My Granddaughter and I came virtually to Southern Lights. ! We are so glad we did! Even though we are only three hours away from St. Simon the trip would have been hard for us. We loved t he flexibility of being at home and doing pick up for meals. She spent the weekend with us so we could do the conference ! Abided by the rules , my husband did his thing so there were only two of us watching. Its Tuesday when are the recordings coming out? Oh and the Sunday Musings read was a wonderful reminder No matter our age t he call is Come and see!" and maybe a large part of our ministry in retirement is we can intentionally come see and then act! As always thank you for all the hard work and musings too! Inspiration to live by!
Dear Diana, Thank you for such great clarity about the call to discipleship not being to go and do, but instead to come and see. I needed that this very day.
I love your emphasis on light and on relationship. When we "come and see," we are entering into relationship with the Lord. If we come bowed down with shame, He shines his gracious light of love and acceptance, but some people come feeling overly full of themselves, those who have it all together or think they do. Sometimes they need conviction of their pride. Jesus still loves them, but they may need to see themselves more honestly. I have been there to a degree. Conviction and awareness of sin can also be freeing if it leads to depending on God more and not relying on self.
Southern Lights was wonderful and I could only do the Zoom. I registered for next year and hope to go in person. I am trying to find the song we ended with Going Home another Way. All I can find is the James Taylor one. I am sure you are getting turned around and who knows what is next for you, so no hurry but if you could put that somewhere, I would appreciate it.
Thanks, Richard! I remember this site from something with Diana. I have bookmarked it. Appreciate your quick reply as I want to use this with my Enneagram group next week.
Today we learn the teaching of Jesus to be the message of our own recovery. It’s possible, we can allow & accept our own self doubt & insecurity. It’s okay. We’re okay. We’re human just like Nathaniel. There’s something very freeing to realize our own humanity. We’re not perfect , what a relief. To really get that Jesus is cheering us out of hiding . Perhaps encouraging us to let go of our old beliefs and to accept every part of ourselves. Is this an epiphany? It’s mine this week.
Yes, yes, yes! Epiphany season never felt so good. I would have liked to be there at Southern Lights, but this reflection on the Nathaniel story is light and healing enough for the whole season.
"Seeing is following." Oh, my. My Protestant church is indeed very busy, and I can't keep up, though I love them all and bask in pastoral counter-messages to take time to reflect. But I think it was in the writings of Hugh Prather that I found encouragement to see that "what I do is enough."
Thank you for these insightful words. I’m reading “Freeing Jesus” right now. I just finished the Savior chapter. I’m pondering and being filled by the words I’m reading.
Epiphany is one of my favorite seasons, like you I love Advent but I lean toward rolling it in with the season of Epiphany. To me it's one long extraordinary season. Your writing today captured everything so fully and completely, bringing it all full circle (great homily material in there).
Thank you for always being that light that shines on the path, no matter the direction.
Before I reconciled with the church (after a rebellion and an absence) I used be creeped out by the Psalms that said God sees us wherever we go. As if God were a stalker. We sang/chanted Psalm 139 today in church and I felt held by it. So much has changed in my relationship to God. And yet, reading your piece gave me new insights on the subject of being "seen" by God. So much richness here. Thank you!
I love the season of Epiphany and have never forgotten from my seminary days the sequence of growth and promise in John’s presentation of Jesus’s invitations to his disciples: 1) Come and see. 2) See and believe. 3) Believe and see. My hope “for such a time as this”!
GOD Bless! The older I get, but with GOD’S help, the more clearly I see. I still have a long way to go, but rely on HIM to take me where HE wants me to go.
This is so beautiful, so meaningful to me today. I took solace in today’s portions of Psalm 139 as I wrote the accompanying prayer for our congregation. The idea that God SEES us, already, all-knowing, felt like such a needed comfort to me this week. I’ve been dealing with shame and anxiety all week (all month?) and this reflection you’ve given us here really...sees me. Thank you!
RE: Every person called to follow is called, first and foremost, to come and see (and be).
This statement reminds me of one you previously made (about the thee Bs for faith, which I treasure: be-long ("come" into a group of believers); be-have (which I translate to fake it till you make it/do as believers do), be-lieve.
Thanks for opening up/widening the path for/to belief.
My Granddaughter and I came virtually to Southern Lights. ! We are so glad we did! Even though we are only three hours away from St. Simon the trip would have been hard for us. We loved t he flexibility of being at home and doing pick up for meals. She spent the weekend with us so we could do the conference ! Abided by the rules , my husband did his thing so there were only two of us watching. Its Tuesday when are the recordings coming out? Oh and the Sunday Musings read was a wonderful reminder No matter our age t he call is Come and see!" and maybe a large part of our ministry in retirement is we can intentionally come see and then act! As always thank you for all the hard work and musings too! Inspiration to live by!
Dear Diana, Thank you for such great clarity about the call to discipleship not being to go and do, but instead to come and see. I needed that this very day.
I love your emphasis on light and on relationship. When we "come and see," we are entering into relationship with the Lord. If we come bowed down with shame, He shines his gracious light of love and acceptance, but some people come feeling overly full of themselves, those who have it all together or think they do. Sometimes they need conviction of their pride. Jesus still loves them, but they may need to see themselves more honestly. I have been there to a degree. Conviction and awareness of sin can also be freeing if it leads to depending on God more and not relying on self.
I loved the connection of Adam, Nathaniel, and the fig leaf.....wonderful insight...
Southern Lights was wonderful and I could only do the Zoom. I registered for next year and hope to go in person. I am trying to find the song we ended with Going Home another Way. All I can find is the James Taylor one. I am sure you are getting turned around and who knows what is next for you, so no hurry but if you could put that somewhere, I would appreciate it.
https://m.soundcloud.com/christopher-grundy/take-us-home-by-another-way-live-demo
Thanks, Richard! I remember this site from something with Diana. I have bookmarked it. Appreciate your quick reply as I want to use this with my Enneagram group next week.
Yes, Diana had linked the song before in her Epiphany post, which is how I found it quickly. Good song; hope the group enjoyed it.
I’m so grateful to have found the Cottage.
Every week I get inspired! Your teaching opens my mind & my heart.
I read others comments and I feel I belong,
I have found my place!
Thank you💖
Diana,
Today we learn the teaching of Jesus to be the message of our own recovery. It’s possible, we can allow & accept our own self doubt & insecurity. It’s okay. We’re okay. We’re human just like Nathaniel. There’s something very freeing to realize our own humanity. We’re not perfect , what a relief. To really get that Jesus is cheering us out of hiding . Perhaps encouraging us to let go of our old beliefs and to accept every part of ourselves. Is this an epiphany? It’s mine this week.
Thank you.
Yes, yes, yes! Epiphany season never felt so good. I would have liked to be there at Southern Lights, but this reflection on the Nathaniel story is light and healing enough for the whole season.
"Seeing is following." Oh, my. My Protestant church is indeed very busy, and I can't keep up, though I love them all and bask in pastoral counter-messages to take time to reflect. But I think it was in the writings of Hugh Prather that I found encouragement to see that "what I do is enough."
Thank you for these insightful words. I’m reading “Freeing Jesus” right now. I just finished the Savior chapter. I’m pondering and being filled by the words I’m reading.
'Come and see' meant so much to me today - thank you. Also all your posts from the beginning of Advent have been so insightful - I have loved them.
Epiphany is one of my favorite seasons, like you I love Advent but I lean toward rolling it in with the season of Epiphany. To me it's one long extraordinary season. Your writing today captured everything so fully and completely, bringing it all full circle (great homily material in there).
Thank you for always being that light that shines on the path, no matter the direction.
Before I reconciled with the church (after a rebellion and an absence) I used be creeped out by the Psalms that said God sees us wherever we go. As if God were a stalker. We sang/chanted Psalm 139 today in church and I felt held by it. So much has changed in my relationship to God. And yet, reading your piece gave me new insights on the subject of being "seen" by God. So much richness here. Thank you!
I love the season of Epiphany and have never forgotten from my seminary days the sequence of growth and promise in John’s presentation of Jesus’s invitations to his disciples: 1) Come and see. 2) See and believe. 3) Believe and see. My hope “for such a time as this”!
GOD Bless! The older I get, but with GOD’S help, the more clearly I see. I still have a long way to go, but rely on HIM to take me where HE wants me to go.
This is so beautiful, so meaningful to me today. I took solace in today’s portions of Psalm 139 as I wrote the accompanying prayer for our congregation. The idea that God SEES us, already, all-knowing, felt like such a needed comfort to me this week. I’ve been dealing with shame and anxiety all week (all month?) and this reflection you’ve given us here really...sees me. Thank you!
RE: Every person called to follow is called, first and foremost, to come and see (and be).
This statement reminds me of one you previously made (about the thee Bs for faith, which I treasure: be-long ("come" into a group of believers); be-have (which I translate to fake it till you make it/do as believers do), be-lieve.
Thanks for opening up/widening the path for/to belief.