Dear Friends
It’s September, which means some of us will feel busy until the 27th December! September marks the beginning of a new academic year. For some it will bring a fresh start, bustle and hard work, this is to be celebrated.
For the Christian, this sense of new ventures should be celebrated but we must be careful to retain our devotional life. I enjoy the brief story of Martha and Mary welcoming Jesus to their house in Luke 10:38-42, read Peterson’s paraphrase below.
38-40 As they continued their travel, Jesus entered a village. A woman by the name of Martha welcomed him and made him feel quite at home. She had a sister, Mary, who sat before the Master, hanging on every word he said. But Martha was pulled away by all she had to do in the kitchen. Later, she stepped in, interrupting them. “Master, don’t you care that my sister has abandoned the kitchen to me? Tell her to lend me a hand.” 41-42 The Master said, “Martha, dear Martha, you’re fussing far too much and getting yourself worked up over nothing. One thing only is essential, and Mary has chosen it—it’s the main course, and won’t be taken from her.” (The Message)
Two different people serving Jesus in differing ways. In the medieval book on prayer, the Cloud of Unknowing, the author uses the sisters to classify two types of people in the church, the author writes,
Friend, all the actions, words and looks that passed between our Lord and these two sisters serve as a lesson to all actives and contemplatives that have lived within the Church since then and shall do until the Day of Judgement.
We live in a very different world to the Cloud of Unknowing, written over half a millennia ago. The opportunity for people to enter the contemplative monastic life isn’t regularly sought or entered. Today, mightn’t we embrace the opportunity for each of us to be both active and contemplative, enjoying the bustle of life and all its possibilities but making sure we take time to sit with Jesus, ‘hanging on every word’ and even enjoying the silent waiting that devotion offers.
Enjoy the ride but try and balance action and devotion within your Christian life, it is our privilege to gaze into the face of Christ.
God bless
Gavin