Letter from Aaron Kennedy – Vicar of Otley Parish Churc

Can you remember your first experience of God? (If you haven’t had one yet, only seek and you will find!) My first experience of God was in my bedroom at 14 years old, praying desperately for help. I was unhappy, and so it seemed was my whole family. There was no pressure valve, no distraction, nothing to numb the pain. So, I prayed myself to sleep every night that week. And God heard my prayer! Suddenly, as tears streamed down my face, my room, and my heart, were flooded with God’s healing peace, light and love. It brought me to life and put in me a desire for God that I cannot forget. I need more experiences of God in my life!

Yes, even though I have the Holy Spirit living in me, there is a further need for the manifest presence of God. I get distracted, tired, and begin to die spiritually, and the answer is always to go back to the source of my life, Jesus.

Psalm 34 tells us to ‘taste and see that the Lord is good’ – to experience him – and that we are ‘blessed when we take refuge in him’. Isaiah says that ‘they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength.’ But God is not only interested in knowing us individually; collectively, we are the body of Christ, so of course we must be full of Christ!

Perhaps the great theme of the Bible is God’s desire to be Emmanuel, God-with-us. From his strolls in Eden’s cool evenings with Adam and Eve, to his presence dwelling palpably in the Ark of the Covenant, and later Solomon’s Temple; to the incarnation of God’s son, and his pouring out of the Holy Spirit upon all believers, birthing the church: God’s desire is to be with us. Yes, in that fundamental sense in which we simply wouldn’t exist as the church without the Holy Spirit, but also in the manifest sense. The palpablesense of God’s presence. This is what happens in a revival – we are revivified, re-energised.

Charles Finney warns us that, ‘If the presence of God is in the church, the church will draw the world in. If the presence of God is not in the church, the world will draw the church out.’ In other words, if our chief purpose ceases to be hosting the manifest presence of God, we will lose our impact on the world around us. And in fact, that impact is reversed. The world is desperately in need of a church that fulfils its God-given purpose to bring the light of the Gospel to bear on it. So, we must not fail in this.

Psalm 34 continues: ‘Fear the Lord, you his holy people, for those who fear him lack nothing.’ This is not the fear of a dangerous, volatile tyrant.but a deep respect for and desire to please our loving, self-sacrificing God. When we do fear God we will be revived.

But, like you and I, God only comes where he’s wanted. So, how can we show God that he is wanted – in our personal lives, our family lives, our collective life? Well, God has told us:

 “…if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”  2 Chronicles 7:14

God’s desire is to be with us, to manifest his presence to us, to heal our land. Let us do all we can to make him welcome.

 

Letter From Tom Raper – Churchwarden of Otley Parish Church

Recently we were staying on the Northumberland coast in a tiny cottage that looks across towards Cuthbert Island and Lindisfarne. Here you become conscious of the daily rhythm of the tide covering and exposing the extensive mudflats. Autumn was just arriving with wildfowl in the tens of thousands coming back from a summer in the Arctic.

At night all we could see were navigation lights interspersed with the regular flash of the Longstone Lighthouse on the Outer Farne. The nighttime sounds were beautiful with wildfowl calling, seals howling as they gather to have pups and the crashing of waves on Lindisfarne. It’s a timeless reminder that this is still the Lindisfarne of St Cuthbert.

The rhythm of the tides made me think about the similar rhythm of attending church in Otley with the sending out at the end of each service. We gather to become the body of Christ and just as the tide comes in at Lindisfarne and refreshes the shores, so we too are refreshed, renewed and restored. As Christ said, “when two or more people are gathered together in my name, I am with you”.

As the tide goes out the wildfowl feed on the mudflats in their thousands. It’s quite a spectacle of colour, sound and movement. It’s as if the whole of Creation is saying thanks to The Creator. Our sending out from church is in the power of the Holy Spirit. We say, “send us out in the power of your Spirit to live and work to your praise and glory”. I think this is probably the most important part of our church services.

Leaving church, just like the receding tide, we can be filled with awe and wonder and also with thanks to our Creator God. But how can we communicate this to others, and how do we spread the Good News about Jesus? St Cuthbert spent his life walking and preaching throughout Northumberland to the sick and poor, and performing miracles; he lived a humble life. It’s difficult for us to do that today although we too can be saints like Cuthbert. One definition of a saint is – ordinary people who can do extraordinary things. In our own modest ways perhaps, that is achievable for us all in the sending out.

You may recall our church weekend away at Swanwick earlier this year, when our speakers talked about Frontlines in our everyday lives where there’s an opportunity to tell others about Jesus. I have been challenged while thinking about this and recently stumbled upon a book title, “How to Talk about Jesus Without Looking like an Idiot”. I thought, that’s for me! The book is described as a no nonsense panic free guide to having natural conversations with your friends and family about your faith. The author, Andy Bannister, described himself in his younger days as being an undercover Christian. Telling others about Jesus was for the professionals and it wasn’t for him.

When it comes to sharing our faith many of us do panic. We’re nervous and being an evangelist is scary. I haven’t got all the answers to this, but I think bringing this out into the open helps others to think ‘that’s how I feel as well’.  In the book, the author describes some simple steps to overcome these fears. An example being through conversation simply stating that reminds me of something Jesus said, something Jesus did, of a story Jesus told. Finally, the Gospel or Good News can only be spread by us talking to others – just like the rhythm of the tides at Lindisfarne as we gather, and are then sent out.

Letter from Aaron Kennedy – Vicar of Otley Parish Church

I wonder what comes to mind when you read the words “Prayer Meeting”? Do you say to yourself, “Oh no, not for me – stifling, awkward silences? No thanks”. Or perhaps you think, “Sitting in a room for an hour with strait-laced, po-faced keenies? I’d rather clean the oven!” Or perhaps your internal monologue goes like this, “Talking to God with other people? I don’t even do that very much on my own! No thanks – and I hate speaking in front of a large group!”

Of course, it’s always possible that you say, “Yes! I am hungry for more of God in my life, and I want to see his kingdom come in Otley. Get me to the church on time!”

Even if you were willing to attend a prayer meeting, you may also freely admit that it can be awkward, boring, and uncomfortable at times. Well, I don’t think prayer meetings need to be like that, and I have a few suggestions about how we might avoid that in the future. (Yes, we’re launching a new church prayer meeting very soon, so watch this space for details.)

1. Come in Faith. We must come to prayer in faith. Whether we are praying individually or in a group, if we come to pray believing that God hears our prayer and has the power the answer it, we are off to a good start. So, check yourself. Am I allowing my mind to be filled with unfounded doubts and negativity towards God, or am I coming to him in faith? Nothing will happen in prayer without faith!
2. Come Full. Prayer meetings are not where we come to get topped up in our walk with God. If we come to a prayer meeting hoping to get our walk with God back on track, especially if this is true for many of those gathering, we are guaranteed to have an awkward, boring, and uncomfortable time together, wondering, “Why did we put ourselves through this?!” So, if we all come to the prayer meeting overflowing with strong praise, and hopeful petition, we’ll have a more fruitful time.
3. Up! For many of us a prayer meeting involves taking turns, and speaking out loud to ask God for things from a long list of wants. This is intercessory prayer, technically, but if all we think about in a meeting are our needs, we will be terribly aware of what we don’t have. This is depressing, and makes for a torturous prayer meeting. Rather, if we first lift our eyes to heaven in praise and worship, we will then have a vision for prayer.
4. In! A prayer meeting without Jesus is pointless. But he promises us, “Where two or three are gathered together in my name, I am there in the midst of them” – Matthew 18:20. And so, the Lord will want to minister to us, his people, to strengthen us and empower us to carry his presence into the world, so an essential part of a prayer meeting is listening carefully to the Holy Spirit who may speak through Scripture, a picture or word, to encourage, guide and direct us. That is both exciting and empowering!
5. Out! Having placed ourselves in an awareness of God’s presence and goodness through praise, and received from him in ourselves, we are then in a place to reach out to the world around us in prayer.

Boring? Awkward? Uncomfortable? No thanks! Let’s come in faith, come already full of God, to look up, in and then out. Let’s pray!

• Look out for details of forthcoming prayer meetings coming soon!

Letter from Jackie Hird
Licensed Lay Minister at Otley Parish Church

How was your Summer? Did you manage to get some rest and relaxation and enjoy some sunshine? Did you enjoy some time away from your normal activities to recharge? Or perhaps the interruption in normal routines during the holiday season left you with longer than usual days and less company. I know some have welcomed a new baby into their family, whilst others have experienced the pain of losing a loved one.

Now it is September, and we are on our way to Autumn. For younger families the main event is the start of a new term with transitions to new classes, meeting new teachers and maybe even new schools. You may have family members who are experiencing this. We have several members of our church family going to school for the very first time. Or for older ones it is the huge leap that is going to university. We hope that all these adjustments go well for all involved.

Although it’s a while since I had a child at school, I still live life according to the “terms”.  September still feels like a new year to me. A chance to review what is ahead and consider what new things I wish to embark on, what old things I want to do better and what things I need to let go. Judging by the brochures posted through our letterbox advertising day and evening classes I am not alone, as others seek new opportunities. I could learn to crochet or learn to paint with water colours or begin to learn Japanese. I won’t be doing any of them!

If you, like me, have a new year feel and are considering new activities perhaps you might like to look closer to home. Do you have a friendly disposition, a ready smile and attend our morning service regularly. Well, we would love to have you as part of our Welcome and Hospitality team either as a welcomer or preparing and serving refreshments. Or how about offering to help with Sunday Club? There are “Teaching Assistant” roles available, so you don’t need to lead, but be present as a supportive grown up. Or here is a vacancy many of us have the skills for – the cleaning team. You just need a basic level of fitness and a servant heart. Dusters and toilet cleaner are provided!

So, new term and new me! Except it’s still the old me just wanting to do better and probably by day three realising I am failing already! Thank goodness for a chance to repent and start afresh every day. I am grateful to be following Jesus who loves me and knows my weaknesses and delights in lending me His strength. One area I am going to try to do better with is “Sacred”, the daily bible reading scheme some of us are following. If like me, you have fallen behind over the summer then why not join me and jump back on board. Don’t waste energy feeling like you have failed, just have another go and let’s discover what God might be saying to us, both individually and as a Church in this new term. Speak Lord, for we are listening.

Letter from Aaron Kennedy – Vicar of Otley Parish Church

As I write this, football’s European Championships are well underway followed by a series of exciting weekends of international rugby union tests await (Ireland of course looking strong as world No. 2 – just saying!) and topped off beautifully by the Olympics later in July and August.

Our dear brother in Christ, Ray Dunn, died this week and I can’t help making the connection between this fine gentleman, who was himself a serious football fan, and the life we are all called to live by God through his son Jesus. As anyone who knew Ray – even just a little – would know he was a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit; who exuded joy, contentment and confidence – and he finished his race well.

There are three things that Ray or any Christian has in common with a professional athlete, and one really big difference. Let’s look at each in turn:

First, like an athlete, Christians need to know their identity. This isn’t really a problem for athletes; they tend to have a firm grasp of who they are and who the name on the team sheet says they are. As Christians, however, it is possible to forget that our identity is in Christ. This is partly because God is invisible (we lack the visual reminder), and because the enemy we face is not on the field of play, working within the rules, being refereed on the spot; rather he is also invisible, completely ruthless, utterly immoral, and a master deceiver, who will not be brought to heel finally until “full-time”.

So, we must routinely remind ourselves who we are: not our own, but bought and paid for by Christ; sons and daughters of God; holy, blameless and beyond reproach in God’s sight. I could go on – and we must daily settle ourselves in these truths, for our life flows from them.

The second commonality between Christians and athletes is that we are in training. Knowing who we are gives us our purpose and goal and so we live accordingly. If your goal as an athlete is to perform at the Euros, the Olympics, in international rugby, or whatever, you must act accordingly: eat well, sleep well, show up for training, discipline your bodies, be a good teammate, play to the best of your ability. Likewise, for us as Christians, when we know who we are, we act accordingly: as God’s beloved children, we love him back by obeying his commandments. When our awareness of who we are slips, our behaviour will follow suit.

Which brings me to my third commonality: Christians and athletes are focused on a prize, or a goal. As an athlete that will be the next big competition; as Christians that must be the return of King Jesus (1 Peter 1.13). Any ultimate goal that falls short of this is a deception of the enemy. Let’s keep our eyes on the prize and not be disqualified!

The great difference Christians enjoy, as compared to the world of athletics, is that we have already been accepted, we are already more than conquerors. We can run our race safe in the knowledge that the outcome is secure. Because of Jesus’ sacrifice, the debt we owe is paid and our new identity as beloved children of God frees us to run our race with joy, confidence and contentment – just like our brother Ray.

I pray that you will enjoy the summer months, whether or not you are a sports fan, and that you run your race with the freedom of one who, because of Jesus and God’s great love, is already enough, is already loved, accepted, delighted in and cherished.

Letter From Tom Raper – Churchwarden of Otley Parish Church

Our town of Otley has a great tradition of the Chevin Cross which is erected each year two weeks before Easter, staying in place for four weeks. Taking part in putting up the Cross is great fun with a bit of hard work made light by many hands. People come together to help – folk with faith and folk with little or no faith; it doesn’t seem to matter. Hauling up the Cross on the cables as a team you often hear conversations, some of which are brief but often they are about faith. Frequently I hear, “I’m not religious, but doing this is really special as it means such a lot”.

Putting up the Cross each year is special. It’s a great witness to Jesus who through His death and resurrection has done it all for us. It’s a symbol of hope which can be seen from many homes in Otley over Easter. Pictures of the Cross going up often make the news throughout the region including the local television news.

I wonder how we can all keep this symbol of hope alive and, indeed, how as the church community of Otley Parish Church we can remain Easter People? To be an Easter person means to rejoice – to live in remembrance of Easter and what it means for us! Jesus’ death and resurrection on the cross 2000 years ago was an historical event, not a myth or a fairy tale. It means that we are able to have JOY because we know that the ultimate battle has been won for us on the Cross. Two weeks after Easter Day when the Chevin Cross comes down, it can feel that the symbol of hope and protection over Otley has gone! I know that sounds silly, but that’s how it can feel.

Recently, Eric Cairns preached about the power of the Holy Spirit and how the Spirit is a gift from God to each one of us. I think you can actually discern the Spirit moving and working through the group gathered together when putting up the Chevin Cross. At House Group the other week we discussed our experiences of listening to God and the times in our lives when this happened. Almost everyone felt that they heard the voice of God through listening to other people. Listening to the chats when hauling up the Chevin Cross there’s always an opportunity to tell others, “I worship at Otley Parish Church and it’s a great place to be”.

As Christians we can have many conversations in our everyday lives with people about faith and about going to church. Some people just want to know more about what it means to be a Christian. Perhaps these are the sounds of tiny mustard seeds falling. Jesus’ Parable of the Mustard Seed compares the Kingdom of God with the smallest seeds on earth. When it grows it becomes the greatest of all shrubs and puts forth large branches so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.

Listening to God is often described as the Still Small Voice. Wherever we may be in our daily lives there is a constant opportunity to proclaim His greatness and mercy. This small voice can occur anytime in our conversations with others. By listening to what we hear and discerning the still small voice, and whenever we can, acting upon it provides the compost for the mustard seeds to germinate and grow!!

Next Easter if you are able to please do come and help to put up the Chevin Cross, or just come to watch. You never know how many mustard seeds of faith you might be helping to grow.

 

Letter from Aaron Kennedy – Vicar of Otley Parish Church

We have now reached the end of the Easter season and are staring down the barrel of a long window of Ordinary Time – a name for the periods of church life without any great liturgical moments to look forward to. But be not dismayed, for all is not as it seems. In fact, the adventure of church life is about to begin!

Ordinary Time begins after Pentecost, and anyone with a bit of Bible knowledge will know that it all kicked off for the followers of Jesus, in a serious way, at Pentecost. But more on that in a moment.

Remember the little book called Surprise the World? This was our Lent study focus. The book encourages us to develop five habits that will help us fulfil Jesus’ Great Commission, his sending out of all his followers to go and make disciples. Using the acronym BELLS, it helped us focus on being a people on mission with Jesus, by prayerfully considering how we might bless others (B), practice table hospitality with others (E for eat), listen to the Holy Spirit (L) and learn Christ (L), all grounded in the habit of journaling all we are learning about being sent (S).

Well, we are going to pick up on this theme again over the next 6 months by undertaking a study of the book of the Acts of the Apostles (or ‘sent ones’), which will take us all the way through to All Saints Sunday at the start of November.

Famously, the Apostles’ acts actually began with the giving of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. The risen Jesus had been encouraging and teaching his followers for 40 days until he ascended through the clouds (think of the smoke of incense filling the Holy of Holies, in the tabernacle or the temple – Jesus was going back to the throne room of heaven from where he now reigns!), and then 10 days later, BANG, King Jesus pours out his Spirit from on high, the church is empowered and is sent out into the world on mission with the Spirit, demonstrating the power of God as they went. Exciting times (although accompanied by great persecution too)!

There are two words for ‘sent’ in the New Testament: apostille which is where we get Apostles, carrying the sense of ‘sending’ a letter; and ekballo which means to hurl or cast out. This is the word Matthew uses to describe Jesus’ casting out of demons, which makes sense. There are two other more curious uses. First, Mark uses it to describe Jesus being sent into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit where he faces his temptations – implying this is how the Spirit can lead us. But second, Jesus uses it in Matthew 9:37 & 38:The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few; therefore, pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out (ekballo!) labourers into His harvest.

I have three invitations for you as we begin to walk this journey through Acts together:

1. Connect with Jesus’ heart for a world that is harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd, and pray that the Lord of the harvest would send out labourers into his harvest. When he sends us, we are ekballoed!
2. Read the book of Acts several times over the course of the next few months, ideally in one or two sittings, so you can get a feel for the whole book.
3. Revisit Surprise the World (the free PDF was emailed out by Kevin before the start of Lent) and refresh your commitment to live in obedience to the command of Jesus to go!

 

Letter From Kevin Keefe – Churchwarden of Otley Parish Church

Most people like springtime with more daylight, and things warming up a bit. Also, plants and trees coming into flower, birds nesting and signs of new life all around us. We worship the God who made everything as we marvel at the awesome handiwork of his creation which surrounds us.

In recent months we have celebrated Christmas – Christ’s birth in human form – and Easter -Christ’s death for us on the cross, his victory over death and his rising to new life. It’s right that we celebrate these special festivals that mark the key moments in what we believe, and cause us to remember again the great sacrifice that Jesus made for us all. Each of us hearing this good news message has the opportunity to invite Jesus into our lives as our personal Saviour and to live in his presence in the eternal Kingdom of God. How amazing is that?

But, as if that’s not enough, of course it doesn’t end there. For while we exist in God’s presence now, we won’t enter the fullness of God’s heavenly Kingdom until Jesus comes again. Then there will be a new heaven and a new earth and the cares, worries and pains of this world will be gone as we move into the full presence of God (Revelation 21:1-4).

In a few more weeks we shall be celebrating Pentecost when, as Jesus promised (John 14:26), God sent his Holy Spirit to empower his followers:
“When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place… They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit…” (Acts 2). And even more than this, Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit would be with us forever (John14:16).

So while we are in this interim period between the first and second coming of Jesus, we have the Holy Spirit to guide and empower us through the storms and troubles of life. He enters our hearts when we invite Jesus in to be our personal Saviour. Over time, however, the things of this world can gradually crowd in on us and push God’s Spirit into the background and we can find that we suddenly arrive at Pentecost again and we are talking about Holy Spirit things. But the Holy Spirit is for the whole of life, for now, for today. We don’t have to wait for the once-a-year celebration to revisit the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives; we can ask Him in to refill, refresh and renew us now.

Throughout this last year or so, Aaron Kennedy has led us through a course of studies looking at how we can experience the transformative power of Jesus Christ through developing intentional habits and spiritual disciplines – creating a personal rule of life. For many members of Otley Parish Church this will be something already aspired to for many years – parts of what we have been studying will have become second nature. But hopefully, we have all been given much to think about and put into practice as we try to deepen our relationship with God and walk more closely with Him – giving greater opportunity to hear what He has to say to us and His response to the concerns of our hearts. We want to grow in us the fruits of the Spirit and receive the gifts of the Spirit so that we can be a blessing to others, helping minister towards healing and wholeness, seeking life in all its fullness in the now and not yet, arousing interest and spreading Light in the darkness.

So, we aspire to each to be changed as much as those gathered at that first Pentecost, so that we can indeed, like them, “arise as Christ’s church in the power of the Holy Spirit”.

Letter from Aaron Kennedy – Vicar of Otley Parish Church

Lent is a time of preparation when, historically, those who had fallen from the faith could be prepared for readmittance. That’s right – in the ancient church, when one denied Christ under persecution, or fell into sin, one would have been excluded from fellowship. If one decided to repent (turn away from) their sins, this was always possible. But failures were not simply brushed under the carpet; they were acknowledged and repented of publicly, and the process of restoration was very deliberate. 40 days of fasting, prayer, and Bible study were prescribed; not as punishment, but – and this is key – for healing.

These are the words of an ancient prayer concerning Lent:

Now is the healing time decreed
For sins of heart and word and deed,
When we in humble fear record
The wrong that we have done the Lord.
(Latin, before 12th century)

However, it was not only those who had fallen away that were encouraged to keep Lent in this way – all members of the church used this time (as they say in Alcoholics Anonymous) to “take a personal inventory” of how they had been living and to ask the Lord, as David did, to “search me and know me, see if there is any wicked way in me” (Psalm 139).

It is interesting to consider that, on the one hand, we 21st century Western Christians who live without (widespread) persecution find all of this quite foreign, while on the other, the ancient Christians who were persecuted and often in fear for their lives, evolved and adopted this way of living – as an application of the Gospel to their lives. It may not surprise you to know that the ancient church was vital, alive, passionate and growing voraciously, even as many were martyred (dying at the stake, or in flames, etc). We don’t compare very favourably, on the whole, as we squirm and fret over the language of sin, holiness, repentance, etc.

The church today is of course in a time of decline. And that decline is undoubtedly a function of our compromise with the values of the world around us. We are not characterised so much by the mind of Christ, but by the values of the world we live in. Many Christians in the west are what Jesus, in Revelation, described as ‘lukewarm’, saying that he desired to spit such Christians out of his mouth (chapter 3 verse 16).

Many of us have been led to believe that notions of evil and sin are really overstated, that talk of the devil and demons and angels is all nonsense – a spiritualisation of psychological problems or mere chemical imbalances in the brain. This is, of course, a successful strategy of the Satan, rendering us undefended and helpless on the battlefield. Until we realise the truth of our circumstances, we will remain dominated and defeated by the evil one, and fail to enter into the abundant life and freedom that Jesus came into this world to give us.

My prayer for us all this Lent is that we may get “tooled up”, so to speak, with a good rule of life which includes wearing the full armour of God (see Ephesians 6:10-17) and engaging in spiritual practices like those we are exploring in our Lent study – Surprise the World. These are not only defensive, but also offensive responses to the kingdom of darkness. And when we arise as a church in the power of the Holy Spirit, fully trained, competent and ‘thoroughly equipped for every good work’ (2 Timothy 3:17), the forces of darkness will begin to quake, and the Kingdom of Light, of our Lord, Jesus Christ, will advance, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it (Matthew 16:18). Arise, O Church, this Lent!

Letter from Jackie Hird
Licensed Lay Minister at Otley Parish Church

Recently I have become interested in the Enneagram and was able to attend a day’s workshop looking at it from a Christian perspective. If you haven’t heard of it, the Enneagram is a tool to help you understand your personality. Other tools are available! What attracted me was that as well as helping you to understand more about your personality, it gives insight into how you are likely to behave when living your best life and conversely what may be your downfalls at times of stress. It focuses on helping you on a journey of transformation.

That’s a theme we have been learning a lot about in church recently. Our series on “The Good and Beautiful God” and The “Good and Beautiful Life” have been about helping us, as disciples of Jesus, become more like Him. Following Jesus takes us on a journey of spiritual transformation. We have been introduced to a word that has fallen out of fashion – Sanctification – being set apart for a special purpose, being Holy. I am sure this is something most of us want.

However, you being transformed and becoming holy, will look different from me and from your best friend and from Aaron. I wonder, if like me, you ever look at another Christian and think, “if only I was like them”? Aspiring to follow good examples is fine, but thinking I can be just like them when my personality is completely different will never work. What I need to be is transformed into the best version of me, not someone else.

Of course, we do not all have to have a Myers-Briggs Profile or know which Enneagram number we are, but understanding ourselves and appreciating who God has made us to be is necessary if we want to grow and develop and progress on our spiritual transformation. We are all, “Fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm139 verse 14). We are all made in the image of God; all unique, special and loved by our Heavenly Father. You may be meek and mild and gentle. You may be loud and boisterous and challenging. You may be brimming with confidence or be fearful and hesitant. God made you and loves you and will not change you into someone else. But he can help you be the best version of you.

I recently heard the process of sanctification described in this way: a skilled artist painted a beautiful picture, a masterpiece of dazzling beauty. It was hung on a gallery wall and was admired. Over time the picture collected dust, then grease and grime. The sunlight damaged it and it got a tear in the corner of the canvas. Those who saw it still thought it lovely. One day a restorer took it down and started work. She painstakingly stripped away the layers of dirt and repaired the damage and revealed its original beauty. People gasped when they saw its beauty, saw the picture as the artist had intended it to be. They had always thought it beautiful but now, wow!

I expect the removal of my dirt and grease and the repair of my tears will be painful but worth it to reveal what I was created to be. Maybe I am a Monet, you might be a Van Gough or a Picasso. We are definitely not all the same, but we are equally precious.