative and financial office and many members of the community are involved in regional service as well.

Ten years ago, the Work of Christ purchased a building just across the road from Michigan State University. The

community center has been a tremendous asset, accommodating administrative offices and both small and large meeting space. Recently about 600 members from all of the communities in Michigan squeezed into the large meeting room for a state-wide gathering—this seems to be the maximum capacity.

The Lord has blessed the Work of Christ: he has preserved us, he has healed us, and he has made us prosper. Blessed be the name of the Lord!

To learn more about the Work of Christ, visit our web site at www.workofchrist.com.

(c) copyright 2007 The Sword of the Spirit publishing address: Park Royal Business Centre, 9-17 Park Royal Road, Suite 108, London NW10 7LQ, United Kingdom

email: editor@swordofthespirit.net.

May 2007 - Vol. 8

Ronda Sunset - watercolor by Jamie Treadwell

Celebrating Life's Blessings

by Beth Melchor

Anniversaries, for me, have always been important occasions worth celebrating. In 1985, I marked ten years of God’s faithfulness to me since I had seriously committed my life to him. I made a conscious decision to dedicate the entire year to thank God for his steadfast love. While serving on a retreat at the end of that year, the retreat master invited us to look back on the year and list five blessings. I was amazed to realize that the blessings I had listed for the year were all major, close to miraculous even.

Thesis and dreams One was the miraculous completion and defense of my master’s thesis in physics. After waiting a year for the right experimental conditions, the needed data was gathered in a week’s time. It took another week to analyze the data and one more week to write the research paper. By the end of the following week, my thesis was successfully defended without need of revision. It was presented at that year’s National Physics Congress. There were moments when I would encounter a problem that I could not solve. Instead of laboring long into the night, I would peacefully go to sleep trusting in God. In my dream I would see the page of a book that provided the needed solution. Awaking, I would open the book to that exact page and there, indeed, was the solution.

The lame shall leap Another blessing for that year was the miraculous healing of a twelve-stitch cut on my knee that would have prevented me from serving in the activity-filled summer months of Christ’s Youth in Action (CYA), an outreach to young people sponsored by Ang Ligaya ng Panginoon (The Joy of the Lord), the charismatic covenant community to which I belong in Manila. The injury was crippling, and the doctor said I would need to lie immobilized in bed for at least a month. After being released from the hospital, I read the first reading for that Sunday, the cure of a cripple in Acts 3:1-8. Then when I continued with my spiritual reading, my eyes fell upon the verse in John 16:24, “Until now, you have not asked anything in my name. Ask that your joy may be full.” I knew God wanted me to ask for healing. I did so in quiet prayer and, at the prodding of a friend, would later rise from my wheelchair, jump, and bend my knee exactly where the twelve stitches were. Instead of remaining in bed for a month, I was able to lead that summer’s one-month CYA women’s household and ended the summer playing kickball in CYA’s sportsfest.

As I reflected on these blessings, it occurred to me that far more than my desire to celebrate the year, God wanted to celebrate it with me. I marveled at the abundant love of God. He seemed to say, “You have not seen anything yet.”

I couldn’t imagine how anyone could be more blessed, but the years have indeed shown that “No eye has seen and no ear has heard, and no mind has ever conceived what God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Corinthians 2:9).

Beth on far right at a retreat for single women in the Philippines

Silver Jubilee The twenty-fifth anniversary of my commitment to Christ was easy to celebrate. It was the year of the Great Jubilee 2000. I saved money to join a retreat in the Holy Land for women consecrated to living single for the Lord as I am. Little did we know that when this retreat was planned three years prior, it would coincide with Pope John Paul II’s long-awaited visit to the Holy Land. I could not have asked for more. In addition, the airline I took to Israel was routed through Rome so, at no extra cost, I was able to return to the place of my initial conversion in 1975. I always believed that my conversion was the result of the grace of the Holy Year in 1975. I was eager to return to Rome and walk again through the Jubilee Door to say “Thank You” for the grace of conversion.

After thirty years After being so blessed, I didn’t think of celebrating my thirtieth anniversary in any special way. It was God who called my attention at the beginning of 2005 saying, “I myself will show you how important it is to celebrate this year.” That year was full of major blessings, each outdoing the other. The dayenu seder prayer constantly came to mind, “It would have been enough, O Lord.”

One was in the area of my professional life. After fifteen years of working full-time in community as a CYA staffer and missionary in China, I never imagined I could pursue a career that would amount to anything special at age 39. But in 1997, the word “Put out into the deep” (Luke 5:4) – spoken at Ligaya’s annual conference for all its members – led me to service beyond the borders of community. I accepted a position as dean of an exclusive Catholic girl’s college in the Makati district of Metro Manila, something I would not have even considered if not for God’s direct leading. After two terms I begged off to spend more time with my bed-ridden father. It turned out to be my father’s final year on earth. That year brought a closure to a chapter in my life.

Peaceful in the deep God hinted I should watch out for the new doors he would open. He led me out the comfortable world of a convent school to the bustling heart of the university belt. I accepted an administrative position that I had not sought or would not have naturally accepted if but for the quiet assurance that it was God’s will for my life. I was appointed Vice-President for Academic Affairs of Far Eastern University, a university with about 25,000 students. The year 2005 brought about the fulfillment of God’s word spoken by Pope John Paul II: “Duc in altum! Put out into the deep.

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Do not be afraid to venture forth to put out the nets for a catch. The Lord himself will be your guide.”

The net indeed has been full! That year alone the net brought in among others: a victory in Harvard where our university represented the Philippines for the first time in a Global Business Plan competition and bested Harvard, MIT, Wharton and other Ivy League schools; another global victory in Vienna beating 223 entries from more than 100 countries; a UNESCO Asia Pacific Cultural Heritage Award for cultural heritage preservation in our campus; an award at the Moonrise Festival for our documentary film on the endangered Tamaraw; two of our students among the finalists in the “Ten Outstanding Students of the Philippines”; a graduate of the university being appointed as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court; another graduate winning the first gold medal for the Philippines in the Southeast Asian Games, soon followed by other alumni with a total haul of five gold, four silver and four bronze medals; championships in the UAAP and University Games, capped by the coveted UAAP basketball championship. Our university president captured our sentiments stating: “My experience of God this year has been Far Eastern University.”

Beth at Niagara Falls, New York, USA

Beneath a rainbow My personal life was equally blessed. The image that captures the abundant blessings of the year is that of a full rainbow towering over the majestic Niagara Falls. As I stood taking that wonderful sight in, God seemed to say: “Such is the abundance and power of my love in your life.” After so many blessings, what more can one say?

At the annual retreat for women who serve on the women’s leadership team in Ligaya, I reflected on how God fills my cup to overflowing; how God’s love is like a bottomless cup. I can drink from the abundance of God and find there is still more love to be poured into my heart. The ability to enjoy God’s blessings is more a function of my capacity to receive these than of any limitation on God’s ability to bless us.

God indeed is a loving and faithful God. Surrendering my life to him has been a constant celebration of his goodness. The greatest blessing I have received is God himself – the Giver of the gifts.

[Dr. Beth Melchor is a senior woman leader of the Ligaya ng Paginoon community in Manila, Philippines, and Vice President for Academic Affairs at the Far Eastern University in Manila. This article was originally published in True North Magazine. Used with permission.]

May 2007 - Vol. 8

Nowhere Land: wandering on the borders of the Promised Land

acrylic on wood, 112x86 cm

Painting with "eyes of faith"

An Irish artist envisions biblical salvation history and the spread of the gospel in Ireland by Celtic monks

art work by Gerard Kavanagh

Gerard Kavanagh, born and raised in Dublin, Ireland, studied painting at the National College of Art and Design. He received his Masters in Art History at Trinity College in Dublin. He has been an active member of Nazareth Community in Dublin for the past ten years.

Artist's statement: Painting for me is a way to connect with the Lord and to express God's love in my life. I believe what my church teaches that the artist is "engaged in a kind of sacred imitation of God the creator" (Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, 127). I remember also that when God created heaven and earth, "the earth was a formless void, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters "(Genesis 1:2). The wind, of course, is the Holy Spirit. In a way the artist has to try and create something out of the chaos of his or her own ideas and feelings. I believe that the more the artist can rely on the Holy Spirit as guide, the more spiritually successful the work can be.

Some time ago, John Keating, the presiding elder of The Servants of the Word, spoke about a prophetic word which he believed the Lord was speaking to the communities in The Sword of the Spirit. He said that this was a time of grace for taking new spiritual ground or territory in our lives. The Lord wanted us to fight spiritually for this territory [with the spiritual weapons St. Paul the Apostles mentions in Ephesians 6), and the Lord himself would fight with us to help us achieve spiritual victory in our lives. John encouraged us to meditate on the Book of Numbers in the Old Testament, especially chapters 13 and 14, which describe how the people of Israel were to prepare themselves for taking possession of the Promised Land. Our community took this prophetic word to heart and began to apply the spiritual lessons of the Biblical texts in a series of community presentations and reflections. It was during this period of meditation and study that I began the painting, entitled "Nowhere Land".

My work on "Nowhere Land" This painting [shown above] depicts the Chosen People wandering on the borders of the Promised Land. God has instructed them to take the land, but they have succumbed to the sins of presumption and despair. They respond that they cannot take the land because it is already occupied by a people stronger than themselves. They doubt the Lord's word to them. The consequence of their unbelief results in their wandering in the desert for forty years. The Lord tells them that they will never enter the Promised Land. They will die in the desert. Only in time will their children enter if they obey the Lord.

This study gave me an insight into what happens to us when we disobey God's word. We end up wandering endlessly and aimlessly in a nowhere land - a land of doubt. The Promised Land for the Christian people primarily involves our being in a relationship with the Lord and dwelling with him in his kingdom. The taking of this land involves the conquest of self and sin in our lives and growth in holiness and virtue.

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The Saving of the Gospels

acrylic on paper, 102x69 cm [Celtic monks in Ireland hid their copies of hand-scripted gospels in the bogs during Viking raids]

Abstract Geometric [inspired by stain glass]

acrylic on canvas, 150x120cm