I know I’ve missed the last two chapters that we read from ‘Faithful Women and Their Extraordinary God’. Sorry to those of you who are reading along with us. Things have been quite busy the last few weeks and I even missed a book club my self.
I did however enjoy reading the chapters, and I hope you found them encouraging and challenging.
Chapter 5: Helen Roseveare – Faithful in Loss
I’d like to share with you a few of the things we discussed in our book club meeting.
Beginnings: Some of us where surprised that Helen found such Godly companions in university who lead her to a deeper relationship with the Lord. Page 143-145. Some including myself had understood university to be a godless place, but on discussing this point we found that those of us who had attended university did not find it to be a godless place and had themselves found Godly friends and teachers.
Peaks and Valleys: I could relate to her description of the peaks and valleys in her life, as it reminded me of my own view of spiritual life when I was still a Charismatic Pentecostal. Though the language was different. We said we ‘felt dry’ or in the ‘wilderness’.
“I found frequently that I climbed in glorious sunshine… my face set determinedly for the nearest peak I could see. As I reached it, I revelled in the sense of achievement and victory and in the glorious view…” pg 147 We noted that the ‘the sense of achievement’ she describes suggests that the spiritual heights and ‘peaks’ where the result of her own effort. The peaks and valleys she described where from her perspective; how she felt she was doing in her walk with the Lord. In reality, this high feeling may be self righteousness, and the low points when she felt a sense of failure… “As I went down from the present peak into the valley between the mountains, I was often shadowed by the very peak I had been enjoying. This I interpreted in a sense of failure and this often led to despair…” May in fact, from Gods perspective have been the times when she was closest to the Lord and realised that she needed Christ more. Maybe God brings us low in to the valleys, to show us that our effort alone is not satisfactory to bring us into a right relationship with God, but that it is all Christ. What we see as valleys, may be the peaks God sees.
It is easy to fall into a sense of self righteous achievement. Sometimes even when we try to do the right thing, by spending more time in the word, getting up early to pray and have devotions, and do lots of good things for others, we feel like we’re doing really well it can be spoiled by our ‘revelling in our own sense of achievement’ rather than remembering that it is God’s achievement. It reminds me a bit of Mary and Martha.
Learning from her African brethren: The Africans she was there to minister to and along side taught her a lot about the Lord that she could not have learned at home in England. They exhibited a very Christ like love to her that she hadn’t seen before. I also found it interesting how the colour of her skin effected her. Page 159 “Pastor Ndugu… leaned toward me. “Helen… why can’t you forget for a moment that you are white? You’ve helped so many Africans to find cleansing and filling and joy in the Holy Spirit through the blood of Jesus Christ. Why don’t you let Him do for you what He has done for so many others?”
He … opened up to me hidden areas in my heart that I had hardly even suspected, particular this one of race prejudice. I was horrified…” She came to teach them, and yet it was they who taught her so much.
Gods Answers prayers:
How amazing was Gods answer to prayer on page 157. The providence of God is truly amazing as God answered the prayer 7 months earlier before the need had arisen or the words of the prayer were even spoken. What an impact such a specific answer to prayer must have been for the little girl who prayed. We should not be surprised.
Suffering: It is difficult to read about the things she suffered at the hands of the Guerrilla’s (Simbas) as I found myself thinking ‘why didn't God have protect her’. We discussed how ‘Gods Best’ is not always what we expect or want. When we read in Romans 8:28 "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” we often think of Gods ‘good’ as our physical protection, but it is not always so. We talked about the very personal example of one of our friends who’s cousin was in a car accident and left brain damaged. Everyone prayed that he would get well if it was the Lords will, but he did not. Most thought that his recovery or healing was best. But 'Gods best' was the conversion of the young mans family due to the accident and the injury. God's best; End result, the salvation of others.
God didn’t protect Helen from rape, abuse and beating, but he used her “They’re not attacking you. They are attacking me. I’m just using your body to show myself to the people around you.” Page 166. Because of what she’d been through she was able to help a young nun “One young nun had been raped and felt as if she’d betrayed God and her promises to God. Because of her similar experience, Helen was able to break through the woman’s despairing barrier, as no one else could.” Page 166. She was also able to 'protect some fo the other women from undergoing a new trauma they might posssibly have escaped so far.' page 167
It was also encouraging as it shows us that we can suffer terrible trauma and survive. In fact it often changes our perspective an forces us to look toward heaven.
Philippians 3:10 “that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death”
Showing posts with label Faithful Women and their Extraordinary God. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Faithful Women and their Extraordinary God. Show all posts
Monday, December 17, 2007
Monday, October 29, 2007
Faithful Women and Their Extraordinary God - Chapter 1 - Sarah Edwards
Last week we discussed Chapter 1: Sarah Edwards, Faithful in the Mundane
I was amazed at how young they were and how much they had achieved at such an early age. Page 16 'In 1723 at age nineteen, Jonathan had already graduated from Yale and had been a pastor in New York for a year.’ They met in 1723 when Sarah was 13 (pg 17), by 1725 Sarah was 15 when they were engaged (pg 18), and they were married in 1727 (pg 18), she was 17 years old.
A Faithful Wife: Sarah reminded us very much of Luther’s Katie. Like Katie, she managed the whole household, whilst allowing her husband to fucus on his duties and studies. Jonathan seemed similar to Luther ‘I have had very affecting views of hole mind in a kind of loud weeping… so that I have often been forced to shut myself up.’ Page 21. But she adapted to his needs and supported him in such a way that he could do all he needed without any encumbrance.
Like the Proverbs 31 woman ‘she spared no pains in conforming to his inclination and rendering everything in the family agreeable and pleasant.’ Page 21, as Samuel Hopkins observed… 'Edwards found at home one who was in every sense a help mate for him, one who made their common dwelling the abode of order and neatness, or peace and comfort, of harmony and love, to all its inmates, and of kindness and hospitality to the friend the visitant and the stranger.' Page 26.
Do we support and help our husbands as faithfully?
The Mother: Sarah was careful in the training of her children, Samel Hopkins observed ‘She had an excellent way of governing her children; she knew how to make them regard and obey her cheerfully, without loud angry words, much less heavy blows… If any correction was necessary, she did not administer it in a passion, and when she had occasion to reprove and rebuke she would do it in a few words, without warmth [that is vehemence] and noise…Her system of discipline was begun at a very early age and it was her rule to resist the first, as well as every subsequent exhibition of temper or disobedience in the child… wisely reflecting that until a child will obey his parents he can never be brought to obey God.’ Page 24.
In today’s politically correct world that tells us that physical chastisement and careful discipline will squash our children’s personality and damage them emotionally it was encouraging to read that ‘ Their Children were eleven different people, proving that her discipline did not squash their personalities.’ Page 24
Sarah prayed for her children and was concerned for their spiritual well being… ‘for her children she constantly and earnestly prayed and bore them on her heart before God… and that even before they were born’. Page 24. She also endevoured to be a good example and role model to her children ‘she made it her rule to speak well of all, so far she could with truth and justice to herself and others.' Page 26.
Are we careful of the role model we set for our children?
We also saw that they spoke to their children about very serious matters that is very uncommon today. ‘When Jonathan wrote to his children, he often reminded them not morbidly, but almost as a matter of fact – how close death might be. For Jonathan, the reality of death led automatically to the need for eternal life. He wrote to their ten year old Jonathan Jr. about the death of a playmate. “This is a loud call of god to you to prepare for death…Never give yourself any rest unless you have good evidence that you are converted and become a new creature” ’. Page 33. The ever-present sense of death and eternity is foreign to us today, and yet, just as real… we may not face the threats they did, but we could still be hit by a car tomorrow.
It is amazing to think of the far reaching effects of Sarah’s faithfulness down throw the generations. As we see on page 22 the achievements of her descendants.
Sarah’s Experience: Having experienced the Charismatic and Pentecostal movements, reading about Sarah’s experience was a little uncomfortable, but I felt that Noels comments about it were insightful, and I think we can err on both sides, we can say that it was merely a mental breakdown, or that it was “enthusiasm” to use Edwards own expression. But the way it changed Sarah seems to indicate a true spiritual encounter, rather than the superficial experience often seen in the Charismatic/Pentecostal movement, which in many cases does not effect much change in the person. Page 31 ‘Sarah’s life was different after these weeks – different in the ways you would expect after God has specially visited someone. Jesus said “you will recognise them by their fruits”.’ Mat 7:46.’
I hope you all enjoyed this chapter... I look forward to hearing your thoughts on it.
I was amazed at how young they were and how much they had achieved at such an early age. Page 16 'In 1723 at age nineteen, Jonathan had already graduated from Yale and had been a pastor in New York for a year.’ They met in 1723 when Sarah was 13 (pg 17), by 1725 Sarah was 15 when they were engaged (pg 18), and they were married in 1727 (pg 18), she was 17 years old.
A Faithful Wife: Sarah reminded us very much of Luther’s Katie. Like Katie, she managed the whole household, whilst allowing her husband to fucus on his duties and studies. Jonathan seemed similar to Luther ‘I have had very affecting views of hole mind in a kind of loud weeping… so that I have often been forced to shut myself up.’ Page 21. But she adapted to his needs and supported him in such a way that he could do all he needed without any encumbrance.
Like the Proverbs 31 woman ‘she spared no pains in conforming to his inclination and rendering everything in the family agreeable and pleasant.’ Page 21, as Samuel Hopkins observed… 'Edwards found at home one who was in every sense a help mate for him, one who made their common dwelling the abode of order and neatness, or peace and comfort, of harmony and love, to all its inmates, and of kindness and hospitality to the friend the visitant and the stranger.' Page 26.
Do we support and help our husbands as faithfully?
The Mother: Sarah was careful in the training of her children, Samel Hopkins observed ‘She had an excellent way of governing her children; she knew how to make them regard and obey her cheerfully, without loud angry words, much less heavy blows… If any correction was necessary, she did not administer it in a passion, and when she had occasion to reprove and rebuke she would do it in a few words, without warmth [that is vehemence] and noise…Her system of discipline was begun at a very early age and it was her rule to resist the first, as well as every subsequent exhibition of temper or disobedience in the child… wisely reflecting that until a child will obey his parents he can never be brought to obey God.’ Page 24.
In today’s politically correct world that tells us that physical chastisement and careful discipline will squash our children’s personality and damage them emotionally it was encouraging to read that ‘ Their Children were eleven different people, proving that her discipline did not squash their personalities.’ Page 24
Sarah prayed for her children and was concerned for their spiritual well being… ‘for her children she constantly and earnestly prayed and bore them on her heart before God… and that even before they were born’. Page 24. She also endevoured to be a good example and role model to her children ‘she made it her rule to speak well of all, so far she could with truth and justice to herself and others.' Page 26.
Are we careful of the role model we set for our children?
We also saw that they spoke to their children about very serious matters that is very uncommon today. ‘When Jonathan wrote to his children, he often reminded them not morbidly, but almost as a matter of fact – how close death might be. For Jonathan, the reality of death led automatically to the need for eternal life. He wrote to their ten year old Jonathan Jr. about the death of a playmate. “This is a loud call of god to you to prepare for death…Never give yourself any rest unless you have good evidence that you are converted and become a new creature” ’. Page 33. The ever-present sense of death and eternity is foreign to us today, and yet, just as real… we may not face the threats they did, but we could still be hit by a car tomorrow.
It is amazing to think of the far reaching effects of Sarah’s faithfulness down throw the generations. As we see on page 22 the achievements of her descendants.
Sarah’s Experience: Having experienced the Charismatic and Pentecostal movements, reading about Sarah’s experience was a little uncomfortable, but I felt that Noels comments about it were insightful, and I think we can err on both sides, we can say that it was merely a mental breakdown, or that it was “enthusiasm” to use Edwards own expression. But the way it changed Sarah seems to indicate a true spiritual encounter, rather than the superficial experience often seen in the Charismatic/Pentecostal movement, which in many cases does not effect much change in the person. Page 31 ‘Sarah’s life was different after these weeks – different in the ways you would expect after God has specially visited someone. Jesus said “you will recognise them by their fruits”.’ Mat 7:46.’
I hope you all enjoyed this chapter... I look forward to hearing your thoughts on it.
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