Journeying
Happy Easter!
On Saturday, Bethan and I will be heading up to Liverpool for the CEYC April meeting. The topics for discussion are discipleship and confirmation.
Over Lent and Easter, I have been thinking about my Christian journey; where I am now, where I have come from, the direction I will move in, the challenges and the triumphs, the times when I have succeeded and the times when I have got it wrong, the sorrow of Good Friday and the joy of Easter Sunday and I think the theme of journeying fits well with the topics for Saturday's meeting.
The word discipleship derives from the latin word ‘discipulus', which means ‘learner' and CEYC have been thinking about the whole Church as a learning Church. Each of us is on a journey of learning, about ourselves, about God, about others and about the world around us. I was reading a book recently on celtic spirituality and John O'Donohue, the author, explores how for many of us our world has become so familiar that we do not really see it anymore. This has encouraged me to try to think about what new things I see and learn each day.
I remember, in my confirmation classes, being shown a picture of a train station full of people; some looking at maps, some buying tickets, some running for the train, some on the train, some with too much baggage and was asked to think about where I was, if going on a train journey is like going on a journey with God. Was I on the train already journeying with God or was too much baggage from the past stopping me travelling with God? For some reason, at that time, I decided I was the person standing on the platform looking at the map! Now, I think I am sitting on the train, sometimes sitting quite comfortably trusting God with where I am going and at other times I am looking at the map on the wall of the train, to see where the next stop is and feeling a little uncertain and anxious about the future.
I find the train analogy really helpful when thinking about my journey and would love to hear what anyone else finds helpful in thinking about their journey or about discipleship and confirmation.
Rebekah
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Short links
http://www.albandys.org.uk/go/journeying
http://www.albandys.org.uk/go/355
I had never heard the train analogy before, and think it could be a useful tool when trying to understand your own relationship with God. As sometimes its hard to describe your relationship at any particular time!
By Emily on 2010 04 29